Serie A Saturday: as it happened

Roma and Lazio strengthened their grip on the Champions League places, Cesena came from three goals down to earn a point and Inter plunged themselves further into crisis

Final Scores: Atalanta 1-2 Torino, Cagliari 1-3 Lazio, Genoa 1-1 Udinese, Inter 1-1 Parma, Palermo 1-2 Milan, Sassuolo 1-0 Chievo, Verona 3-3 Cesena

Earlier: Roma 1-0 Napoli

Later: Fiorentina v Sampdoria (1730), Juventus v Empoli (2000)

1600: So, Lazio are now seven points ahead of Sampdoria in fourth as Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side await their game with Fiorentina tonight. Roma’s win means there’s now a lot of points to make up for them, Napoli and Fiorentina. Torino and Milan’s wins consolidate their positions in the top half, while Inter slip even further off the pace after a quite appalling draw with Parma. That’s now 4 points the Ducali have taken off them this season – and they only have 10! Cesena are still just about alive in the survival race, closing to within four points of Atalanta after their loss to Torino. Everyone above them should really be safe, with at least a 10-point gap heading into the last 9 rounds. Thanks for following.

1556: To recap: Atalanta 1-2 Torino, Cagliari 1-3 Lazio, Genoa 1-1 Udinese, Inter 1-1 Parma, Palermo 1-2 Milan, Sassuolo 1-0 Chievo, Verona 3-3 Cesena. Which all means this for the Serie A table:

1554: Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. It’s crisis time at Inter, because it’s ended 1-1 at San Siro. Parma, Cagliari and Cesena have now all avoided defeat away to the Nerazzurri this season. Torino, Sassuolo and Lazio have all seen out their wins now.

It’s all over. We made it.

1552: Cesena have salvaged a point when it looked impossible, as it ends 3-3 in Verona. Elsewhere, Milan have claimed their first away win since they went to play Hellas back in October.

1551: Red card for Torino! It’s unlikely to make a difference but Migjen Basha has been given his marching orders for a second booking. All over in Genoa, where it’s ended 1-1.

1550: GOAL!!! Cagliari 1-3 Lazio (Parolo): All over, finally, in Sardinia as Marco Parolo scores from a drilled free-kick. Lazio are moving well clear of the chasing pack in third.

1549: Giampaolo Pazzini goes close to securing the win for Milan, but Sorrentino denies him.

1547: Atalanta are pressing for an equaliser in Bergamo but Torino are repelling their attacks pretty well at the moment. Cesena will move one point closer to them as things stand.

1546: Tick tock tick tock…

1544: Inter are 5 minutes away from failing to beat any of the sides in the bottom three at home this season. A new low.

1541: GOAL!!! Palermo 1-2 Milan (Menez): He’s done it again! Palermo were only level for 10 minutes and now they don’t have long to save themselves, because Jeremy Menez has just run the length of the pitch and lifted the ball beyond Sorrentino.

1540: GOAL!!! Verona 3-3 Cesena (Succi): IT’S HAPPENED! It’s 3-3! And it was 3-0 15 minutes ago! Mandorlini is absolutely furious on the touchline but Cesena have pulled off a ripsnorting comeback here, and maybe there’s time for the winner. Maybe. They really do need to win this, without wanting to be a grumpy gumbles.

1538: 10 minutes left, and once again neither Milanese side is winning at the moment. Lazio are moving clear in third and the relegation tussle is staying exactly as it is. There’s still time though, as Senad Lulic replaces Miroslav Klose in Sardinia. Quite how Cagliari are only one goal behind in this game is anyone’s guess.

1535: GOAL!!! Verona 3-2 Cesena (Brienza): Blimey. Maybe that goal from Carbonero will matter. Franco Brienza has spent his entire career down at the wrong end of Serie A, but he knows how to strike a ball as he’s demonstrated here – what a free-kick from 25 yards that is. Er, Verona haven’t won this yet…

1534: Goaaa- no! It’s been cleared by Albin Ekdal! Lazio looked nailed on for a third as Felipe Anderson and Keita broke free, but the latter’s shot was hacked off the line by the substitute and 10-man Cagliari are still alive, somehow…

1532: GOAL!!! Atalanta 1-2 Torino (Pinilla): Game on? Maybe, maybe not, but either way this is another wicked strike from the man they call Pinigol. In similar fashion to when he scored against Cagliari, the Chilean has produced a stonking acrobatic effort from inside the box and it’s 2-1 in Bergamo.

1531: GOAL!!! Verona 3-1 Cesena (Carbonero): Cesena have pulled one back through a lovely strike from Carlos Carbonero, but it won’t matter.

1531: GOAL!!! Palermo 1-1 Milan (Dybala pen): But Paulo Dybala cares not, and the Argentine has just scored Palermo’s first goal in 500 minutes! Milan have dropped 21 points from winning positions this season and they might be about to lose two more…

1530: Penalty for Palermo! Paletta has fouled substitute Belotti as Palermo broke forward, and they have a brilliant chance to end the drought! Looked a soft penalty mind…

1529: MISSED! Horribly so! Biglia goes for a completely different style of penalty to the one he scored previously, and the ball soars over the bar. Oops.

1528: Red card for Sassuolo! Federico Peluso has been dismissed for a second bookable offence as Chievo continue to pile forward, and…

Red card for Cagliari and another penalty for Lazio! Keita’s been brought down in the box again, only this time it was by Modibo Diakite and this time he’s sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.

1527: GOAL!!! Genoa 1-1 Udinese (Thereau): No they’re not. Ah dear. Sylvan Widmer’s cross is missed by inches by Guilherme, but it runs through for Cyril Thereau to tap in from three yards. All square.

1526: Genoa thought they’d scored a second against Udinese a few minutes ago, but for some reason it was ruled out. They’re looking good to win this game though.

1523: GOAL!!! Verona 3-0 Cesena (Toni): 15 up for the season for Luca Toni, and it’s game over at the Bentegodi. Jankovic is the man to set him up again, this time on the counter-attack, crossing for the 37 year-old to volley in from close range. Easy street.

1521: Parma are playing much better than Inter at the moment. This is not a misprint. In Bergamo, Atalanta’s Rolando Bianchi has just come on to face his former side for the final half hour. Atalanta aren’t making much headway in the second half though.

1519: GOAL!!! Cagliari 1-2 Lazio (Biglia pen): Up steps Lucas Biglia from the spot and the Argentine makes no mistake, sending Brkic the wrong way and restoring Lazio’s advantage. That, incredibly, is their 37th goal scored by a midfielder this season.

1518: Penalty for Lazio! Lorenzo Crisetig tripped Keita Balde as he galloped into the box and there’s little doubt about that one.

1515: Destro’s right foot was just offside as he ran through on goal, so it’s a good call from the officials. Andrea Belotti replaces Robin Quaison for Palermo, who are now rapidly approaching 500 minutes without a goal.

1513: Juan Jesus crosses for Kovacic at San Siro, but the substitute heads wide from 12 yards. There’s a slight hint of offside about that Marco Sau goal by the way, but the assistant and referee both agreed it was legal. Speaking of offside, Mattia Destro has just been denied his third goal in a Milan shirt by the assistant’s flag. Milan are playing pretty well now though.

1511: Giuseppe Vives stings the palms of Sportiello in Bergamo but Torino remain only 2-0 up.

1509: GOAL!!! Cagliari 1-1 Lazio (Sau): All square in Sardinia! Zdenek Zeman’s favourite student Marco Sau has levelled for the home side, although he needed a rather hefty slice of luck along the way. A long ball over the top picked him out, before his shot took a sizeable deflection off the leg of Mauricio and looped over Federico Marchetti. Still, they all count and that’s an unexpected development…

1507: And now Gabriel Paletta has wasted a free header from a following corner. Ooh, hang on…

1506: Milan are on the front foot early in the second half at Palermo, Luca Antonelli going close from a corner. They’ve not won back-to-back matches since October but it’s on the cards at the moment.

At the moment.

1505: Mateo Kovacic has replaced Puscas at half-time for Inter, where the game is belatedly back under way. Nothing to speak of anywhere just yet.

1502: Anyway. Whatever that was about has now finished, and we’re off again. 45 minutes for Inter to put right the wrong of their first-half; 45 minutes for Torino, Lazio, Genoa, Milan, Sassuolo and Verona to hold onto and perhaps extend their respective advantages.

1500: Roberto Mancini has been stood in the San Siro tunnel for the last two minutes, staring out onto the pitch. Doing some soul-searching, it appears. He looked a bit existentially troubled. Conceding to Parma can do that to you.

1455: Sassuolo’s penalty was for a foul on Berardi by Alessandro Gamberini, and yes, it was the right decision. Never in doubt. Highlights of that half? Quagliarella’s goal, Vazquez’s miss and Quagliarella’s goal.

1450: The as-it-stands table makes pretty decent reading for Roma and Lazio fans:

1447: Aaaaaaand it’s half-time all round. Time to breathe.

1444: GOAL!!! Inter 1-1 Parma (Lila): CLAMOROSO A MILANO! Or not, because this is Inter we’re dealing with after all. The away side have reacted really well to falling behind and now have the equaliser they were looking for, as Andi Lila heads home from a perfectly-weighted Silvestre Varela cross. A nice team move all round, but Roberto Mancini looks mad.

1442: Edgar Barreto scores for Palermo but it’s been ruled out, I think rightly, for offside on Luca Rigoni. Palermo have now gone… er, ages without scoring. I can’t remember how much exactly it is.

1440: GOAL!!! Atalanta 0-2 Torino (Glik): Meanwhile in Bergamo, Europe’s top-scoring defender is on the score sheet once again as Torino double their lead. A corner dropped invitingly for skipper Kamil Glik, and the Polishman wasted no time in roofing it from close range. Clinical.

1438: GOAL!!! Palermo 0-1 Milan (Cerci): Ha! I won’t do that in future. It’s scruffy as heck but Pippo Inzaghi won’t care, as Milan lead with their first attack in quite a while. Marco van Ginkel sprints to the by-line and drills a low ball in towards the near post, where Stefano Sorrentino fumbles it onto Alessio Cerci’s knee and into the net. It’s Cerci’s first goal since arriving on loan from Atletico Madrid in January, so he’ll be milking that regardless of how it was scored.

1435: Each of the bottom four are behind and being dominated at the moment, which means… nothing changes. RE the Vazquez miss earlier, I might not have given Diego Lopez the credit he deserved for the way he came out and closed the angle, just as Dybala squared it for his partner in crime. Still a bad miss though. Milan haven’t shown much going forward so far, which is surprising, to someone, probably.

1431: GOAL!!! Verona 2-0 Cesena (Gomez): Ah, Cesena. Verona double their lead and it’s deservedly so, as Juanito Gomez flummoxes Daniele Capelli and bends a lovely shot beyond Nicola Leali into the corner. Trouble, trouble and more trouble for Mimmo Di Carlo.

1430: GOAL!!! Cagliari 0-1 Lazio (Klose): I was just thinking that Lazio were taking their time in making their dominance count, but they’re ahead on the half hour after yet more magic from Felipe Anderson. The Brazilian wonderkid dances past two Cagliari defenders with delightful ease before squaring for Mauri, who spins adroitly in the six-yard box to set up Miroslav Klose for the kind of tap-in he’s spent the last 15 years of his life scoring. Big goal in the ‘race’ for third.

1427: GOAL!!! Inter 1-0 Parma (Guarin): Well that was inevitable. Parma held out for 25 minutes at San Siro but for the umpteenth time this season they’ve fallen behind, and the bad luck in this goal is befitting of their campaign as a whole. Fredy Guarin lets fly from 25 yards after being set up by Gary Medel and a hefty deflection completely deceives Mirante in the Parma goal, leaving the ball to bounce in at the near post.

1425: MISS! A horrendous miss! Palermo should have just ended their goal drought as Dybala cut the ball back for a completely unmarked Franco Vazquez, but somehow the Italy international rolled the ball wide from six yards. Unbelievable.

1422: GOAL!!! Sassuolo 1-0 Chievo (Berardi pen): Chievo have finally conceded again, for the first time since February, and it came from the spot as the ice-cool Domenico Berardi rolls Sassuolo into the lead. I didn’t see what it was for, so to be nice let’s just assume it was the right decision.

1421: Penalty for Sassuolo!

1420: GOAL!!! Atalanta 0-1 Torino (Quagliarella): WHACK! What a goal from Fabio Quagliarella! Marco Sportiello has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Serie A this season, but he could do nothing about the rocket of a free-kick that just flashed past him off the bar. Wow. Torino lead!

1419: GOAL!!! Genoa 1-0 Udinese (De Maio): … It’s not anymore. From the home side’s next attack, a deep cross drops to Sebastien De Maio after a fortunate ricochet and the defender fires Genoa ahead. Meanwhile…

1419: Tino Costa is next to try his luck against Orestis Karnezis from a free-kick, but the Greek shot-stopper flew across his goal just in time to push it wide. Still 0-0 in Genoa, but…

1417: Francesco Acerbi has the chance to head Sassuolo in front from a corner at the Mapei, but he got his contact with the ball all wrong and the chance is wasted. From the resulting goal-kick, Chievo break to devastating effect and Riccardo Meggiorini almost scores a sensational goal on the volley. Unfortunately, it hit the bar and we’re denied an exciting moment from one of Europe’s least exciting teams.

1415: As I say that, Shaqiri goes close at the near post but Antonio Mirante had it covered. In Palermo, Paulo Dybala attempts one of his trademark curling left-footed classics to deceive Diego Lopez, but it’s wide of the far post.

1413: Torino are dominating Atalanta at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia but without any clear-cut opportunities to show for it yet. The same can be said of Inter at San Siro, where excitingly teenager George Puscas has been given a start by Roberto Mancini, ahead of Lukas Podolski.

1411: Traversa! Diego Perotti is unlucky not to give Genoa the lead at the Marassi as his free-kick skims the crossbar.

1410: What a save from Gonzalo Brkic! Lazio are in control at the Sant’Elia and the Cagliari keeper has just pulled off a wonderful stop to deny Biancoceleste skipper Stefano Mauri with his left leg.

1408: Stefano Sorrentino saves from Menez as the ball falls to the Frenchman on the edge of the box. At the Bentegodi, Hellas are battering Cesena in the opening stages and could already be two or three goals clear.

1406: Sergio Floccari goes close twice in quick succession for Sassuolo but it’s still goalless in Reggio Emilia. Silvestre Varela meanwhile has had the first shot on target of the game at San Siro, but Samir Handanovic dealt with that pretty comfortably. Palermo are calling the shots early on at the Favorita, with Milan happy to play on the break for now.

1404: GOAL!!! Verona 1-0 Cesena (Toni): But he doesn’t always miss! Jacopo Sala won the ball back for Verona right on the edge of the Cesena box, he slid in Bosko Jankovic down the wing and the Serb squares it for Toni to steer in at the near post. Simple stuff, and that’s very much bad news for the visitors.

1402: The first meaningful chance of the day comes to Luca Toni at the Bentegodi, but he scuffs it wide from a tight angle. Meanwhile, no one has turned up at the Mapei stadium for Sassuolo-Chievo. Evidently the home fans weren’t convinced by Di Francesco’s claim that they’re not safe yet.

1400: We’re up and running all over the place. Make this as hectic as possible, teams of Serie A.

1357: Let’s do this.

1355: Right then. Five minutes until whistles are blown all around Italy. Here’s how the table looks heading into the aforementioned seven fixtures:

Given that Fiorentina and Sampdoria are facing each other in one of the late games today, this is a magnificent opportunity for Lazio to consolidate third after Napoli’s defeat. It’s hard to see them not doing it either, he says with ill-advised conviction.

1349: Verona v Cesena

And finally, a game that falls most definitely into the category of ‘Must Win Or At Least Don’t Lose Unless Atalanta Win’ for Mimmo Di Carlo’s Cesena. It looked for a while as if the Seahorses might be able to save themselves from the drop in a most unlikely feat of escapology, but with 10 games left and a 5-point gap I’m not so convinced anymore. When you consider that Luca Toni has scored as many goals on his own in 2015 (8) as Cesena’s entire front-line has all season, it’s hard to back them with any conviction. Verona meanwhile sit 16th in the table, but a win today will get them over the line for another season following a run of 8 points in 4 games, which has relieved the pressure that was gathering on Andrea Mandorlini’s shoulders. The last four games between these sides have ended all-square, which would be of little use to today’s visitors.

Verona: Benussi; Sala, Moras, Rodriguez, Pisano; Hallfredsson, Greco, Brivio; Gomez Taleb, Toni, Jankovic

Cesena: Leali; Perico, Capelli, Krajnc, Lucchini; Pulzetti, Giorgi, De Feudis; Brienza; Defrel, Djuric

1345: Sassuolo v Chievo

On paper this looks like the least interesting game of the bunch, even if Eusebio Di Francesco is insistent that Sassuolo are not safe yet from the drop. (They pretty much are, barring miracles from Cagliari and Cesena.) This one is a clash between two sides who are level on points but in entirely different runs of form: Chievo have only lost 1 of their last 7 outings, while the Neroverdi have only won 1 of their last 7 outings. The Flying Donkeys haven’t conceded in any of their last four games but don’t score many themselves, so expect this to be low-scoring and just generally a bit bad. They’ll both stay up though.

Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Acerbi, Peluso; Brighi, Missiroli, Biondini; Berardi, Floccari, Floro Flores.

Chievo: Bizzarri; Frey, Gamberini, Cesar, Zukanovic; Schelotto, Radovanovic, Izco, Birsa; Meggiorini, Paloschi.

1343: Palermo v Milan

Milan head to Sicily today looking for a first away win since October, but their season’s finished regardless of whether or not they manage to find it. Pippo Inzaghi may try to convince you that the Rossoneri are about to embark upon a new 10-game season, but don’t listen to him. He is the only man for whom said 10 games are of any importance whatsoever, as his future is likely to be decided based on how well he does in them. All the important issues at the club between now and May will take place off-field, with increasing rumours of an impending takeover. No one is really bothered about what happens here, as Sulley Muntari demonstrated yesterday, so perhaps it’s a good opportunity for Palermo to arrest a worrying run of results. Beppe Iachini’s men haven’t scored a goal of any kind in over 7 hours of football, since Paulo Dybala put them ahead against Lazio on 22 February, but a win will take them above today’s opponents and relieve the minimal pressure the manager might be feeling. He is at the behest of Maurizio Zamparini, lest we forget.

But as I said, nobody really cares about this game. It’s more mid-table than a parasol hole.

Palermo: Sorrentino; Rispoli, Gonzalez, Vitiello, Lazaar; Rigoni, Jajalo, Barreto; Vazquez, Quaison; Dybala.

Milan: Lopez; Abate, Paletta, Mexes, Antonelli; Van Ginkel, De Jong, Bonaventura; Cerci, Destro, Menez.

1339: Inter v Parma

A clash between two sides who haven’t managed a single win between them in over a month. Should be good. Roberto Mancini is insistent that his side still have a “60% chance” of qualifying for the Europa League, but even with a win today it’s pretty much impossible to imagine Inter repaying his faith. They’re improving, but they’re still pretty bad, and that’s why they’re 10th heading into the final stretch. But it could be worse. Parma’s fate was sealed a long, long time ago thanks to events on and particularly off the pitch, and between now and May, they exist only to ruin other teams’ seasons by taking points off them. What a thoroughly dispiriting existence that must be. Still, that’s better than how it’ll be after May, when they won’t exist at all.

I’m joking, of course. Or am I?

Inter: Handanovic; Santon, Ranocchia, Felipe, Juan Jesus; Guarin, Medel, Brozovic; Shaqiri; Palacio, Puscas.

Parma: Mirante; Gobbi, Costa, Mednes, Feddal; Jose Mauri, Jorquera, Lila; Nocerino, Varela; Belfodil.

1335: Genoa v Udinese

A game that means almost nothing, but one between two sides who love to share goals. Both of the previous two meetings between Genoa and Udinese have contained six goals, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s men having triumphed 4-2 at the Friuli back in November. The Grifone are without a win in four and as a result are not going to qualify for European competition next season, while their opponents are unbeaten in 3 after a dodgy spell and took a creditable point against Fiorentina before the international break. If nothing else, this should be fun.

Genoa: Lamanna; Roncaglia, Burdisso, De Maio; Edenilson, Tino Costa, Rincon, Bergdich; Iago Falque, Borriello, Perotti

Udinese: Karnezis; Heurtaux, Wague, Piris; Widmer, Guilherme, Pinzi, Kone, Gabriel Silva; Thereau, Perica

1334: Cagliari v Lazio

Two sides in extremely different form collide at the Sant’Elia today. Lazio come into this match in the midst of a remarkable six-game winning run, which has seen them rocket up to third in the table as their rivals have faltered. And they’re not finished yet either; Stefano Pioli’s side now have an automatic Champions League qualification spot in their sights (which is currently held by their bitter capital rivals), as they chase down their club record of nine victories on the spin. That, of all people, was set by Sven Goran Eriksson back in 1999. For Cagliari, life is less rosy. Stunningly, Zdenek Zeman’s returned has not changed anything, and the Sardinians are now 5 points off safety with Lazio, Genoa and Napoli to face in their next three games. It ain’t looking good. Zeman said yesterday that Lazio are currently playing the best football in the division, and it’s tough to see his side doing anything about that today. Cagliari are without a win in 8 games, while Zeman personally is enduring a 10-match run without victory (if you include the back end of his first spell in charge this season), which all points to one thing: Serie B. Or a remarkable victory today. We’ll see which.

Cagliari: Brkic; Balzano, Rossettini, Diakitè, Avelar; Dessena, Crisetig, Joao Pedro; Farias, Sau, Cossu.

Lazio: Marchetti; Basta, de Vrij, Mauricio, Braafheid; Biglia, Parolo; Candreva, Mauri, Felipe Anderson; Klose

1330: Atalanta v Torino

One for the nostalgists, this. In Bergamo today we have a clash between the two oldest managers in Serie A, as Edy Reja (68) pits his extensive wits against Giampiero Ventura (66). The latter’s need is somewhat greater than the former, his Atalanta side currently sat 5 points off the drop zone with 10 games still to play, but the man whose coaching career started absolutely yonks ago (1979 to be precise) will have been quietly encouraged by what he’s seen since he replaced Stefano Colantuono a month ago. The Bergamaschi haven’t managed to win in that time (or in any of their last 7 games, in fact) but they haven’t managed to lose either, with 3 draws in Reja’s 3 games on the bench so far, and he reckons victory both today and away to Sassuolo next week would put them within touching distance of safety. In the words of Mark ‘Lawro’ Lawrenson, I think they’ll be OK. Torino meanwhile are still harbouring outside hopes of gatecrashing the European places above them, but that won’t happen. Just giving you a heads up.

Atalanta: Sportiello; Biava, Stendardo, Bellini; Zappacosta, Migliaccio, Cigarini, Carmona, Dramè; Maxi Moralez, Pinilla

Torino: Padelli; Maksimovic, Glik, Moretti; Peres, Gazzi, Vives, El Kaddouri, Molinaro; Maxi Lopez, Quagliarella

1325: Right then. 1 down, 9 to go. Here’s how the rest of today looks (times are BST):

14:00: Atalanta v Torino, Cagliari v Lazio, Genoa v Udinese, Inter v Parma, Palermo v Milan, Sassuolo v Chievo, Verona v Cesena

17:30: Fiorentina v Sampdoria

20:00: Juventus v Empoli

And here are the teams and talking points that matter from each of the seven upcoming kick-offs.

1321: But first, a brief nod in the direction of the day’s early kick-off, because it was, as they say in Italy, a “Big Match.” And it was a Big Win for Roma as well, who secured their first league win at home since November (!) with a nervy 1-0 win over Napoli. That makes Rudi Garcia’s side a little more comfortable in second ahead of the rest of today’s games, who prevailed thanks to a first-half strike from Miralem Pjanic. Napoli meanwhile are in horrid form. Rafa Benitez’s side played pretty well today, but they’ve now lost each of their last four away games and as such are rapidly falling out of the race for the Champions League spots. They stay fifth, five points off third (and now with a game less). Eek.

1315: 

That’s right. Saturday. And this isn’t just any Saturday: it’s Easter Saturday. And this isn’t just any Easter Saturday: it’s an Easter Saturday on which there is a full round of matches from Serie A.  And this isn’t just any Easter Saturday on which there is a full round of matches from Serie A: this is an Easter Saturday on which there is a full round of matches from Serie A and 7 of the 10 games are kicking off at the same time. One has already been played  and are two are to be played later tonight, which leaves a big fat 7 for Italy’s traditional Easter Saturday 3pm slot. I’m giddy here. Thank the high heavens for Diretta Gol. 45 minutes separate now and said 7 games, which is just enough time to talk up each individual match