By Anna Italia
Follow me in Twitter @ItalianSerieA,
Facebook: Anna Italia Page
Hello my friends. Here is the 2017-2018 Serie A Week 18 Preview for the Eighteenth Round on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 December 2017
It’s a thriller. We have a fast track race towards the Scudetto and we might see a new leader. Napoli taking back the leadership last week. Napoli reaching 42 points after defeating Torino at the Olimpico di Torino Stadium. Inter lost the first position and went down to the third position. Juventus climbing from the third to the second position reaching 41 and is now only -1 point below Napoli with 42 points.
The big match is Juventus vs AS Roma at the Juventus Stadium. The other important match is Napoli vs Sampdoria. In case of Juventus and Napoli winning their respective games, the status quo will remain the same.
Inter with 40 points will look to win the away game at the Mapei Stadium against Sassuolo. Inter trying to avoid losing points to remain in the three way race for the Scudetto.
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Italian Serie A Tickets for next 10 games
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Results from Serie A Week 17
- AS Roma 1 – 0 Cagliari
- Torino 1 – 3 Napoli
- Inter 1 – 3 Udinese
- Hellas Verona 3 – 0 AC Milan
- Fiorentina 0 – 0 Genoa
- Bologna 0 – 3 Juventus
- Crotone 1 – 0 Chievo Verona
- Sampdoria 0 – 1 Sassuolo
- Benevento 1 – 2 SPAL
- Atalanta 3 – 3 Lazio
The top scorer of the Serie A Up to Week 17: Inter forward Mauro Icardi with 17 goals
Photo: twitter.com/inter_en
Top Serie A teams standing AFTER Serie A Week 17 game. First 4 qualifying for Champions League, 5 and 6 for Europa League.
– NAPOLI 1st position with 42 points and a positive goal difference of +27
– JUVENTUS 2nd position with 41 points and a positive goal difference of +30
– INTER 3rd positions with 40 points and a positive goal difference of +21
– AS ROMA 4th position with 38 points and a positive goal difference of +18
– LAZIO 5th position with 33 points and a positive goal difference of +17
–SAMPDORIA 6th position with 27 points and a positive goal difference of +7
Relegation Zone:
– SPAL, 18th position with 14 points and a negative goal difference of -12
– HELLAS VERONA, 19th position with 13 points and a negative goal difference of -15
– BENEVENTO, 20th position with 1 point and a negative goal difference of -31
2017- 2018 Italy Serie A Standing
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Serie A Week 18 / 18a Giornata
Friday 22 December 2017
CHIEVO VERONA – BOLOGNA
Marc’Antonio Bentegodi Stadium
Referee: MANGANIELLO
Assistants: DOBOSZ – CAPALDO
Fourth Official: MINELLI
VAR: GIACOMELLI
AVAR: CHIFFI
18:00
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Chievo Verona, 13th position with 21 points and a negative goal difference of -10
Bologna, 12th position with 21 points and a negative goal difference of -4
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Bologna | 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 19:23 | -4 | 21 |
| 13 | Chievo | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17:27 | -10 | 21 |
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of CHIEVO VERONA: Roberto Inglese with 6 goals
Top scorer of BOLOGNA: Simone Verdi with 5 goals
| Chievo Verona | Goals | Goals | Bologna |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inglese, Roberto | 6 | 5 | Verdi, Simone |
| Hetemaj, Perparim | 2 | 3 | Okwonkwo, Orji |
| Birsa, Valter | 2 | 2 | Palacio, Rodrigo |
| Castro, Lucas | 2 | 2 | Destro, Mattia |
| Pellissier, Sergio | 1 | 2 | Donsah, Godfred |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of CHIEVO VERONA: 1 draw, 2 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Crotone – Chievo | 1:0 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Chievo – Roma | 0:0 | 16 | |||
| 03/12/17 | SA | Inter – Chievo | 5:0 | 15 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of BOLOGNA: 1 draw, 2 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Bologna – Juventus | 0:3 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Milan – Bologna | 2:1 | 16 | |||
| 03/12/17 | SA | Bologna – Cagliari | 1:1 | 15 |
Photo: facebook.com/bfc1909official
CAGLIARI – FIORENTINA
Sardegna Arena
Referee: DI BELLO
Assistants: LO CICERO – MUTO
Fourth Official: GIUA
VAR: GUIDA
AVAR: GHERSINI
20:45
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Cagliari, 14th position with 17points and a negative goal difference of -12
Fiorentina, 10th position with 23 points and a positive goal difference of +7
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fiorentina | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 26:19 | 7 | 23 |
| 14 | Cagliari | 17 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 16:28 | -12 | 17 |
Cagliari winning 5 games this season compared to Fiorentina winning 6 games. The gap between Cagliari and Fiorentina is -4 points. Fiorentina leading with 23 points and Cagliari with 17 points.
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of CAGLIARI: Joao Pedro with 5 goals
Top scorer of FIORENTINA: Giovanni Simeone with 5 goals
| Cagliari | Goals | Goals | Fiorentina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro, Joao | 5 | 5 | Simeone, Giovanni |
| Pavoletti, Leonardo | 4 | 4 | Thereau, Cyril |
| Barella, Nicolo | 2 | 4 | Chiesa, Federico |
| Farago, Paolo | 2 | 3 | Benassi, Marco |
| Ceppitelli, Luca | 1 | 3 | Veretout, Jordan |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of CAGLIARI: 2 draws, 1 lost
| 16/12/17 | SA | Roma – Cagliari | 1:0 | 17 | |||
| 09/12/17 | SA | Cagliari – Sampdoria | 2:2 | 16 | |||
| 03/12/17 | SA | Bologna – Cagliari | 1:1 | 15 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of FIORENTINA: 1 win, 2 draws
| 17/12/17 | SA | Fiorentina – Genoa | 0:0 | 17 | |||
| 13/12/17 | CI | Fiorentina – Sampdoria | 3:2 | 1/8 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Napoli – Fiorentina | 0:0 | 16 |
Photo: facebook.com/ACFFiorentina/
Saturday 23 December 2017
LAZIO – CROTONE
Olimpico di Roma Stadium
Referee: CALVARESE
Assistants: VUOTO – PAGANESSI
Fourth Official: ABBATTISTA
VAR: BANTI
AVAR: ILLUZZI
12:30
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Lazio, 5th position with 33 points and a positive goal difference of +17
Crotone, 16th position with 15 points and a negative goal difference of -19
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Lazio | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 39:22 | 17 | 33 |
| 16 | Crotone | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 13:32 | -19 | 15 |
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of LAZIO: Ciro Immobile with 15 goals
Top scorer of CROTONE: Ante Budimir with 4 goals
| Lazio | Goals | Goals | Crotone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immobile, Ciro | 15 | 4 | Budimir, Ante |
| Milinkovic-Savic, Sergej | 5 | 2 | Rohden, Marcus |
| Luis Alberto | 5 | 2 | Trotta, Marcello |
| Bastos | 3 | 1 | Tumminello, Marco |
| Parolo, Marco | 3 | 1 | Simy |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of LAZIO: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Atalanta – Lazio | 3:3 | 17 | |||
| 14/12/17 | CI | Lazio – Cittadella | 4:1 | 1/8 | |||
| 11/12/17 | SA | Lazio – FC Torino | 1:3 | 16 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of CROTONE: 1 win, 2 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Crotone – Chievo | 1:0 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Sassuolo – Crotone | 2:1 | 16 | |||
| 04/12/17 | SA | Crotone – Udinese | 0:3 | 15 |
Photo: facebook.com/F.C.Crotone/
GENOA – BENEVENTO
Luigi Ferraris Stadium
Referee: ABISSO
Assistants: TONOLINI – PRENNA
Fourth Official: MARINELLI
VAR: PAIRETTO
AVAR: TEGONI
15:00
NAPOLI – SAMPDORIA
San Paolo Stadium
Referee: MASSA
Assistants: VALERIANI – LIBERTI
Fourth Official: DI PAOLO
VAR: MARIANI
AVAR: LONGO
15:00
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Napoli, 1st position with 42 points and a positive goal difference of +27
Sampdoria, 6th position with 27 points and a positive goal difference of +7
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napoli | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 38:11 | 27 | 42 |
| 6 | Sampdoria | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 30:23 | 7 | 27 |
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of NAPOLI: Dries Mertens with 10 goals
Top scorer of SAMPDORIA: Fabio Quagliarella with 9 goals
| Napoli | Goals | Goals | Sampdoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mertens, Dries | 10 | 9 | Quagliarella, Fabio |
| Callejon, Jose | 5 | 6 | Zapata, Duvan |
| Zielinski, Piotr | 4 | 3 | Linetty, Karol |
| Insigne, Lorenzo | 4 | 3 | Caprari, Gianluca |
| Koulibaly, Kalidou | 3 | 3 | Torreira, Lucas |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of NAPOLI: 2 wins, 1 draw
| 19/12/17 | CI | Napoli – Udinese | 1:0 | 1/8 | |||
| 16/12/17 | SA | FC Torino – Napoli | 1:3 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Napoli – Fiorentina | 0:0 | 16 |
Stats. Here are the last3 games of SAMPDORIA: 1 draw, 2 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Sampdoria – Sassuolo | 0:1 | 17 | |||
| 13/12/17 | CI | Fiorentina – Sampdoria | 3:2 | 1/8 | |||
| 09/12/17 | SA | Cagliari – Sampdoria | 2:2 | 16 |
Photo: .facebook.com/sampdoria
SASSUOLO – INTER
Mapei Stadium
Referee: DOVERI
Assistants:MARRAZZO – PERETTI
Fourth Official: PASQUA
VAR: MAZZOLENI
AVAR: MELI
15:00
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Inter, 3rd position with 40 points and a positive goal difference of +21
Sassuolo, 15th position with 17 points and a negative goal difference of -17
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Inter | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 34:13 | 21 | 40 |
| 15 | Sassuolo | 17 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 11:28 | -17 | 17 |
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of SASSUOLO: Matteo Politano and Alessandro Matri with 3 goals each
Top scorer of INTER: Mauro Icardi with 17 goals
| Sassuolo | Goals | Goals | Inter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Politano, Matteo | 3 | 17 | Icardi, Mauro |
| Matri, Alessandro | 3 | 7 | Perisic, Ivan |
| Berardi, Domenico | 1 | 3 | Brozovic, Marcelo |
| Goldaniga, Edoardo | 1 | 3 | Skriniar, Milan |
| Sensi, Stefano | 1 | 1 | Vecino, Matias |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of SASSUOLO: 2 wins, 1 lost
| 20/12/17 | CI | Atalanta – Sassuolo | 2:1 | 1/8 | |||
| 17/12/17 | SA | Sampdoria – Sassuolo | 0:1 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Sassuolo – Crotone | 2:1 | 16 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of INTER: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 lost
| 16/12/17 | SA | Inter – Udinese | 1:3 | 17 | |||
| 12/12/17 | CI | Inter – Pordenone | 5:4 (AP) | 1/8 | |||
| 09/12/17 | SA | Juventus – Inter | 0:0 | 16 |
Photo: facebook.com/officialsassuolocalcio
SPAL – TORINO
Stadio Paolo Mazza
Referee: VALERI
Assistants:GIALLATINI – BINDONI
Fourth Official: DI MARTINO
VAR: GAVILLUCCI
AVAR: AURELIANO
15:00
UDINESE – HELLAS VERONA
Friuli Stadium
Referee: MARESCA
Assistants: DEL GIOVANE – TOLFO
Fourth Official: ROS
VAR: ORSATO
AVAR: RANGHETTI
15:00
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Udinese, 12th position with 21 points and a positive goal difference of +1
Hellas Verona, 19th position with 13 points and a negative goal difference of -15
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Udinese | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 26:25 | 1 | 21 |
| 19 | Verona | 17 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 17:32 | -15 | 13 |
Photo: facebook.com/UdineseCalcio1896
AC MILAN – ATALANTA
San Siro Stadium
Referee: FABBRI
Assistants: SCHENONE – MONDIN
Fourth Official: FOURNEAU
VAR: ROCCHI
AVAR: DI LIBERATORE
18:00
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
AC Milan, 9th position with 24 points and a negative goal difference of -1
Atalanta, 8th position with 24 points and a positive goal difference of +3
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Atalanta | 17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 26:23 | 3 | 24 |
| 9 | Milan | 17 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 23:24 | -1 | 24 |
Pressure is for AC Milan to win the home game after a poor performance this season. The objective of the Rossoneri was to return to the Champions League next season, but it seems that objective is gone. AC Milan winning only 7 games while Atalanta winning 6 games. Milan and Atalanta having 24 points each.
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of AC MILAN: Suso with5 goals
Top scorer of ATALANTA: Josip Ilicic with 6 goals
| AC Milan | Goals | Goals | Atalanta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suso | 5 | 6 | Ilicic, Josip |
| Kalinic, Nikola | 4 | 5 | Cristante, Bryan |
| Bonaventura, Giacomo | 3 | 3 | Caldara, Mattia |
| Cutrone, Patrick | 2 | 3 | Gomez, Papu |
| Kessie, Franck | 2 | 2 | Kurtic, Jasmin |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of AC MILAN: 2 wins, 1 lost
| 17/12/17 | SA | Verona – Milan | 3:0 | 17 | |||
| 13/12/17 | CI | Milan – Verona | 3:0 | 1/8 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Milan – Bologna | 2:1 | 16 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of ATALANTA: 2 wins, 1 draw
| 20/12/17 | CI | Atalanta – Sassuolo | 2:1 | 1/8 | |||
| 17/12/17 | SA | Atalanta – Lazio | 3:3 | 17 | |||
| 12/12/17 | SA | Genoa – Atalanta | 1:2 | 16 |
Stats before the game.
Photo: twitter.com/acmilan
Photo: facebook.com/atalantabc/
JUVENTUS – AS ROMA
Juventus Stadium
Referee: TAGLIAVENTO
Assistants: COSTANZO – MANGANELLI
Fourth Official: DAMATO
VAR: IRRATI
AVAR: PINZANI
20:45
Serie A Standing BEFORE the game:
Juventus, 2nd position with 41 points and a positive goal difference of +30
AS Roma, 4th position with 38 points and a positive goal difference of +18
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | DIFF | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Juventus | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 44:14 | 30 | 41 |
| 4 | Roma | 16 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 28:10 | 18 | 38 |
Juventus looking to win the home game to keep up the race towards the Scudetto. Juventus with 41 points is only -1 point below Napoli in the first position with 42 points. Roma is -4 points below Napoli. A victory is a must for both team. Roma looking to redeem themselves after being eliminated in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 by Torino.
Stats BEFORE the game. Top scorer of JUVENTUS: Paulo Dybala with 12 goals
Top scorer of AS ROMA: Edin Dzeko with 8 goals
| Juventus | Goals | Goals | AS Roma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dybala, Paulo | 12 | 8 | Dzeko, Edin |
| Higuain, Gonzalo | 9 | 4 | El Shaarawy, Stephan |
| Mandzukic, Mario | 4 | 3 | Perotti, Diego |
| Khedira, Sami | 3 | 2 | Kolarov, Aleksandar |
| Pjanic, Miralem | 3 | 2 | Nainggolan, Radja |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of JUVENTUS: 2 wins, 1 draw
| 20/12/17 | CI | Juventus – Genoa | 2:0 | 1/8 | |||
| 17/12/17 | SA | Bologna – Juventus | 0:3 | 17 | |||
| 09/12/17 | SA | Juventus – Inter | 0:0 | 16 |
Stats. Here are the last 3 games of AS ROMA: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 lost
| 20/12/17 | CI | Roma – FC Torino | 1:2 | 1/8 | |||
| 16/12/17 | SA | Roma – Cagliari | 1:0 | 17 | |||
| 10/12/17 | SA | Chievo – Roma | 0:0 | 16 |
Photo: facebook.com/Juventus