Serie A made its comeback this weekend following a break brought about by the pandemic crisis that hit Italy especially hard, with Atalanta back thrilling fans and Romelu Lukaku continuing his brilliant debut season for Inter Milan.

We look at five of the key moments from the first round of matches after three months away:

Lukaku continues where he left off

The Belgian's impressive debut season with Inter Milan continued on Sunday against relegation strugglers Sampdoria, with his first-half strike taking his league tally to 18 goals this term.

Lukaku has already bettered former Brazilian star Ronaldo's debut season total of 16 and has scored 24 times in all competitions for Inter since joining from Manchester United.

Inter sit six points adrift of league leaders Juve with 12 matches remaining and will need Lukaku to maintain his form if they are to claim a first Serie A title since winning the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010.

"It was very important to win today, as from now to the end of the season it's 12 finals, they are all life or death," Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia.

Eriksen thrives again

Inter were not at their best against Sampdoria, but coach Antonio Conte would have been content with a 2-1 win that keeps their title hopes alive and by the performance of Christian Eriksen.

The January signing from Tottenham Hotspur, who scored directly from a corner in the Italian Cup semi-final loss to Napoli, was handed a more central role behind forwards Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.

The Dane, who made 62 assists during his seven years in the Premier League, laid on Lukaku's opening goal in another influential display.

Atalanta burst into life after virus 'warfare'

Atalanta continued their remarkable campaign exactly where they left off with Sunday's 4-1 win over Sassuolo, bringing some joy to a city that was at one point the global epicentre of the global pandemic.

"This is not just any restart. It's for a region that has suffered three months of living in warfare. Nobody can forget the sounds of the ambulances streaking down the street," said director Umberto Marino pre-match.

The minute's silence before the match was accompanied by a video honouring the near 35,000 people who died and a song called "Rinascero, Rinascerai" (I will be born again, you will be born again).

Then the goals rained down, three in the first 37 minutes with two more chalked off and goalscorer Duvan Zapata also hitting the bar. With 74 goals in 26 league matches, Atalanta are well on course to net over 100 times this season.

They will be one of the eight clubs to take part in the last eight Champions League tournament set to be held in Lisbon in August, and Sunday's spectacular win showed why they are favourites to rejoin Europe's elite next season.

Black Lives Matter protests

While matches in the Bundesliga and Premier League have begun with teams taking a knee in honour of the global Black Lives Matter, the approach has been more ad hoc in Italy.

Neither match on Saturday began with players taking the knee as a minute's silence is held for those killed by the disease, although Cameroonian Nicolas NKoulou did after giving Torino the lead in their 1-1 draw over Parma.

However, Torino drew heavy criticism on social media for publishing a tweet with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag with an image of NKoulou kneeling before Italy striker Andrea Belotti, who is white.

Lukaku also took a knee after his goal on Sunday.

Deflating start

Just five seconds had passed of Serie A's comeback fixture when the referee at Turin's Stadio Olimpico Massimiliano Irrati had to call the players back to retake kick off -- thanks to a deflated ball.

It was an inauspicious restart to the top division after what had been a successful return of football over the previous week, with Napoli winning the Italian Cup after entertaining last four and final fixtures in front of large terrestrial TV audiences.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Filippo Monteforte

Inter Milan’s decline in Italian football over the past decade had been rapid. The Nerazzurri had won five consecutive Serie A titles between 2005 and 2010, but have finished in the top three only once since then.

Since the start of the 2011-12 season, they haven’t won a single trophy and have played Champions League football only twice. Things seem to be on the mend for the club with Antonio Conte turning them into title challengers this season.

But the lacklustre period with no Champions League football hampered their ability to recruit the best of the players over the last ten years. Investment from new Chinese owners did see them splash a lot of cash around, but most of the recruits ended up proving to be duds.

Amidst all this, there have been some jewels who have shone through and here we take a look at five such players, signed in the last decade, that proved to be excellent acquisitions for Inter;

Samir Handanovic

One of the few players who has been a constant in the Inter Milan lineup for a majority of the last decade, Samir Handanovic signed for the Nerazzurri from fellow Serie A outfit Udinese in 2012 for a fee of €15 million. Replacing treble-winning keeper Julio Cesar was not going to be easy, but the Slovenian eased into the No. 1 spot seamlessly and has been a reliable presence in goal for Inter ever since.

Till date, Handanovic has made 324 appearances for Inter, keeping 114 clean sheets in the process. He might not have won any trophy during his time at Guiseppe Meazza, but Handanovic has certainly established himself as one of the top keepers across Europe.

The Slovenian has been one of the few steady performers in a turbulent period for the club and was rightly rewarded with the captaincy last year. With it, the 35-year-old became the first-ever goalkeeper to be named captain at Inter.

Read | Barcelona’s top five signings from the last decade

Mauro Icardi

Arguably the biggest success story for Inter Milan, in terms of transfers, during a lacklustre period for the club was Argentine striker Mauro Icardi. The centre-forward joined the Nerazzurri in 2013 from Serie A rivals Sampdoria for €18 million.

While the club was going through a slump, Icardi kept scoring goals for fun, breaching the 15-goal barrier in all the seasons with Inter barring his debut campaign. The Argentine enjoyed his best season in 2017-18, scoring 29 goals in total, following which he was named the club captain ahead of the 2018-10 term.

However, things unravelled last year for the striker. As a punishment for some controversial comments on social media by his wife, the club took Icardi's captaincy away and then banished him from the first-team training in February. While he did return to action a couple of months later and helped Inter return to Champions League, things weren’t the same.

Icardi ended up leaving Inter for PSG last summer. In total, the 27-year-old plundered 124 goals in 219 matches for the Nerazzurri before their association ended in a bitter divorce last year. Things may have turned sour between the club and the player, but there is no denying the impact he had at Inter.

Read | Top five active free-kick takers in football

Marcelo Brozovic

The Croatian isn’t someone who gets a lot of spotlights, but there is no questioning his importance to this Inter Milan team. Signed from Dinamo Zagreb in 2014, initially on loan, before making the deal permanent a year later, Marcelo Brozovic has steadily grown into one of Inter’s most pivotal players in recent years.

Not one to score or create a lot of goals, the 27-year-old does the thankless job in the middle of the park, allowing the more attack-minded players to flourish. Over the years, Brozovic has been linked with a move away to a number of top clubs but has stayed put and continued to perform impressively. Operating at the base of the midfield, he has been critical to Inter’s title push this season.

Till date, Brozovic has made 186 appearances for the Nerazzurri, scoring 23 goals and assisting 22 more. He may not be the most decorated players, but the Croatian, who cost Inter just €5 million, certainly gets the job done.

Milan Skriniar

Only in his third season at Inter, Milan Skriniar has already become a key cog in the wheel for the club, and in the process, has become one of the most sought-after centre-backs across Europe.

Signed from Sampdoria in the summer of 2017 for a transfer fee of €34 million, Skriniar has missed just four Serie A matches for Inter Milan since the 2017-18 season. Strong in the air, possessing excellent defensive nous and blessed with good ball-playing abilities, the Slovakian international is in the making of a complete centre-back.

The 25-year-old has been integral in the club’s resurgence over the past couple of years, naturally attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona. Till date, Skriniar has featured in 118 matches for the Nerazzurri. But given his rapid rise in stature, the day might not be far when the Slovakian decides to move on to greener pastures.

Read | Real Madrid’s top five signings from the last decade

Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian may just have been eight months into his stint at Inter, but given the impact he has made in his debut campaign, Romelu Lukaku warrants a place in this list.

Signed from Manchester United for €80 million, the Belgian centre-forward hit the ground running, quickly establishing himself as Antonio Conte’s go-to man in front of goal. Lukaku, so far, has already plundered 23 goals in 35 matches all competitions, while also setting up five more and has been one of the chief driving forces behind Inter Milan’s push for the Serie A title.

The 26-year-old has dispelled notions of him being a flat-track bully, having stepped up and delivered the goods in big games this season. He may just be in his first season at Inter, but considering how well he has done, the Nerazzurri are likely to reap the rewards of his signing for years to come.

The Indian Super League fans are duly rewarded with a string surprises as we edge closer towards the playoffs. By the end of the matchday 15, the tally saw a major upturn with Jorge Costa’s Mumbai City FC scaling Odisha FC to climb fourth on the table. Chennaiyin FC, who have now registered four wins on the trot, sit level on points with Josep Gambou’s men on fifth, and this chaotic mess has made the league all the most interesting.

ATK vs Odisha FC

Two back to back defeats – away to Bengaluru FC and FC Goa – has weakened Odisha FC’s stance in the Indian Super League. For a team which look destined to qualify for the playoffs now see as many as two teams sitting over them. Up next for them is another away trip, this time against the third-placed ATK, who have won four of their last five games.

ATK, regardless of their recent inconsistencies, have scored in seven of their last eight outings. It was, in fact, against Odisha back in November that they played out a 0-0 stalemate. Fortunes, however, have taken big turns since given that Odisha will be without their main man, Aridane Santana for the rest of the season.

For Odisha, the line of fixtures have come at a really unfortunate time (they faced the top three teams in a row), and that coupled with the injuries have made life difficult for them. Regardless of their recent defeats though, they have managed to net two goals in six of their last eight games, with five of them culminating in a victory.

Watch out for:

Roy Krishna: For someone who was scoring goals at will earlier in the season, a drought of five games – prior to the Jamshedpur victory - in a row remains a cause of concern. However, with striker David Williams back in the fray, expect Krishna to get into his groove as Odisha pay his side a visit on Saturday, February 8. Both Williams and Krishna formed a formidable and an almost telepathic partnership this season, and expect more of a same on the weekend.

Inter vs Milan:

Back on the Italian shores, Juventus lead the pack with a three-point advantage over second-placed Inter, and it is safe to say the race is far from over. The latter, who recently drew three games in a row, welcome their inter-city neighbours, AC Milan on Sunday and given the upturn in form the visitors have observed of late, Inter are in for some hard fight.

As far as their head to head record is concerned, Milan fall way too far given that their last victory over Inter in the league came in back in 2016 when the likes of Alex, Carlos Bacca and M’Baye Niang guided the Rossoneri to a 3-0 win. Since then though, it has all been about Inter.

Watch out for:

Romelu Lukaku: The big man leading Inter right from the front has made quite an impact in Italy since his move from Manchester United. He has indeed failed to get on the scoresheet in three of his last four appearances, but before that, he was involved in as many as eight goals (six goals and six assists) in just four appearances. And back when these two sides met in the league earlier this season, his goal gave Inter a cushion as they cruised to a 2-0 win. Having scored as many as 16 goals in the league this season, the Belgian is tipped to add more to his tally on Sunday.

Think you know better? Head to Sportsbet.io to show us how much…

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / ATKFC

Since the 2010-11 season, Italian giants Internazionale have not managed to win a single piece of silverware and have struggled to keep their reputation intact. Since the appointment of Steven Zhang as the president of the club, the club has looked more motivated and determined to win trophies and that reflects in their present activity in the transfer window. Since the move of Ronaldo to the Serie A, Italy has suddenly become the Ibiza of footballers, where they are going to rediscover their form.

Inter have used this trend the best and have done serious business throughout two transfer windows. Here are some of their best recruitments.

Romelu Lukaku

The big Belgian joined the Nerazzuri in the summer from Manchester United for a record 74 million euros and have cemented his place as the ideal strike partner for Lautaro Martinez. The 26-year-old has directly contributed to 16 goals in 21 games, scoring 14 and assisting two. His goalscoring spree has boosted his confidence and also Inter's hope to challenge for the Serie A title. Under Conte, he has evolved a more lethal and direct centre forward compared to his time with the English giants where he was not getting sufficient service to feed on.

Diego Godin

The influential centre back joined Inter after featuring for Atletico Madrid for eight long years. The veteran has become a regular in the back four and Inter have conceded just 18 goals in 21 games this season.

Though 33 years old, Godin's prowess in undisputed. His commanding nature helped Handanovic in leading the side. Inter have looked more compact defensively with him on the field. Godin also provides a natural aerial threat. He has already lodged an assist against Udinese. If Inter wants to rise back to their historical best, Godin's contribution will be immensely crucial.

Alexis Sanchez

The Chilean joined on a loan deal to Inter after a sorry run of form for Manchester United, where he was mostly left out of the team under Solskjaer. But the Chilean has not made it count at Italy as he has appeared only six times since joining in the summer. His season has been plagued with injuries and his service has been limited.

The former Barcelona forward is known for his technical gift and his tenacity to work. So, the plan to include him in the scheme is clear on the part of the management. But whether he can bring his career back on track is something that will remain in doubt.

Ashley Young

It might look like Inter have signed a hidden deal to buy every out of form Manchester United player. Ashley Young has joined Inter in the winter transfer window and has rediscovered his form in the very first match, providing an assist.

The 34-year-old winger turned full-back joined on a meagre 1.5 million euro. He is back at his preferred right-wing under Conte and as it appeared in the first match, he still has the quality to play for a top team.

Though the tenure of his service remains uncertain given his age, the transfer only reflect the managements will to hit a proper balance between experience and youth in the team.

Victor Moses

Antonio Conte's love for the Nigerian international is nothing new as he was almost a regular in the team during Conte's stay at Chelsea. So, it is not much of a surprise to see Victor Moses join Inter.

The 29-year-old is known for his pace and ability to cross. With Lukaku up front, Conte would look to bring in Moses' crossing ability to play at San Siro.

Feature image courtesy: AFP/ Miguel Medina

Another intriguing week of football awaits fans as the Carabao cup returns in England, while the Spanish La Liga sees double headers lined up in what can be termed as a jam-packed week.

The former competition has as many as 11 Premier League sides in the round of 16. That followed by the 11th game-week of Premier League football over the weekend will further send the fantasy managers of Nostragamus users in a vicious circle.

In La Liga, the teams played their game-week 10 over the bygone weekend, and their resolution will be put to test in two days’ time as the action resumes from Tuesday onwards, stretching it until Thursday.

Come the weekend, the players will be on field once again for the third time in nine days.

That said, here are five safest bets you can picks to have a rather relaxed week.

LIONEL MESSI

Club: Barcelona

Match: Barcelona vs Valladolid

Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi has been at his usual best after missing the early part of the season, having scored or marked an assist in each of his last five games in all competitions. As the Spanish champions set about defending their title, a visit by Valladolid gives Messi a great opportunity of elevating his tally of two goals and two assists in the league.

Days after that, Barcelona make a trip to Ciutat de Valencia to face a struggling Levante side, again a fixture where Messi can mark his authority in style.

RAHEEM STERLING

Club: Manchester City

Match: Manchester City vs Southampton

Manchester City begin their Carabao Cup defence when they face a labored Southampton side on Tuesday (Wednesday, 1:15 am IST) in the round of 16 stage of the competition. The Saints, who suffered the biggest defeat in Premier League history against Leicester City on Saturday, not only lack confidence, but will also be on the backfoot for the majority of the game.

That said, a certain Raheem Sterling will look to add more goals to an already illustrious tally. If not in the Carabao Cup tie, his team face the same opponents at home on Saturday in the Premier League. Expect him to make a telling impact like he has done several times in the past.

JAMES MADDISON

Club: Leicester City

Match: Burton Albion vs Leicester City

Maddison, who scored the eighth goal in Leicester’s 9-0 triumph over Southampton last Saturday, has turned out to be an absolute revelation under Brendan Rodgers, scoring three goals and recording two assists in nine Premier League fixtures.

And as Leicester make an away trip to Burton for their league cup tie, expect Maddison to play a key role if the Foxes are to get anything positive from the game. The Carabao Cup game will soon be followed by another away game to Crystal Palace on Sunday, and judging by Leicester’s recent run of form, it could well and truly be an easy rout.

ANDREW ROBERTSON

Club: Liverpool

Match: Liverpool vs Arsenal

Table toppers Liverpool welcome Arsenal at home in the Carabao Cup, and this is certainly not going to be a battle of youth. And Robertson, who started the new campaign exactly where he had left last season, will be key to Liverpool’s approach.

Three days on and the Reds will pay a visit to Aston Villa in the Premier League; again a fixture where Robertson will look to assert his authority. Goals, assists, clean sheets, you name it and the Scot will give you bonuses.

ROMELU LUKAKU

Club: Inter Milan

Match: Inter Milan vs Brescia

New signing Romelu Lukaku has taken to Serie A like a duck takes to water. Having scored six goals in just eight appearances this season, the Belgian has found his groove under Antonio Conte, and will look to add more when Inter meet struggling Brescia on Tuesday (Wednesday, 1:30 am IST). The game will be followed by another away trip to face Bologna, who have won just one of their last five games.

Inter missed out on an opportunity of going on top of the Serie A table last weekend, but Conte will hope to make it up by going with a strong team in both the fixtures. And if that is the case, Lukaku is someone who should be in your team without doubt.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Josep Lago

Italian coach Antonio Conte has made his "gentle giant" Romelu Lukaku the focus of Inter Milan's attack this season where the striker has found his scoring touch again after leaving Manchester United.

The Belgian got off the mark in his first league match against Lecce and has since scored five goals in eight Serie A games since departing Old Trafford under a cloud last summer.

The 26-year-old scored a brace last weekend against Sassuolo to keep Inter second in Serie A, one point behind defending champions Juventus, after eight games.

It followed his double as Belgium sealed their Euro 2020 ticket, extending his national all-time record to 51 goals in 83 appearances.

Conte's side host Group F leaders Borussia Dortmund in their third Champions League game on Wednesday having been held 1-1 to Slavia Prague and losing 2-1 to Barcelona, with Lukaku missing the trip to Spain with a thigh injury.

Inter gambled big by investing around 80 million euros ($89 million) in Lukaku to restore the pairing he composed under the Red Devils' jersey with Alexis Sanchez.

Chilean Sanchez made just four appearances for Inter before being ruled out for three months with an ankle injury.

But Lukaku has still impressed with a rich vein of form alongside Argentine Lautaro Martinez, who also scored a double at the weekend against Sassuolo.

"We're working with Romelu to get to know one another better," said Martinez. "We're looking to improve our understanding to help Inter to win."

The Belgian's high energy levels and sharp play are in contrast to United where he spent two seasons, scoring 42 goals in 96 appearances, but just 15 last season.

He was never far from fan criticism, over his weight and professionalism, as he fell down the pecking order once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho.

Hopes had been high that Lukaku could spearhead a new era for United when he joined from Everton for £75 million ($91 million) in 2017, but he left Manchester having failed to win a trophy.

"At the end, I thought it was better for me to move on and try different things," said Lukaku, who took the number nine jersey of former Inter captain Mauro Icardi, who fell out of favour and moved to Paris Saint-Germain.

Conte had been a long-time admirer of Lukaku, who started his career at Anderlect, and tried to sign him for Chelsea before the Belgian's move from Everton to United.

"Lukaku entered the Inter world in the best of ways, with great humility, he's a good giant, a giant with a smile," said Conte, who is trying to break Juventus's stranglehold in Italy and win Inter's first title since their treble under Mourinho in 2010.

Despite being targetted by racist chants during a league game in Cagliari, Lukaku has no regrets about choosing Italy, and above all Conte.

"Between him and I there is a very strong relationship. I'm happy. At the age of 26, I want a coach like this, who helps me every day and gives me motivation," said Lukaku.

"He's the best manager in the world."

His move to Italy was also eased by the presence of his brother Jordan Lukaku, 25, who has played as a defender for Lazio since 2016.

Former Inter Milan star Samuel Eto'o has praised Lukaku for how he has adapted.

"We played together at Everton, he was already big and strong even though he is like a baby, but he is very intelligent and on the issue of racism, he said important things," said the Cameroonian.

"Some players think they are stars and others feel like normal people, he's in the second category, and you'll see how many goals he's going to score."

Ex-United teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan, added: "Lukaku has this mad hunger to prove himself to the world and I'm sure he will do well at Inter too."

having scored 10 in nine games.

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Marco Bertorello

Five talking points from Serie A return

Lukaku continues where he left off

Eriksen thrives again

Atalanta burst into life after virus 'warfare'

Black Lives Matter protests

Deflating start

Related tags:

Inter Milan’s top five signings from the last decade

Related tags:

That’s odd: A chaotic Indian Super League mess

Related tags:

Inter splurge big in the transfer market

Related tags:

Fantasy Focus: Will the mid-week muddle unsettle league standings?

Related tags:

Gentle giant' Lukaku thriving at Inter Milan after Man United flop

Related tags: