Inter, the team known for their comebacks, draw level with Lazio at the top of the table. Victories put an end to the slumps for Juve and Milan

Shall we say it? Lazio are playing well, applying some impressive high-pressing. They’re quick, organised and ready to strike – and not just through their strikers. Every area of the team is making a significant contribution. The midfield, in particular – with Frattesi, Belahyane and Taylor – is effective both in build-up play and in defence. And then there’s Gattuso: who, in an environment like Lazio’s – with the problems we’re all aware of – has managed to pull off a minor miracle by bringing together a squad of players we’d all underestimated. It’s rare for everything to go perfectly all the time, but Gattuso wasn’t born yesterday and knows full well how to manage the ups and downs of such a long season. In a game where people ramble on about formations, tactics and algorithms, Rino’s approach is an extraordinary rebuttal of those know-it-alls who, when they talk about ‘short passing’, ‘play between the lines’ and ‘building from the back’, end up confusing even their own players. Gattuso is a true football man, neither a ‘play-for-play’ coach nor a ‘results-only’ manager, but simply brilliant at getting a top-class side like Lazio to play well.

Moving down the table, we come to Roma, third with Milan just behind the two leaders at the top. Gasperini’s side, drawing 3–3 with Napoli (their best performance of the season), showed great maturity by managing to salvage a (brilliant) match that could have ended very badly. This was down both to their defensive frailties and to the incisiveness of the Neapolitans, who, led by Politano, squandered a 3-0 lead that would have sealed the match opened up by Anguissa’s superb overhead kick. Once De Bruyne (excellent as a playmaker) had run out of steam and the Scottish midfielder McTominay (who scored a brace) had lost his spark, Gasperini’s deep bench turned the tide, first through Soulé and then with a surprising brace from Balerdi. When the Giallorossi centre-back scored his second – coming after McTominay’s goal to make it 3–2 – Allegri put on his usual show, getting sent off for protesting the validity of the Giallorossi’s equaliser with a few words too many. Having taken off his jacket as expected, the manager also railed against the cynical, cheating world which, last spring, he claimed had favoured Roma in their final push for European qualification (“Last year they put the Champions League in their pocket and I paid the price…”). A scathing tirade that should rightly trigger a disciplinary inquiry. Words spoken in the heat of the moment, given that Milan, led by Max, committed harakiri by collapsing spectacularly in the closing stages. Allegri’s outburst – by now as predictable as a hangover headache – overshadowed Napoli’s fine performance, which only faltered in the closing stages due to the poor quality of the substitutes. It’s a curious trajectory for Count Max, who, from being a die-hard ‘results-oriented’ manager, scoffing at attractive football (“spectacle belongs in the circus”), has ended up pulling off clownish antics himself.

As for Como, who saw off Sassuolo 2–0, there’s little to say. Just watch them. One point behind Roma and Milan, they’re running like clockwork (the border’s nearby) and, even without Nico Paz, they made short work of the opposition thanks to a brace from Douvikas, the Greek centre-forward who, after travelling all over Europe, has now landed on the shores of the lake.

A thrilling 4–4 draw between Atalanta and Frosinone. A torrential downpour of goals – a thoroughly entertaining affair – which highlighted Frosinone’s well-known qualities (four wins, one draw and two defeats) and the tenacity of La Dea, who, despite falling behind twice, fought back on both occasions despite the shock of conceding the opening goal after just 30 seconds. What can one say? There was certainly no shortage of mistakes on both sides. And Sarri was met with a barrage of boos from the Bergamo fans. But matches like this, without stifling pre-match tactics, are well worth the price of admission.

Spalletti breathes a sigh of relief. A much-needed breath of fresh air arrives from Lecce for Luciano Spalletti. After two matchdays without a win, Juventus secured a 2–0 victory over Di Francesco’s side, taking their tally to 14 points. The goals from McKennie (29’) and Douglas Luis (41’) proved decisive. Let’s be clear, it wasn’t a thrilling performance, but three precious points were secured, aided in part by Lecce’s lack of resistance; they never once posed a threat.

Milan bounce back in Udine. Following their European setback, and with several players missing, the Rossoneri cruised to a 2-0 victory in Friuli, drawing level with Roma in third place (18 points). One goal in each half. The first came from Pulisic, set up masterfully by Modric, after just six minutes. The second, in the second half, came from Hutchinson, who scored his first goal for the Rossoneri from a rebound off the Udinese goalkeeper. For Milan, who face Bologna on Wednesday and Inter in the derby on Saturday, it was a carefree evening with plenty of wasted chances and almost constant dominance. Following this victory – made easier by Udinese’s fragility (their sixth defeat, with manager Runjaic’s job on the line) – the Rossoneri climb the table but remain a mystery to be unravelled. Once this week – a challenging turning point – is over, we will probably know more.

RESULTS

Torino v Monza 3–2

Cagliari v Bologna 0–2

Como v Sassuolo 2–0

Napoli v Roma 3–3

Lazio v Parma 2–1

Inter v Fiorentina 2–1

Atalanta v Frosinone

Genoa v Venezia 1–0

Lecce v Juventus 0–2

Udinese v Milan 0–2