Lessons Learned from Giornata 11

A Halloween weekend for the 11^th matchday saw tricks and treats for various clubs, players and managers.  In honor of the holiday, we will take a look at those who got their candy this weekend and those who got toilet papered.

Treat: Inter Milan on Top

An expected win by Inter over Lavorno coupled with a Juventus loss to Napoli and Sampdoria tie with Bari has left the Nerazzurri seven points up on the top of the table.  And with their next two matches against an inconsistent Roma squad and relegation-possibility Bologna, they have a chance to add to their points before facing Fiorentina and Juventus.

Trick: Lazio Manager Davide Ballardini Could Be Fired Next

Lazio gained only a point against last place Siena, running their winless streak to over two months.  After a goal by Mauri in the 8^th minute, Lazio only had one more shot on goal.  Sitting at 15^th in the table, their next two matches against streaking Milan and top 6 Napoli do not look like chances to end their slump.  Their two following matches against Bologna and Roma could be more critical than they had thought at the beginning of the season.

Treat: Milan Will Have Timely Reinforcements

Despite their third match in six days, Milan continued their hot streak with a 2-0 win over Parma.  Leonardo succeeded in keeping his squad healthy ahead of their rematch against Real Madrid on Tuesday.  But Milan also had good news on the transfer front this weekend – Gareth gave the update on the Beckham signing plus they completed a deal to acquire Dominic Adiyiah from the Norwegian league.

Trick: Bari Settles for Controversial Tie

Bari once again settled for a tie against a top-flight club, this weekend Sampdoria, but they Galletti faithful have to be left asking what could have been.  Scoreless in extra time, Leonardo Bonucci seemingly scored the winning goal in the sixth extra minute, only to see the offside flag go up.

Trick: Palermo Manager Says Scudetto Race Wide Open

It’s not very often a manager proclaims that his team can win a championship after a scoreless draw at home, but that is exactly what Palermo coach Walter Zenga said to Sky after Sunday’s draw with Genoa.  While he’s right that this early on points can be made up, the 5-3 loss to Inter last week should have helped him realize that his squad has a long climb to the top.