Serie A Team of Week for Round 11
The Serie A table is starting to resemble last season's after the latest round of action, with Juventus and Roma pulling away at the top and Napoli moving up to third place.
Juve smashed Parma 7-0 and Roma hammered Torino 3-0 to once again prove they are the big guns of Italian football at present.
Napoli continued their recent run of good form with a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Fiorentina, while Chievo and Empoli were the only other sides to pick up three points.
Here is the team of the week from Matchday 11, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation.
Goalkeeper: Morgan De Sanctis
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Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis was not kept overly busy by the Torino forwards, but he was exemplary when he was called upon.
The veteran shot-stopper saved brilliantly from Fabio Quagliarella on two occasions.
Aside from that, he was positionally perfect all night.
He has now helped Roma keep a clean sheet in his last five Serie A matches for the club.
Defender: Federico Barba
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In only his second Serie A appearance this season, Empoli centre-back Federico Barba had a major say in his side's 2-1 upset over Lazio.
Called in to replace Lorenzo Tonelli, the 21-year-old was solid and composed in defence.
He also scored the all-important opening goal for his side in the 52nd minute, which would have been extra pleasing for him, given he is co-owned by Roma.
Defender: Daniele Gastaldello
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Sampdoria's defence may have conceded twice in the 2-2 draw with Milan, but they were impressive overall.
Daniele Gastaldello stood out, making a number of interceptions and using his powerful physique to stand firm during the Rossoneri's attacking phases.
A dominant display overall.
Defender: Rafael Marquez
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Mexican veteran Rafael Marquez has had some shaky moments since joining Verona at the start of the season, but his performance against Inter recalled his glory days at Barcelona.
The canny centre-back used his guile and experience to cope with Inter's attacking threats, even if whippersnapper Mauro Icardi gave him a few issues.
As usual, his distribution was first class.
Defender: Stephan Lichtsteiner
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Juventus right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner was quite simply sensational in his team's rout of Parma.
He was a constant menace down the flank once he realised Parma were not going to give him much work to do defensively.
He ended the match with two assists and one magnificent goal.
Midfield: Seydou Keita
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He nudged Radja Nainggolan out of the starting line-up and proved his value with a standout showing.
Seydou Keita covered every blade of grass on the pitch and was key in Roma's dynamic performance against Torino.
He also scored his very first goal in Serie A in his ninth appearance for the capital club.
Midfield: Paul Pogba
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When Juventus really hit their straps it is usually an indication that Paul Pogba has played a big game, and this was once again the case against Parma.
A bundle of energy, he helped out defensively and was nothing short of superb in an attacking sense.
Guiding the ball around to make things easy for his teammates, he also pushed forward himself to cause nightmares for the Parma back line.
Midfield: Sergio Pellissier
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Rarely does a half-time substitution make such a profound impact on a game.
Chievo's Sergio Pellissier came on at the break for Ezequiel Schelotto and showed his younger teammate how to take a game by the scruff of the neck.
The 35-year-old took control in the middle of the park and scored twice to earn his side a 2-1 win over Cesena.
Midfield: Miralem Pjanic
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Another of Roma's key figures in the big win over Torino was midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international was in sublime form with the ball at his feet, passing it around with calm precision as his side dominated proceedings.
He ended the evening with two assists and an enhanced reputation.
Forward: Diego Farias
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He did nab a relatively simple goal following a blunder from the opposition defence, but it was Diego Farias' movement and speed throughout his Cagliari team's 1-1 draw with Genoa that earns him a spot in our team of the week.
The Brazilian zipped about on the right-hand side of the attack to keep Genoa's defence on their toes and was a little unlucky not to find more goals.
Forward: Carlos Tevez
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The player of the week in Serie A was Juve's brilliant forward Carlos Tevez.
The little Argentine showed why he is so adored back in his homeland by scoring a goal that brought back memories of his compatriot Diego Maradona.
The fantastic individual effort was the high point of an all-round top-class display, which also resulted in another goal and plenty of moments for the highlight reel.
