Samir Handanovic (7 points): seven goalkeepers managed to blank the opponents in this round and the Inter one atoned for a howler in the midweek Coppa Italia bout with Juventus with a terrific double save in the span of seconds on a potent shot by Giacomo Bonaventura, deflecting it on the crossbar, and then shutting the door with his foot on the ensuing attempt to tap it in. Inter have quietly kept four clean sheets in a row.
Achraf Hakimi (7 points): the Moroccan fullback brought the juice against Fiorentina, motoring up and won the right flank at will and orchestrating most of the offense for his side. He ultimately cashed in on his conspicuous usage with a perfect square ball for Ivan Perisic to seal the deal in the second half.
Theo Hernandez (7 points): the top Serie A defenders showed up over the weekend as the Frenchman also picked up an assist, teeing Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a tremendous low-driven cross after galloping till the base line on the left wing, registering his fourth helper of the season and capturing bonus points on offense after four quiet rounds.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (5 points): stopping Parma is not exactly a great achievement, but the Japanese international impresses no matter the level of the competition and, since he has maybe permanently returned to the right-back position, he is making flashy energetic plays at both ends. Bologna are surprisingly improving defensively.
Alex Sandro (5 points): a strong matchday for fullbacks as the Juventus starter was surprisingly attentive in the back, thwarting a pair of threatening actions by Roma with timely interventions, and also contributed to the opening goal with a tenacious scamper that bent the opposing back-line and opened enough room for Alvaro Morata and Cristiano Ronaldo to combine successfully.
Nicolò Barella (6 points): Inter’s star midfielder is reaching incredible levels of performance and no longer stands out just for his infinite dynamism, as he is offensive game has become extremely polished, as further evidenced by the gorgeous curled kick just outside of the goalkeeper’s reach that paved the way against Fiorentina.
Hakan Calhanoglu (6 points): he needed just a handful of minutes to make a devastating impact in the Crotone tilt as he tallied two assists, connecting in both cases with Ante Rebic, first on a corner kick and then with a quick pass towards the heart of the box. He is now up to eight helpers in the season.
Riccardo Orsolini (6 points): he made only a cameo off the bench against the Ducali, but it was enough to confirm his excellent run of form as capped off a late counter by wrong-footing Luigi Sepe as he opted to take the shot with what should technically be his weak foot.
Goran Pandev (8 points): a surprise starter as Eldor Shomurodov was ruled out late, but he delivered against Napoli with two similar goals, getting the ball in excellent position in two separate occasions and weaving through defenders with a slew of herky-jerky moves and before burning David Ospina with deadly little finishes from close range.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic (8 points): the Milan duo gets lumped together as they both had a brace, netting not exactly splendid goals, but rather easy and clinical ones as the Rossoneri carved up Crotone’s shoddy defense with ease on Sunday.
Musa Barrow (8 points): the move to center-forward has been a rollercoaster ride, but it paid big dividends versus Parma, as he bagged a quality header on a set piece, wiggling free from the enemies with great expertise, and then a trademark razor sharp cross-shot from mid-range. It is going to be a fantasy boon if it sticks.
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