Serie A Power Rankings and Player of the Week: Round 5

Once again, a thrilling week transpired during Round 5 of the Italian Serie A.

In one of the world's most competitive leagues from top to bottom, Italy's 20 best clubs put each other to the sword again. There may not have been any upsets, but there were were only two draws, one of them ending in incredible fashion, no losses and two matches where giants who have been off the radar before this season completely dominated the two most recent champions from the fashion capital.

There were a couple of surprising shifts in the power rankings this week. Teams who were punished for their poor performances last week were redeemed, leading to a new No. 1 this week, despite a win by last week's top team.

Also this week will feature the first awarding of Player of the Week. Its something that should have been done before, but will be added to the article from now on.

So here we go, who made the top spot? This is the Round 5 edition of the Serie A Power Rankings.

*These rankings will stay as they are until Monday, October 17th. Next weekend is an off weekend due to the October international break, featuring primarily qualifying matches for Euro 2012.

20) Lecce (Last Week, 20)

Round 5: Lost 2-0 vs. Cagliari (H)

Not that Lecce had much of a chance in this one, but another disappointing defeat for Lecce all the same.

Cagliari have been one of the stars so far this year, but still, it is looking more and more evident that relegation is more than likely in the cards for the Wolves. They show no signs of recovery any time soon.

The return from the international break will not be nice to Lecce. They begin on the 16th with a trip to Genoa before hosting AC Milan a week later and then Palermo the next Thursday.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Genoa (A)

19) Bologna (19)

Round 5: Lost 2-0 vs. Udinese (A)

Things continue to look bleak for Bologna.

The defense was completely torn apart at the Friuli. The hosts got off 26 shots against Bologna, putting 10 on goal and blanking the guests 2-0.

Udinese are currently joint-top with Juventus so it was really hard to imagine Bologna ever getting a result.

Tough test on the radar following the break. Bologna will have to travel to take on Novara, a team that has played feisty so far this year.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Novara (A)

18) Siena (17)

Round 5: Lost 2-0 vs. Palermo (A)

Not really much chance for Siena against last week's No. 1 Palermo.

Palermo pressed the visitors early and often, taking 17 shots and scoring within the first 20 minutes. Even after Federico Balzaretti was sent off in the 55th, Palermo were the better team.

The return from the break will not be kind to Siena, a tough test awaits right from the start.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Cagliari (A)

17) Cesena (16)

Round 5: Drew 0-0 vs. Chievo Verona

Cesena should have put Chievo away this weekend, but they lacked quality in front of net in the only scoreless match of the weekend.

Out of 14 shots, Cesena put only four on goal and should have gone in front on an hour when Bostjan Cesar gave away a penalty, but Adrian Mutu's spot kick was stopped by Stefano Sorrentino.

Cesena were uninspiring in front of the net and needed to do better.

A big game waits for them when they get back from the break as they welcome in Fiorentina.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Fiorentina (H)

16) Novara (15)

Round 5: Drew 3-3 vs. Catania

In one of the most thrilling games of the weekend, one which saw 40 shots (nearly half of which were on goal), Novara gave away two points they really should have had as they drew 3-3 with the Elephants.

Novara took a 3-2 lead on Neves Jeda's first strike of the year with only five minutes left in the 90. However, the visitors struck in the stoppage time and ruined the fun at the Silvio Piola.

Novara are a feisty team, but haven't gotten the best results so far. They will have a great chance to recover against Bologna after the week off.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Bologna (H)

15) Catania (18)

Round 5: Draw 3-3 vs. Novara (A)

Catania come back from the dead and stole a wonderful point from the wild contest against Novara this past weekend.

Alejandro Gomez saved the day with a goal in stoppage time after Novara went up 3-2 in the final minutes.

They're still a struggling team, but this was a great result. They will face a tough test on the Saturday after the break against Inter Milan, a team that will be feeling the pressure after a miserable start.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. Inter Milan (H)

14) Atalanta (14)

Round 5: Lost 3-1 vs. Roma (H)

Atalanta fell to a much better Roma team this past weekend.

Roma absolutely dominated the Serie B champs, putting 24 shots on goal, completely opening the Atalanta defense apart.

Not really much Atalanta could do this weekend. With all that was happening around the rest of the league, there was no movement in the rankings for the club this weekend.

Udinese are on the slate when play resumes. Not the way Atalanta will want to come back.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Udinese (H)

13) Inter Milan (9)

Round 5: Lost 3-0 vs. Napoli (H)

Wow. Inter Milan are collapsing big time.

Saturday was another miserable day at the office for Inter.

Manager Claudio Ranieri was sent off as well as Joel Obi in a miserable 3-0 loss to Napoli. Frustration got to Inter, especially with the penalty decision, during which several yellow cards were assessed.

Nothing is going the right way for Inter at the moment and they need to recover quickly. Playing at Catania in Round 6 will be a great opportunity to get back on the winning track.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. Catania (A)

12) Genoa (11)

Round 5: Lost 3-1 vs. Parma (A)

Parma dominated Genoa, who had looked to be on the rise before.

Genoa had no answer for Parma, despite having the better of possession. Shots were nearly even, but Parma made the most of their opportunities.

Genoa will be able to get back on track when they return home to play Lecce next round.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Lecce (H)

11) Chievo Verona (12)

Round 5: Draw 0-0 vs. Cesena

Cesena were the better team during the match, but Chievo were able to share the spoils and keep Cesena off the board.

Stefano Sorrentino saved the day for Chievo, but overall they were playing poorly against a team that horribly outplayed him.

Rough times ahead after the break as Cheivo must take on Juventus.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Juventus (H)

10) Parma (13)

Round 5: Win 3-1 vs. Genoa (H)

Giovinco was once again a star as Parma knocked off Genoa 3-1 at the Tardini.

If not for Rodrigo Palacio's penalty conversion in stoppage time, Giovinco would be the sole player at the top of the scoring list in Serie A after converting his fourth and fifth goals.

Parma are back on the winning track after a great win against a good team. They'll be hoping their momentum doesn't wear off with two weeks between games as they next travel to the San Paolo to face Napoli.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. Napoli (A)

9) Roma (10)

Round 5: Won 3-1 vs. Atalanta (H)

Roma were more convincing then last week with a win over Atalanta.

After a so-so week where they drew Siena and narrowly beat Parma, this was a much needed win for the Giallorossi.

The game saw the first goal from Bojan Krkic, the under the radar signing from Barcelona.

What a way to return from the international break then to be able to enjoy the Derby della Capitale as the two Roman clubs, Roma and Lazio, get set for an epic battle at the Olimpico. Hopefully all the action is on the pitch.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Roma (A)

8) Fiorentina (6)

Round 5: Lost 2-1 vs. Lazio (H)

Fiorentina wasted a quick start and were dominated by Lazio.

The visitors had 60 percent of the possession and took advantage of their opportunities. Alessio Cerci put the Viola up within 10 minutes, but the defense collapsed and could not keep Lazio off the board.

Cesena lie in wait when the break ends and it should be an easy win for the Florence club.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Cesena (A)

7) Cagliari (8)

Round 5: Won 2-0 vs. Lecce (A)

Davide Biondini added to an early own goal to give Cagliari a win over Lecce.

This is a team that continues to impress this season and could prove to be one of the big surprises. I'm not saying champions or Champions League, but this is a team that could make life hard on the giants.

Easy points should be available against Siena before taking on a big test against Napoli.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Siena (H)

6) AC Milan (2)

Round 5: Lost 2-0 vs. Juventus (A)

Milan were lucky to keep the score 0-0 for 87 minutes as they were totally outclassed by Juventus.

This is a club still suffering from injuries, but they need to play better. There was no motivation to go out there and beat their regional and historic rival.

The Rossoneri will be hoping that the two week break will bring them some much needed recovery. They need to get back into position to pressure the leaders. It is still early, but the recovery needs to start now.

The next match brings Palermo to the San Siro, meaning it will be a big challenge.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. Palermo (H)

5) Lazio (7)

Round 5: Won 2-1 vs. Fiorentina (A)

Hernanes and Miroslav Klose found the net as Lazio came from behind on the road to knock off Fiorentina.

Lazio controlled the game, dominated possession, and made the most of their opportunities. They remain a dangerous threat in Serie A.

This is a great win ahead of the upcoming derby with Roma. It should be a memorable clash under the Olimpico lights.

4) Udinese (3)

Round 5: Won 2-0 vs. Bologna (H)

Medhi Benatia and Antonio di Natale found the net as they continued their good form and the Udin club continued their good form overall.

Yes, they fell in the rankings, but that is only because of the dominant performances of a couple other clubs this weekend.

The win keeps them level with Juventus as the two share first place in Serie A.

Udinese has been dominant, they sit at the top of the table and have allowed only one goal this season.

The dominance should continue after the break as Atalanta are on the schedule.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Atalanta (A)

3) Palermo (1)

Round 5: Won 2-0 vs. Siena (H)

Siena never had a chance when they took on Palermo this weekend.

Even when they were reduced to 10 men with 35 minutes left, Palermo dominated the game. An early goal from Giulio Migliaccio was all Palermo would need, but Abel Hernandez put in a penalty in stoppage time.

Palermo continue their winning ways and now turn their attention to a big test with AC Milan on the 15th.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. AC Milan (A)

2) Juventus (5)

Round 5: Won 2-0 vs. AC Milan (H)

Juventus completely dominated the champions at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday night.

Antonio Conte's men were unfortunate not to win this one by even more then they did. Several opportunities, especially from Arturo Vidal, went just wide.

Andrea Pirlo helped control the game through the midfield and was one of the key players in the win against his former team, who he left this summer after 10 years.

Juventus rejoined Udinese at the top of the standings, both with 11 points and a plus-six goal difference. It has been a wonderful season for the revived 27-time champions.

A trip to Verona follows the break. Juventus should be able to continue their dominant run down there.

Round 6: 10/16 vs. Chievo Verona (A)

1) Napoli (4)

Round 5: Won 3-0 vs. Inter Milan (A)

Napoli are back on top in the power rankings after an incredible performance.

After dismantling Milan 3-1 a couple weeks ago, the Azzurri went to the San Siro and dismantled Inter by a 3-0 score, using three different goalscorers, none of them named Edinson Cavani, who was not on the roster.

The combination of goalscorers, which were Hugo Campagnaro, Christian Maggio and Marek Hamsik in Milan, shows the incredible depth and talent in front of goal.

Napoli are going to continue to impress this season and should keep pace after the break when they take on Parma.

Round 6: 10/15 vs. Parma (H)

Player of the Week: Claudio Marchisio, Juventus

Juventus looked to be walking away with nothing against AC Milan despite dominating the entire match. Finally, with only minutes to play, Claudio Marchisio found the net.

As if that wasn't enough, he did it again a second time a few minutes later, even though it should have been an easy save for Christian Abbiati.

Marchisio was menacing throughout the match, causing trouble for Milan at every opportunity. One just had the feeling that if Juventus was to find a goal, it was likely going to be either through Marchisio or Arturo Vidal.

They weren't pretty goals, but they were goals nonetheless from the Italian, who finally gave the Old Lady the breakthrough she deserved.