The third match day of Serie A is now in the books: Italian fans were able to witness three big games - Roma-Milan, Napoli-Lazio and Inter-Fiorentina. Lots of goals, lots of emotions and still no victory for Jose Mourinho and his boys. Instead, Lazio pulled off a real shock by convincingly defeating Napoli. Let's see what happened over the weekend:
MATCH OF THE WEEK - NAPOLI-LAZIO
A two-sided game: the first half was almost entirely Napoli's, with the boys now coached by Rudi Garcia keeping possession throughout, coming close to scoring several times and even ending the first 45 minutes at 1-1, with Lazio having managed to take the lead with just the one shot.
In the second half, Maurizio Sarri's team simply waited in their part of the pitch to counter-attack, using something very similar to "catenaccio" and Napoli fell into the trap, often leaving their defenders in dangerous 1 vs 1 situations against Lazio's strikers.
Felipe Anderson was having a perfect day and was always unstoppable for Juan Jesus and Amir Rrahmani. As was Luis Alberto,who after the departure of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is now the best player on the team. Lazio won 1-2, had two goals denied for offside and in the second half could have humiliated Napoli, after holding out during the first half also thanks to some miraculous saves by Ivan Provedel, who was decisive for the triumph.
A first positive result for Sarri's team, 3 points after the two defeats against Lecce and Genoa: the best possible way to change their course.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK - BERARDI AND SCAMACCA
After a summer spent waiting for news from the market, after the many rumours about a possible transfer - first to Lazio and then to Juventus - after the pleas to stay by Sassuolo and coach Alessio Dionisi, Mimmo Berardi is back. And he did it in style, with a double that allowed his team to find its first three points of the season in the challenge against Verona, until then the surprise of the season.
Berardi is Sassuolo's true champion, probably at a much higher level than many of his teammates, and this summer perhaps he would have deserved a move to a top team, one of the league's big-boys. But he chose to stay and a grateful Sassuolo are sure to benefit.
Another Italian ready to change the minds of West Ham and the English fans who lacked trust in him is Gianluca Scamacca. The new Atalanta striker in his last game scored two goals, one with a header, another with a left-footed shot from outside the box, immediately making a devastating impact at his new club after being sought first by Roma and then by Inter.
Luciano Spalletti did not include him in his first call-up list as Italy's new coach, but the impression is that he will have to change his mind soon, because a striker like that you cannot keep out. Physically strong, technical, fast, with great personality: Scamacca is ready to drive on Atalanta.
TEAM OF THE WEEK - INTER MILAN
Simone Inzaghi has picked up where he left off: his Inter is a beautiful and strong team, scoring many goals, now also conceding few goals. This despite the heavy changes undergone by the team at his disposal, with the goodbyes of Romelu Lukaku, Andre Onana, Marcelo Brozovic and Milan Skriniar and the arrivals of, among others, Davide Frattesi, Marcus Thuram, Carlos Augusto, Juan Cuadrado and Yann Sommer.
In short, Beppe Marotta has done a good job, indeed he has done truly a great job. Inzaghi has yet to exploit the full potential of the squad, he has yet to utilise Frattesi, perhaps one of the best Italian midfielders, but at the moment his team seems to have few weaknesses.
Of course, the next game the Nerazzurri will face is AC Milan and it will be a really important test to assess Inter's improvement, but this start of the season has left everyone speechless. Kudos must be given to Marotta and Inzaghi, because they are showing that you can trade players and at the same time keep the level of the squad high.
TALKING POINT - ROMA, WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Roma fans are probably the ones in the most trouble at this start of the season, because no one could have imagined a beginning with one point from nine in the first three matches against Salernitana, Verona and Milan.
As many as six goals conceded, so many difficulties in defence (Roma's real strong point last year), so many physical problems, the delay in the market that is manifesting itself in the absence of so many expected protagonists, and a disorienting and worrying ranking that sees Roma in 18th place in the standings.
Obviously it is early, too early, to panic, but something in Roma's office has not gone as it should and the results are showing. The impression is that the negative epilogue in the Europa League, caused by Anthony Taylor's refereeing and not by the demerits of Mourinho and his men, is having extremely negative effects on Roma, which has lost defensive solidity and the character that distinguished the Giallorossi in every game last year, even in defeat.
Now Roma seems toothless, no anger, little desire to win. Renato Sanches has already missed two games, as has Paulo Dybala (one due to disqualification, but he was not well anyway), Evan Ndicka has yet to make his debut, Leandro Paredes is out of condition, and Houssem Aouar has already been injured.
In short, Tiago Pinto's market has not helped the coach, who, however, can no longer make an impact as before. Roma, what's going on? This is the question being asked by Roma fans, who hope to see something completely different against Empoli after the national team break. The pace needs to change, and quickly too.
