With Week 20 now consigned to the past, Dave Taylor picks his best XI from the latest round of action.
Antonio Mirante [Parma]
With Week 20 now consigned to the past, Dave Taylor picks his best XI from the latest round of action.
Antonio Mirante [Parma]
Twice pulled off superb saves from Andrea Pirlo’s free-kicks, the first thanks to his absolutely awesome athleticism. He also put the mockers on several shots from Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella yet could do nothing about the goal. Sensational.
Federico Nicolas Spolli [Catania]
Never allowed Erik Lamela any room to manoeuvre and in general kept the Roma forwards in check. Became even stronger in the second half and closed down all the avenues to the Catania goal. Reliable.
Davide Astori [Cagliari” data-scaytid=”20″>Cagliari]
Marked Marco Borriello out of the game and won most of his aerial duels. Always alert to the opportunity of a counter attack and supplied both the midfield and forwards with several useful balls. Authorative.
Stefan Radu [Lazio” data-scaytid=”14″>Lazio]
Led the line superbly and always on hand to make a crucial interception. His no nonsense attitude made sure the visitors could make no headway and it was his cross that made the opening goal. Faultless.
Alessio Cerci [Torino]
Caused Siena all sorts of problems with his sheer quality and it was his crucial run down the right that helped set up the opening goal. However, he saved his best for his own solo goal that saw him weave the ball past Gianluca Pegolo. Mercurial.
Hernanes [Lazio]
On fire and his creativity was at the heart of most of Lazio’s attacks. Caused problems all afternoon and almost had a free reign to do what he wanted, thanks to his split-second timing and overall superiority. Impeccable.
Gokhan Inler [Napoli]
Ruled the midfield with his movement, awareness and anticipation, while scoring an outstanding goal when unleashing a typical thunderbolt from several yards outside the area. Also set up Lorenzo Insigne’s goal. Commanding.
Juan Camilo Zuniga [Napoli]
Always an outlet on the left, his intelligent use of the ball played a big part in Napoli’s midfield coming out on top, as did his crosses and pace. Also heavily involved in Christian Maggio’s goal. Astute.
Antonio Di Natale [Udinese” data-scaytid=”40″>Udinese]
Full of running, he showed his confidence when converting the penalty by sending the ‘keeper the wrong way. Kept up the pressure and later scored his second with an unstoppable half-volley. Outstanding.
Rodrigo Palacio [Inter]
Never stopped probing and opened the scoring with a superb strike before laying on a perfect pass for Fredy Guarin’s goal. Perhaps would have also scored a second but for Marco Capuano’s excellent block. Versatile.
Alberto Gilardino [Bologna]
A Man of the Match performance with a perfect brace thanks to a style of play that sees him fight for every ball. His first goal came from a precise lob over the goalkeeper, his second via clinical finishing. Awesome.
Special mentions: Rolando Bianchi [Torino], Reginaldo [Siena], Christian Maggio [Napoli], Nicola Sansone [Parma], Alejandro Gomez [Catania], Andrea Lazzari [Udinese], Miroslav Klose [Lazio], Fredy Guarin [Inter].