Milan and Toro set coincidence stage, harkening back to 1980s in final round clash

The first half of the season has concluded with a number of significant matches. There are some striking similarities to past experiences. Here is a detailed look at the outcomes game by game.

The Bologna-Genoa match ended in a 1-1 draw, mirroring a similar result from 1982 where the Genoan side took the lead in the first half only to be equalised by Bologna in the second half. The 1982 goal scorers were Massimo Briaschi and a young Roberto Mancini who had just turned 17.

Inter Milan continued their favourable tradition against Verona, winning 2-1, a scoreline last seen in the 2019-20 season. The victory was sealed in the final stages by Barella who this time set up the conditions for Frattesi’s three-point tap-in. This marks Inter’s seventh consecutive victory.

Monza came out on top in their first Seria A encounter against Frosinone with a 2-3 win. The outcome suggests a high likelihood of a rematch next year.

The match between Lecce and Cagliari ended in a 1-1 draw, making it the third stalemate in their history, each with escalating numbers of goals. It started with a 3-3 draw, then a 2-2 tie and finally, Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

A solitary goal led Sassuolo to a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina. This evens out their head-to-head record at four wins each and echoes Sassuolo’s maiden triumph back in 2018 which was also decided by a first-half goal from Politano.

Empoli suffered a 0-3 defeat against AC Milan, a scoreline not seen since their first meeting back on October 19, 1986. Similarities were evident in the goal-scoring sequence with Massaro, Baresi (penalty) and Virdis finding the net – a period when Silvio Berlusconi had just taken over the club.

Torino handed Napoli a 3-0 loss, a callback to their 1984-85 season. Serena and Francini (who later played for Napoli) were the scorers, with the former netting twice.

Lazio retrieved their favourable tradition in Friuli as they beat Udinese 2-1. Interestingly, this specific scoreline is a recurring theme in their matches.

Juventus secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Salernitana. This marks Allegri’s side’s third consecutive win.

Finally, the Roma-Atalanta showdown resulted in a 1-1 draw, a common scoreline in their previous encounters. However, it’s been a while since an Atalanta lead was cancelled out by a Roma comeback in the first half. This last happened 60 years ago with Nielsen scoring for Atalanta and Malatrasi equalising for Roma.