Serie A roundup: Juventus suffer shock defeat to Monza, Fiorentina and Lazio claim wins
Cremonese - Lazio 0-4
Three first-half goals saw Lazio put themselves back into the win column after a mid-week thrashing, defeating Serie A newcomers Cremonese 4-0 away from home, to win successive games in the league for the first time this season.
After a disastrous showing in Denmark during the week, a fast start was sorely needed by Maurizio Sarri’s men. While the two teams traded chances in the opening exchanges, it was the Romans who snatched the lead in style. Having been slipped in behind by Sergej Milinković-Savić, star striker Ciro Immobile poked the ball home into the roof of the net, giving Lazio a well-deserved one-goal advantage.
It quickly went from good to great for the capital club, when Immobile fired his shot into the raised arms of Luka Lochoshvili, forcing the referee to award the visitors a penalty kick. As expected, the lethal striker stepped up and dispatched from the spot to double Lazio’s lead inside 30 minutes. The Biancocelesti capped off their dominant first half display in stoppage time when Milinković-Savić bundled home a rebounded shot from point-blank range.
See stats from the match at Flashscore
With the three points effectively wrapped up by Lazio at the interval, it was a matter of damage limitation for Massimiliano Alvini’s men. A flurry of substitutions saw the hosts bring on defensive minded players to batten down the hatches.
While they managed to steady the ship and concede only one goal to Pedro on the counter-attack with just over ten minutes remaining, the damage was already done, and La Cremo suffered a seventh Serie A game without a win, finding themselves as one of only three teams in the top-flight without a victory in the campaign.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Fiorentina - Verona 2-0
ACF Fiorentina snapped their eight-match winless run with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hellas Verona at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, securing a first home H2H victory since 2013 in the process.
Coming into the contest on the back of a chastening 3-0 defeat to İstanbul Başakşehir in midweek, Fiorentina looked like a side with a point to prove in the opening exchanges. The hosts’ positive start was rewarded with an early breakthrough, as Jonathan Ikoné opened the scoring with a moment of individual brilliance. The French international, under pressure after an underwhelming start to the campaign, showed impressive speed and close control to cut inside from the right wing, before drilling a low strike beyond the outstretched dive of Lorenzo Montipò.
Buoyed by the opener, Fiorentina looked determined to press home their advantage, and were gifted a golden opportunity to do so when Christian Kouamé was pulled back inside the penalty area. However, it was Montipò - having already denied Lorenzo Venuti and Ikoné with a pair of superb saves - who came out on top, diving to his left to thwart Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi. With HT approaching, the hosts missed further opportunities to extend their lead, as Luca Ranieri saw a close-range header thwarted by Montipò.
See stats from the match at Flashscore
The second half started in cagey fashion, with neither side able to find any kind of rhythm in the final third, although Montipò again had to be at his best to save Giacomo Bonaventura’s stinging long-range strike. The visitors gradually began to take control of possession after the hour-mark, but the closest they came to finding an equaliser was when substitute Yayah Kallon raced through on goal, only to be thwarted by a sprawling Pietro Terracciano.
With less than five minutes left on the clock and the scoreline still delicately poised, the hosts finally enjoyed some late breathing space with a well-deserved second goal. Rolando Mandragora did well to find space inside the box, and unselfishly squared the ball to substitute Nicolás González, who bundled the ball home from close-range. The result sees Fiorentina rise to 10th in the table, meanwhile Verona slip to 17th, just one point above the relegation zone.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lorenzo Montipò (Hellas Verona)
Monza - Juventus 1-0
Serie A newcomers A.C. Monza earned a distinguished first-ever top-flight victory by outclassing ten-man Juventus with a single goal, handing the visitors a fifth straight winless match and a first defeat this season.
Eager to taste their maiden top-flight win, Monza set out to inflict damage early on to a morale-hit Juventus, who themselves arrived into the clash on a four-match winless streak. Feeding on the visitors’ downturn of form, the hosts exercised their control and came close via Juventus loanee Nicolò Rovella’s drive from the edge of the box that whistled past Mattia Perin’s left post. Monza duly upped the ante, as Armando Izzo and Patrick Ciurria spearheaded from the wings, but came short time and again due to the lack of clinical finishing upfront.
An animated Max Allegri, serving up a one-match ban following the debacle against Salernitana, turned out to be increasingly frustrated due to his side’s inefficiency when on the ball – and to the tactician’s dismay, Angel Di Maria soon joined him in the stands. The veteran playmaker was shown a direct red card by referee Fabio Maresca, for lashing out at an opposition player with his elbow as the HT whistle approached, forcing his side to play the second half with just ten men.
See stats from the match at Flashscore
Despite their fate, the Bianconeri tried pushing back, but could only do so much against a Monza outfit who now garnered renewed hope of adding to their only point of the season. Forward Dany Mota wasted a point-blank opportunity in front of goal, as he totally mistimed and fluffed his effort inches past the right post. Mota was replaced a minute later by Christian Gytkjær, who almost immediately made an impact, when he sent his header above the crossbar following an accurate cross.
The substitute didn’t have to wait long though, as he capitalised on a good ball and tapped home the opener just as the final quarter-hour clocked down. The visitors could not find any respite in spite of their efforts in the final 10 minutes, with the loss further adding doubt to Allegri’s stay in the Turin outfit’s dugout. A first-ever victory in Serie A and also against Juventus will give minnows Monza hope of bettering their form in the coming weeks, as they seek a place away from the relegation zone.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Christian Gytkjær (A.C. Monza)