Another weekend of Serie A action has flown by, and it was a very satisfactory one for Inter Milan as they came from behind to beat Roma 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico.
That result extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points as Juventus suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against Udinese.
Meanwhile, AC Milan closed to within a point of Massimiliano Allegri’s men with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Napoli, and there were emphatic victories for Atalanta, Bologna and Fiorentina as they chase down a Champions League spot.
At the other end of the table, Salernitana lost 3-1 to Empoli and opted to sack Filippo Inzaghi, replacing him with the experienced Fabio Liverani.
Mail Sport’s Alvise Cagnazzo picks out 10 things we learned from a fascinating weekend in Italy.
Udinese pulled off a shock win against Juventus on Sunday as Massimiliano Allegri’s side fell further adrift in the title race
Thuram can surpass his World Cup-winning dad
Marcus Thuram is probably Serie A‘s best signing of the season, as well as Manchester United‘s biggest regret.
He arrived at Inter from Borussia Mönchengladbach and is now the most decisive attacker in the Nerazzurri front line thanks to striking up a blossoming partnership with Lautaro Martinez.
He has scored nine goals – the same as Hakan Calhanoglu – and registered seven assists, exceptional numbers for someone who is experiencing his first year at Inter and in Italy, a much more difficult and tactical championship than the Bundesliga.
Unlike United’s Antony, he is a fundamental player even when he doesn’t score goals, participating in all the team’s offensive actions.
Against Roma, after a first-half full of problems, he became the protagonist in the second half, troubling the Giallorossi defense with vertical runs and sudden changes of pace.
His goal demonstrated expert precision, reminiscent of a peak Filippo Inzaghi, and he played a crucial role in defender Angelino’s own goal which condemned Roma to defeat.
The feeling is that Marcus could have a better career than his highly-decorated father, Lilian, who won the World Cup in 1998 with France, but only time will reveal whether he can surpass Thuram Snr.
Marcus Thuram got on the scoresheet for Inter Milan on Saturday and is enjoying a fine season
Lilian Thuram (second left) won the World Cup with France in 1998, but his son could be an even better player