The latest Serie A weekend was filled with both relief and surprises, as struggling teams such as Atalanta and Milan returned to winning days on Matchday 4, while title contenders Inter and Juventus were both held on away draws by Monza and Empoli respectively.
As a result, Napoli could leapfrog both of them into the second spot after thrashing Cagliari 4-0 in a game that saw both Romelu Lukaku and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia find the net, showcasing all their attacking prowess. Nevertheless, it was Udinese who took the spotlight by coming back from two goals behind to beat Parma 3-2 and claim the first place with a view to an exciting Serie A weekend that will see Inter and Milan involved in the Derby della Madonnina, with Juventus hosting Antonio Conte’s Napoli.
Do rotations hinder Inter’s potential?
In the end, Inter can almost feel lucky to have avoided defeat at Monza on Sunday, with Denzel Dumfries’ late goal salvaging a 1-1 draw that kept the Nerazzurri unbeaten after Mota Carvalho’s header had taken the hosts ahead.
With their first Champions League clash of the season against Manchester City looming over, Simone Inzaghi opted to rotate part of his squad, with Alessandro Bastoni, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella all starting on the bench.
As much as Inter looked in full control for long stretches, albeit without creating significant scoring chances, their play looked less flowing than usual, lacking that pace and intensity that their opponents often find hard to cope with.
In this respect, questions were raised about Inter’s ability to do without their most prominent players all at once, as this could become a common scenario if Inzaghi wants to manage his players’ energy wisely before the Nerazzurri’s Champions League fixtures.
The feeling is that even the reigning champions, like Juventus and Milan, are still in search of a renewed balance in an attempt to express their full potential.
Napoli showing signs of Antonio Conte’s mentality
Napoli’s woeful start to the season under Antonio Conte already seems a distant memory, as the Partenopei quickly bounced back and won their following three games in a row, currently being the Serie A runner-up.
However, more than the victories, Napoli’s improvements in attitude impressed the most, a clear hint that Conte’s work is already paying off.
After crumbling against Hellas Verona in their Serie A debut, a display that led the Italian tactician to underline his players’ inability to react to adversities, the Azzurri fought back against Parma to win in injury time, and even their 4-0 victory over Cagliari was more complicated than the scoreline suggests.
Before Kvaratskhelia and Lukaku took the scene to wrap up a large win, Cagliari had a strong reaction after finding themselves one goal behind.
In those moments of the game, Napoli were focused and lucky enough not to capitulate, with their goalkeeper Alex Meret also making a crucial contribution with some impressive saves.
However, this is exactly what Antonio Conte’s side are about – overcoming difficulties thanks to their group spirit and being lethal when given the chance.
Udinese are at the top of Serie A. How long will it last?
Udinese comeback win against Parma saw them become the Serie A leaders after four games, building to an already exciting start to the season that was hard to foresee a few weeks ago.
While the Bianconeri conceded in three of their four fixtures played so far, they’re the only team alongside Inter in the Serie A top five to have scored at least once in each one of them.
Their offensive efficiency is a testament to the work of their new coach Kosta Runjaić, with the likes of Florian Thauvin and Lorenzo Lucca clearly benefitting from his attacking style of game.
Udinese will visit Roma, who are still winless, next week, a stern test that will tell more about Runjaić’s real aspirations this season.