Serie A Team of the Week: Round 27 - Ibrahimovic extends Milan's lead at the top & Lavezzi dismantles Cagliari

Serie A Team of the Week: Round 27 - Ibrahimovic extends AC Milan's lead at the top & Lavezzi dismantles Cagliari

Mar 12, 2012 9:10:00 AM

Goal.com picks the best performers from Italy's top flight as the Swede grabbed an assist and goal in spectacular style while the Argentine was in unstoppable form in a 6-3 romp

Serie A

Team Of The Week:

Round 27

Table/Results

GOALKEEPER

Sebastien FREY
Genoa
TOTW Apps: 2

Both Frey and Gianluigi Buffon were in good form as Genoa and Juventus shared the points by each keeping a clean sheet, but the Frenchman was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making notable stops on Claudio Marchisio, Simone Pepe and Andrea Pirlo even if the post did help him out three times during the course of the 90 minutes.

DEFENDERS

Thomas MANFREDINI Atalanta TOTW Apps: 3	Walter SAMUEL Inter TOTW Apps: 2	Gabriel HEINZE Roma TOTW Apps: 2
Despite risking picking up a second booking a few times, Manfredini helped relieve pressure on numerous occasions with some fine interceptions and his early bicycle-kick goal helped the Bergamo-based side to a 1-1 draw with Parma. Samuel found a late opening goal from a corner during Inter's 2-0 win at Chievo, but his performance was even more praiseworthy for his attentive play at the back against the wily Sergio Pellissier. The Argentine was always in the right place to stop the Flying Donkeys whenever they attempted to break on the counter and in typical style 'The Wall' made some tough, but fair, sliding challenges. His compatriot, Heinze, had arguably his best game in a Roma shirt yet as the Giallorossi earned a 1-0 win on their tricky trip to Palermo. The veteran's experience was evident as he marshalled the defence to record a clean sheet.

MIDFIELDERS

Javier ZANETTI Inter TOTW Apps: 3	Mark VAN BOMMEL AC Milan TOTW Apps: 2	Francesco LODI Catania TOTW Apps: 2	Marco RIGONI Novara TOTW Apps: 3
Long-time Nerazzurri captain Zanetti was committed from the first minute to the 90th, limiting the effect of Chievo midfield general Michael Bradley and then putting in a fine cross in injury time for Diego Milito to put the result beyond doubt. Van Bommel had an authoritative showing in the centre of the pitch in the Scudetto holders' 2-0 win over Lecce, recovering the ball in midfield with relative ease and spreading it around calmly to open up play. Set-piece specialist Lodi scored his eighth goal of the season, and sixth from the penalty spot, to lift the Sicilians to eighth in the standings. His ability to dictate the attack was as crucial as his clearance on Amauri's effort off the line in the 1-0 victory over Fiorentina. In a surprise result, Novara picked up a rare win as they defeated Udinese 1-0, and Rigoni was once again the symbol of their success, his class shining through in midfield as he rarely wasted a pass.

FORWARDS

Alessandro DIAMANTI Bologna TOTW Apps: 2	Ezequiel LAVEZZI Napoli TOTW Apps: 2
The devastating Diamanti kept in-form Bologna's hot streak going by having a hand in all three of their goals in their triumph versus Lazio. His corner led to the first, while his quick thinking to fire the ball first-time back into the net with the goalkeeper out of position turned out to be the winner. His blocked free kick led to their third and he also hit the crossbar direct from a corner. The former West Ham attacker was a busy body at the Stadio Olimpico as he provided both quantity and quality. In similar style, Lavezzi was once again the catalyst for the Napoli attack, and everything seemed to go through the 26-year-old playmaker before he made way for Edinson Cavani with 30 minutes left as his side put six goals past Cagliari, rendering opposition striker's Joaquin Larrivey's hat-trick meaningless. Partenopei fans will be hoping he can put in a dazzling display of similar calibre at Stamford Bridge to secure their passage to the Champions League quarter-finals at Chelsea's expense.

Zlatan IBRAHIMOVIC AC Milan TOTW Apps: 8
Finally, if there ever was a performance worthy of the label "decisive" it would be Ibrahimovic's against Lecce. An ingenious assist for Antonio Nocerino's strike followed by a vicious volley gave coach Massimiliano Allegri's side a 2-0 win over the relegation candidates, and sent them four points clear of second-placed Juventus at the top of Serie A.

Serie A Team of the Week: Round 26 - Ibrahimovic & Robinho terrorise Palermo while Mauri strikes to decide Rome derby

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