After a gripping weekend where Juventus took over at the top for the first time this season Dave Taylor selects his best XI from Week 25
Angelo Costa [Bologna]
Stepping in for Antonio Mirante the Brazilian never let the side down, making several critical saves. Had a bit of good fortune with one or two efforts but did what he is paid to do, keep a clean sheet. Athletic.
Raul Albiol [Napoli]
After a gripping weekend where Juventus took over at the top for the first time this season Dave Taylor selects his best XI from Week 25
Angelo Costa [Bologna]
Stepping in for Antonio Mirante the Brazilian never let the side down, making several critical saves. Had a bit of good fortune with one or two efforts but did what he is paid to do, keep a clean sheet. Athletic.
Raul Albiol [Napoli]
Led the Napoli back line cutting out any danger from Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata comparatively easily. The experienced Spaniard had the anticipation and agility to keep the pair quiet and passed the ball out of defence accurately. Commanding.
Leonardo Bonucci [Juventus]
In a game where defences were supreme he never stopped working and kept Napoli at arms’ length until he went off. Limited the visitors’ front line to long distance shots and shone when acrobatically clearing a Gonzalo Higuain goal-bound effort. Powerful.
Andrea Barzagli [Juventus]
Was a tower in defence and with Bonucci‘s exit he stepped up to the plate and kept the Napoli forwards at bay. Made several crucial tackles and annulled the danger of Serie A’s top scorer Gonzalo Higuain. Solid.
Keisuke Honda [Milan]
Like a maddened hornet the Japanese was a real menace down the right and apart from setting up Carlos Bacca’s goal, he scored one himself in the second half with an unstoppable 35 yard left footer. Threatening.
Mohamed Salah [Roma]
Was a constant nuisance, produced two fantastic assists and sealed a top performance with a well-taken goal. Alert as ever following a deflection by Carpi’s goalkeeper Vid Belec, the nippy Egyptian immediately knocked it back past him into the net. Inspiring.
Claudio Marchisio [Juventus]
Brave in the tackle and made a point of making the midfield his own recovering the ball and setting Juve up for attack. Seemed to be a couple of moves ahead of the opposition and scattered them like a bunch of gnats on a green pond. Combatative.
Danilo Cataldi [Lazio]
Playing just behind his forwards the 21-year-old was the best player on the park and a substantial presence in the midfield. The author of two fine assists he also forced Verona’s ‘keeper into a smart save from a fierce volley. Aware.
Juan Cuadrado [Juventus]
Threatened down the flank, saw a lot of the ball and forced several set-pieces. Worked well with his defender Stephan Lichtsteiner and was always an outlet, especially in the first half. Pacy.
Ciro Immobile [Torino]
The much-travelled striker was always looking to receive the ball and scored a well-deserved brace. His first came via a penalty while his second saw him smartly slip ahead of a defender to slot home a precise right-footer. Unswerving.
Daniel Ciofani [Frosinone]
Helped the visitors win their first away game with a well-taken brace including a penalty. For his first he beat Mario Rui to head home. His second came when converting the spot kick after sending ‘keeper Lukasz Skorupski the wrong way. Consistent.
Special mentions: Stefano Mauri [Lazio], Lucas Digne [Roma], Mattia Destro [Bologna], Federico Bernardeschi [Fiorentina], Borja Valero [Fiorentina].