Serie A findings Round 13 – What we learned from this week’s fixtures (Part 2)
The Dark side of Samuel Eto’o
Samuel Eto’o has been the lone bright spot in a dismal Nerazzuri campaign so far. The mercurial forward has been firing on all cylinders for the Milanese giants, and his 18 goals in all competitions bear testimony to that.
Last night against Chievo Verona, the Nerazzuri slumped to their second successive league defeat. Sergio Pellissier and Davide Moscardelli put Chievo two-nil up, before Eto’o scored a late consolation in injury time.
It was a historic result for the Mussi Volanti (flying donkeys), but the game will sadly be remembered for an ugly Zidane-like head-butt, which Eto’o executed on Bostjan Cesar. The Cameroon International responded violently to a punch Cesar had thrown earlier. Just like Marco Materazzi, Cesar was left sprawling on the ground, but Samuel Eto’o somehow managed to get away with the offence.
The Italian disciplinary authorities will surely look in to the matter, and Eto’o is likely to sit out at least two games on disciplinary counts. However, the suspension in this case is purely secondary. The mercurial forward is universally liked for his beaming smile and mild manner, not to mention his prodigious talent. Such violent antics from a player of Eto’o pedigree are heartbreaking to say the least.
Aquile wings clipped
Under the guidance of the supremely experienced Eduardo Reja, Lazio have been restored to their imperious selves, which allowed them to get off to a flying start this season. The likes of Hernanes and Mauri have performed consistently for the club, and future looks bright.
The Aquile were on top of the League table until a few weeks ago, but many had speculated a dip in form. Lazio’s squad doesn’t possess the depth required to consistently fight for the title, and the quality of Floccari, Zarate and Hernanes is irreplaceable. Aquile have managed only four points from a possible 12 in their last four games.
That has suggested to the fans, that Lazio are not quite championship-winning material. The Lazio faithful must not get ahead of themselves however. Reja is doing brilliantly with the squad he has at his disposal. The Aquile are an ongoing project and even a Champions League qualification, should the manage it, will be a huge achievement.
Ninety more minutes for Rafa
Jose Mourinho had an absolutely divine season with Nerazzuri last year. The Portuguese wizard won everything on offer in a simply historic season with Inter Milan. Even the most prodigious of coaches would have found it hard to fill the void left by Mourinho’s departure, and sadly Rafa Benitez is no prodigy.
However, even Benitez would not have anticipated such a woeful and terribly unlucky start to his Italian odyssey. The tactician had to deal with a ridiculously long list of injuries, and to make matters worse, some of his decisions on the pitch have bordered on obnoxious.
Currently, Inter are sixth in the League; nine points off the league leaders and arch-rivals AC Milan. With the Rossoneri grinding out results with a champion’s mentality, and Juventus finally looking like a team on a mission, it’s arguable whether a nine-point deficit can be overcome.
Prior to the fixture against Chievo Verona, it was widely speculated that Rafa had been given two games to make an impression. The first game ended in a miserable defeat, and should Benitez fail to register a victory against FC Twente on Wednesday, Rafa is very much likely to get his marching orders.
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