Serie A 2018-19 Match Day 13 Round-up
Match Day 13 of the Serie A saw some exciting match-ups with Gattuso's Milan side facing off against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico while Juventus took on SPAL at home. Inter Milan took on Frosinone before their mid-week trip to Spurs in the Champions League.
Here we take a look at five of the major talking points from Match Day 13 of the Serie A:
1.Ronaldo inspires Juventus to a comfortable win over SPAL:
Juventus continued their unbeaten run at the top of Serie A with a routine 2-0 victory over SPAL.
Ronaldo scored in the 29th minute with an assist from Miralem Pjanic to give Juventus the lead. The Bianconeri were clinical in the third half and caused consistent issues for the SPAL defence.
The Juve captain for the day, Mandzukic doubled the lead in the second half. The two goals were enough to secure victory for Juve against a struggling SPAL side.They have now managed 37 points and are 8 clear of second place Napoli.
Up next for Juventus is a crucial Champions League match against Valencia, where they would look to get their European campaign back on track following their loss to Manchester United.
2.Napoli draw at home to Chievo as Juve extend gap at the top:
Napoli were up against Chievo Verona at home following the international break. Ancelotti's men were already six points behind table toppers Juventus before this match and were expected to win this match against the bottom placed side.
Despite having the majority of the possession and shots on target, Insigne and company could not find the elusive goal. With this loss, Napoli have slipped further and are now 8 points behind Juventus.
Up next for Napoli is a Champions League match against Red Star Belgrade, where they would like to solidify their Knockout chances.
3.Inter win big against Frosinone as crucial series of fixtures begin:
Inter Milan recorded their fifth consecutive victory at the San Siro against Frosinone. With an eye towards the Tottenham fixture in the Champions League, Luciano Spalleti rested Icardi, Perisic and Brozovic.
Keita Balde scored early from a Lautaro Martinez assist to hand Inter an early lead. Martinez and Keita scored in the second half as well to give Inter a comfortable victory.
Up next for Inter is a trip away against Tottenham in the Champions League. With this win, Inter are third in the Serie A nine points behind leaders Juventus.
4.Lazio score late equalizer to deny Milan:
Milan faced off against Lazio in Round 13 of the Serie A fixtures. Lazio's attack through the right wing caused multiple problems for the Milan defence in the first half, while Calhanoglu had the best chance for Milan.
Franck Kessie got the lead for Milan late in the second half through a shot which deflected off of Walace. Lazio were relentless in their pursuit of an equalizer as Joaquin Correa scored in the fourth minute of injury time.
Up next for both sides are important Europa League matches. Lazio face Apollon while Milan take on Dudelange, as both sides would look to secure their place in the knockout rounds of the Europa League. With this draw, Lazio and Milan are fourth and fifth respectively in the Serie A with 23 and 22 points.
5. Roma lose to Udinese as they prepare to take on Real Madrid:
Roma's mixed run in the Serie A this season continued with another loss to Udinese. Roma had the lion's share of the possession, but were not clinical enough to finish the game.
Rodrigo dePaul scored early in the second half to give the hosts the lead. The Argentine's goal proved to be decisive as Udinese preserved their lead throughout the second half.
Up next for Roma is a midweek Champions League home match against Real Madrid. The victory was crucial for Udinese as they climbed above the relegation zone with 12 points in 16th place. Roma with this loss are 7th in the league behind Parma with 19 points.