The latest week of Serie A football brought significant results, with Genoa earning a hard-fought 2-1 win against Empoli, halting their three-match losing streak and placing them level on points with their opponents. Meanwhile, Lazio and Atalanta shared the spoils at the Stadio Olimpico, resulting in a 1-1 draw, impacting Atalanta's lead at the top of the table.
At the Carlo Castellani Stadium, Genoa showed up after previous defeats, demonstrating resilience and tactical discipline. The match started with both teams feigning some threats but finding little success until the second half. Genoa’s Milan Badelj broke the deadlock just 40 seconds after the restart, catching Empoli's defense off guard. His goal resulted from a miscommunication between Empoli players, Vasquez and Goglichidze, who misjudged their clearances, allowing Badelj to slot home easily.
Despite falling behind, Empoli had their chances to equalize, most notable being Sebastiano Esposito's missed penalty. Esposito earned the penalty after being fouled by Vasquez but saw his shot saved by Genoa's goalkeeper, Leali. This miss proved pivotal, as it dashed the hosts' hope of finding parity. Shortly after, Caleb Ansah Ekuban capitalized on another defensive lapse to add the second goal for Genoa, extending their lead to 2-0. Empoli's Esposito finally netted with just minutes left, but it was too late to turn the tide and the match ended 2-1.
Meanwhile, at the Stadio Olimpico, Lazio displayed determination against league leaders Atalanta, who were aiming to extend their impressive run of consecutive wins. Lazio struck first at the 27th minute when Dele-Bashiru found the net, giving the home side the advantage. Atalanta scraped their way back to level terms late in the game through Brescianini, who capitalized on Lookman’s assist. With the draw, Atalanta remains at the top of the standing with 41 points, one clear of Inter.
Inter's encounter with Cagliari turned out to be another strong performance, wrapping up the match with a 3-0 victory. Alexander Bastoni marked the beginning of goals for Inter, followed by Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu, who capped the scoring with a penalty after Wieteska's handball. Inter's win is part of their pursuit of the title, temporarily leveling with Atalanta before their match against Lazio played out.
Also noteworthy was Parma's hard-fought victory against Monza. Despite monotony from previous losses, Parma scored a last-gasp winner from Lautaro Valenti in the 97th minute, securing three points which pushed them away from the relegation zone.
Overall, the week's Serie A matches saw teams battling fiercely for points with the specter of relegation looming for those like Monza and Empoli, making each fixture critically valuable. Fans can expect the upcoming matches to be equally competitive as teams vie for glory and survival as the season approaches its midpoint.
