Serie A - Week 16: Answers on a Postcard

The World Cup’s done, Serie A is back and we’ve had ten games in a day, with more coming at the weekend. This is living. Answers on a Postcard is back too, but with less conversation and a little more action, all for your satisfaction. Five moments that stood out this gameweek:

Ochoa in Serie A

World Cup mythical figure Guillermo Ochoa began his Serie A career by wandering aimlessly out of his area and allow Leao to round him and score. It’s bold, it’s brave and it’s a bit daft. However, he turned it around by making nine saves and single handedly kept them in the game. A strong debut with a moment of madness, but that’s to be expected in this wonderfulcampeonato.

I may have been tempted to stupidly write him off after that first goal, but that sort of reactionary thinking is best reserved for YouTube live streams.

Spezia-Atalanta in colour

Disclaimer, I’m a bit colourblind, but COME ON. Spezia (white) and Atalanta (black/blue) seemed pretty straightforward but apparently the clashing black shorts drove the away side to wear their third shirt, which they’ve listed as ‘aquamarine’ but looked a bit too close to white for me. So, I watched Spezia take the lead and then my head started to hurt, which meant it was time to turn over and watch Torino-Verona. I hope you’re happy, Atalanta.

Napoli’s first stumble

Has the World Cup ignited the fire in the Milan clubs? Or just an off night for Napoli? Either way, Inter won, Napoli didn’t. Edin Dzeko did his thing while Napoli huffed and puffed. This leaves Napoli top of the league by five points while Inter sit fourth, just eight off the top. Even Juventus have managed to vaguely stay in the title race in third place, meaning we’re in for a long and undoubtedly exciting title race, even if I (secretly) hope for Napoli to pull away and give us a year off from the Northern powerhouses. Don’t shout at me, Juventus, Milan and Inter fans.

Big win for Samp

Better rip up that death notice, Sampdoria are back. Well, maybe. Probably not, I don’t know. The goals were great though. A close range overhead kick from Gabbiadini before Augello’s Carlos Alberto impression with a delicate blasting of the ball. Samp coach Dejan Stankovic dedicated the win to his late friend Sinisa Mihajlovic and they moved into 18th, five points from safety.

It’s rare that there’s such a gap between salvation and relegation, but this is a weird season. Sampdoria have a lot to do and will need a little help in the shape of incompetence by a couple of the teams above them. It could be worse for Samp though, they could be Genoa.

Cremonese still winless

Will Cremonese win a game this season? They haven’t taken three points from any of their sixteen games so far, so why start now? Losing in injury time to Juventus is by no means a disgraceful result, but if Alvini wants to keep this team in Serie A, he’d better get the finger out. They sit seven points from safety, with seven draws and nine losses, but they aren’t bottom of the league, which goes to show just how bad Verona have been. It’s hard to see La Cremo sticking around for season two, but the rumoured signings of Bonazzoli and Duncan could help, even just a little. Maybe they should just go all out and hire Davide Nicola.