5 Things About Serie A That We Learned from Week 17 in Italy

Jack Alexandros RathbornJun 7, 2018

It's good to be back.

After a short Christmas break, Serie A returned pronto and the players appeared to be better for the rest.

We were treated to plenty of enthralling games over the weekend in the peninsula with 31 goals.

It seems like managers are being sacked left, right and centre as Alberto Malesani and Denis Mangia have been followed by Franco Colomba as Italian clubs notorious for their patience begin to panic.

The title race is beginning to heat up too, as Inter continue their purple patch with a fifth successive victory in time for the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday.

Milan continue their ruthless form with an impressive 2-0 victory at Atalanta to become the first away team to do so, and Lecce were unable to halt Juventus.

There is a small contingent of clubs in the chasing pack too, with Udinese continuing their unbeaten home record and remaining just two points off the pace.

Furthermore, Napoli and Roma, both desperate to claim a Champions League spot, claimed vital victories to remain in striking distance of Udinese, who will suffer from the African Cup of Nations by losing Kwadwo Asamoah and Mehdi Benatia, which should bring them closer to their chasing pack.

Let's dive into another action-packed weekend of Calcio.

Napoli: Partenopei Coping Well Without Lavezzi, Showing Great Depth

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Napoli enter the new year with a great atmosphere at the club.

The Partenopei are eight points off Udinese in third position, but might see Inter Milan as the team to finish above in order to secure Champions League football for another season.

Inter are two points ahead of Napoli, but the latter will host the Nerazzurri later in the season, which should be a pivotal fixture.

Until then Napoli need to ensure they remain in touch at least until after the Champions League tie with Chelsea and they appear to have the firepower to do so, even without talisman Ezequiel Lavezzi.

El Pocho is out injured, a real problem, considering he's been outstanding for Walter Mazzarri's team this season, but crisis has been averted due to the excellent cover of Goran Pandev.

The Macedonia has notched two in two, with an assist as well and seems to be growing in confidence, in behind Edinson Cavani.

Napoli can also call upon Eduardo Vargas, the Chilean signed from Universidad de Chile for £10 million.

Vargas was recently voted the second-best player in the Americas, behind only Neymar and expectations are high that he can have a significant contribution as Napoli intend to claim that crucial third place.

Parma: Woeful Gialloblu Winless in Six, Colomba Sacked, Donadi Will Save Them

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Parma slumped to a sixth consecutive game without a win and fell to 15th position, just seven points ahead of Novara and Cesena.

Due to the bottom three's ineptitude the Gialloblu are fortunate enough to have breathing space between themselves and the relegation zone after such a dismal run of form.

Their dependency on Sebastian Giovinco is startling and Franco Colomba could not amend the gradual slide down the table after handing Udinese their first defeat of the season back in November.

What is true, is that the group of players should have too much quality to get relegated.

So the action of president Tommaso Ghirardi is completely justified and its timing should ensure safety due to the replacement, Roberto Donadoni, having much to prove.

The former Azzurri coach was prematurely sacked at Cagliari by Massimo Cellino after divergences on the transfer policy of the club.

Donadoni had a glittering playing career and did a respectable job with Livorno, but since departing the Amaranto his career has not panned out as he would have expected.

Failure with the Italian national team at Euro 2008 was followed by a brief stint in charge of Napoli, before falling out with Cellino while in charge of the Isolani, which means it is paramount he rebuilds his reputation immediately.

He has the tools in order to safely negotiate the club away from relegation and a group of players talented enough that could reach the top half comfortably.

With Sebastian Gionvinco probably a matter of months away from moving on to pastures new as Europe's biggest clubs circle, Donadoni needs to work out a system that can incorporate the Atomic Ant for the immediate future but also allow the side to continue after his inevitable departure.

Jonathan Biabiany will be one player capable of building the side around after a string of excellent performances during Parma's dreadful form.

The Frenchman will be able to relate to Donadoni, who operated similarly during his playing days at Milan, in order to further fulfil his great potential.

Donadoni has a trio of winnable fixtures to begin his tenure with Siena at home, Bologna away and Catania away.

The Crociati must amend this slump quickly and Donadoni is the man to inspire them to do so.

Udinese: Zebrette Will Suffer Most During the African Cup of Nations

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Udinese picked up another emphatic win at home to Cesena at the weekend with super goals from Antonio Di Natale and Dusan Basta being the highlights.

The Zebrette need to worry though, given that two of their most crucial players, Mehdi Benatia (Morocco) and Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana), as well as another usual squad player in Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Ghana) will be missing for a considerable time due to their participation in the African Cup of Nations.

Udinese sit third in the league, just two points off leaders Milan and Juventus, but Francesco Guidolin knows it will be difficult to maintain that position without two of his most trusted players.

Their replacements should be Damiano Ferronetti, who has had discipline problems during several appearances this season, and Gelson Fernandes, who has been playing second-tier football with Leicester City so far this season.

Tough away trips to Genoa, Juventus and Fiorentina await Guidolin without his African stars.

Udinese never intended to finish inside the Champions League places again this year but since they are in the position to achieve such a feat, it is a shame that something uncontrollable, like the African Cup of Nations, should derail any hope of achieving it once more this season.

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Atalanta: Carmona Puts Controversy Behind Him to Become Serie A Star

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Carlos Carmona is currently in the midst of a wonderful patch of form that has seen him force his way back into Stefano Colantuono's first-team plans.

The Chilean international has has an eventful year or so.

Carmona, among others including Gonzalo Jara, Jorge Valdivia, Jean Beausejour and Arturo Vidal, were suspended from the Chilean national team for 10 matches in December 2011.

The players having been allowed time away from the squad, who were preparing for fixtures against Uruguay and Paraguay, due to the baptism of Valdivia's daughter, were reported to have returned to the training camp in an "inadequate state," further described as being in a state of "alcoholic intemperance."

This followed a long summer for Carmona, who was away for much of it with the national side's Copa America campaign, which impaired him at the beginning of Atalanta's season.

Having joined the preseason camp late, manager Stefano Colantuono omitted the Chilean from the first team to begin with, which only impeded his progression since his move from Reggina in 2010.

In the last few months though, the 24-year-old has reacted superbly by waiting patiently for his chance and grasping it with both hands.

Capable of playing wide in midfield, Colantouono has resisted this option and instead shifted Simone Padoin to left midfield in place of Giacomo Bonaventura.

A tough-tackling centre midfielder, Carmona has some craft to his game and has been demonstrating his vision by providing great service for lone-striker German Denis, with an array of short and long passes, delivered with pinpoint accuracy.

Despite never scoring in his time in Italy after joining Reggina from Chilean side O'Higgins in 2008, that would appear to be an area of his game he is intent on improving somewhat with the Nerazzurri.

Capable of testing the goalkeeper from distance with a couple dead-ball variations, Carmona has become an integral part to the side and will hope to finish the season as a permanent possessor of a central midfield berth.

Inter and Milan: Derby Della Madonnina Set Up Perfectly for Next Weekend

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Inter Milan have set up the Derby della Madonnina perfectly for this weekend by making a statement of intent at home to Parma last weekend in a 5-0 stroll.

Diego Milito has rediscovered his form with two clinical finishes and another delicate ball that set up Giampaolo Pazzini to suggest a partnership between the two can blossom.

Milan also looked highly impressive as they became the first away team to win at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D'Italia, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic dispatched another penalty and then superbly set up Kevin-Prince Boateng to close the game for the Rossoneri.

The derby is crucial to the Nerazzurri's prospects of ensuring a top-three finish as well as perhaps giving some more belief to faint Scudetto hopes.

Milan sit at the top, eight points clear of their city rivals, but a win for Claudio Ranieri's men will blow the title race wide open.

After watching a resurgence of such from their rivals, one would think Massimiliano Allegri would be a little nervous, but he embodies the opposite and continues to improve his reputation as one of the best managers in Europe.

A tactical tussle will be intriguing given the array of options open to both managers.

It will be captivating action in front of a vibrant 80,000 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza sellout; it can't come soon enough.