Serie A: Matchday 3 offers key insights in the Scudetto race, European spots, and relegation battle.
We’re only three rounds into the Serie A season, but this weekend’s action has already provided plenty of signals — both positive and negative — that could shape the months ahead.
Let’s start with the Scudetto race and Inter’s painful setback. There’s no doubt that the Nerazzurri’s second defeat in three matches makes noise. Chivu’s side were beaten badly at the Stadium by a clinical Juventus, who fully capitalized on Inter’s defensive lapses and Sommer’s missteps.
On paper, Inter still boast the most complete squad in Serie A. Yet, there’s a lingering sense that the hangover from last season’s dramatic finale hasn’t been fully shaken off. The team wasn’t reinforced enough over the summer: of the 11 starters in Turin, only one was a new signing — former City man Akanji, who arrived on deadline day on a paid loan.
In football, motivation is just as crucial as technical and physical ability. This Inter side seems like a group that felt, back in June, it had reached the end of a cycle. The club either didn’t share that view or, perhaps more likely, didn’t have the financial muscle — or courage — to sell key players and replace them with new stars of equal caliber.
This Inter reminds me of today’s Mike Tyson. He still steps into the ring for nostalgic exhibition bouts — the next one already announced for 2026, when he’ll be 60 years old, against five-time world champion Floyd Mayweather. The name, the aura, the prestige remain. The opening rounds are fierce, the punches heavy enough to make you think he’s still got it. But as the fight wears on, age inevitably shows, and by the end, you fear he could hit the canvas at any moment.
The 4-3 collapse at the Stadium, after leading with less than 15 minutes to go, perfectly reflects Inter’s current state of uncertainty and unease. Let’s be clear: a truly great team wins that game — they certainly don’t lose it.
On the other side, Juventus gratefully grabbed three golden points, vaulting to the top of the table alongside Napoli as the only teams with a perfect record. The Bianconeri’s strong start is making noise.
So are Yildiz’s goals and assists: the young playmaker finally looks comfortable wearing the iconic number 10 jersey, which may have felt too heavy for him last season.
Even the ovation for Vlahovic as he left the pitch was telling. Though he didn’t score in the Derby d’Italia, the Serbian striker remains Juve’s top scorer with two goals in the first three matches. More importantly, he seems to have won back the trust of both the fans and his manager.
At this point, one can’t help but wonder: could Juventus be Napoli’s most convincing challenger this season?
Speaking of Napoli, their dominant performance in a tough away match at Fiorentina was deafening. The arrival of Hojlund — who scored immediately — gave Conte the pure number 9 he needed after Big Rom’s injury. The young striker can hold up play, link with teammates, and consistently find the back of the net.
He’s the perfect stand-in for Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to return between December and January. This means that for the second half of the season, Conte will have a striking duo unlike any other in Serie A. I’m talking about two true number 9s — not just attackers or strike partnerships.
Lautaro and Thuram may be more talented on paper, but they’re a 9 and an 11 who play together regularly. Lukaku and Hojlund, on the other hand, will be competing head-to-head for one spot, giving Napoli unparalleled depth in that position.
Elsewhere, Roma’s home defeat to Torino was another result that made noise. Gasperini’s side took not one but two steps back after their promising opening matches. For the first time, Gasperini looked out of sorts, starting with a questionable lineup and then failing to find the right adjustments during the game.
Starting Dybala as a false nine backfired badly. In the first two games, he had been a decisive factor coming off the bench in the second half. This time, he was ineffective and then forced off with an injury at halftime.
El Aynaoui, playing as a trequartista, never got into the game. Instead of moving him deeper into midfield and bringing on El Shaarawy in attack, Gasperini took him off at the break for Baldanzi, who hadn’t featured at all in the first two rounds.
This set off a chain reaction: when Cristante had to come off in the 65th minute, Gasperini was “forced” to throw in Pisilli — another player who hadn’t been part of his plans until that very moment. To top it off, Dovbyk was left on the bench for the entire match, even after Torino took the lead.
The coach’s post-match comments sounded like a final verdict:
“Dovbyk? I never intended to play him today. I want to see him active in training, dynamic, and determined. When he shows that, we’ll bring him back. Together with Ferguson? We’ll see. It’s possible, but not my ideal solution.”
Roma’s squad is clearly incomplete. Gasperini’s transfer requests weren’t fully met: they’re still missing at least a left winger and a midfielder. But if he starts sidelining the players he does have, the cracks could turn into craters.
After the honeymoon period, Gasperini is about to experience the other side of Rome: relentless scrutiny from radio, TV, newspapers, and social media. His choices and comments will be dissected, criticized, and reinterpreted endlessly.
This is normal for any major football city, but the real test will be how Gasperini handles the pressure. His career so far has been glorious in smaller markets, but when he stepped up to coach Inter in 2011, he lasted only a handful of games before being sacked.
Now, 14 years later and at 67 years old, he must avoid repeating those mistakes — smoothing out the rough edges of his hard-nosed personality and accepting criticism without overreacting. On the pitch, he’s undoubtedly one of the best tacticians around. Whether he succeeds will depend entirely on him.
Meanwhile, Lazio’s second straight away defeat also made headlines. Sarri’s squad has been thinned to the size of the cigarette butt he always has in his mouth. The feeling is that the coach is on the verge of a meltdown.
When he accepted Lotito’s offer this summer, Sarri surely expected very different conditions. Instead, he’s stuck managing a squad he didn’t build, filled with players chosen by others, many of whom are coming off a disappointing season.
After the loss to Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia, Sarri didn’t speak. And next Sunday brings the Rome Derby. It wouldn’t be surprising if, in the event of another defeat, Sarri were to place his resignation on Lotito’s desk.
To wrap up, a word on refereeing. Saturday’s Derby d’Italia was remarkable for the lack of protests. The much-anticipated RefCam not only provided stunning new footage from the pitch but also seemed to act as a deterrent. After all, who wants to be caught in a close-up, broadcast worldwide, while hurling insults at the referee?
On the flip side, there was controversy in Milan-Bologna over a revoked penalty. Once again, VAR protocol is at the center of the debate. Nkunku was clearly pushed from behind by Lukumi just as he was about to shoot one-on-one with Skorupski. The referee didn’t call it, play continued, and moments later, a penalty was awarded for a supposed foul by Freuler on Nkunku — which didn’t actually occur.
Fabbri at the VAR monitor only asked referee Mercenaro to review the second incident, not the initial push. Logic suggests he should have reviewed the entire sequence so the referee could reconsider both decisions.
As always, the result changes everything. After the match, Allegri — who was sent off for his furious protests during the incident — downplayed the controversy:
“I haven’t reviewed it. If Fabbri at VAR decided there was no penalty, then it was right to cancel it.”
Raise your hand if you agree with me that, had Bologna equalized late in the match, those comments would have been far less diplomatic…
On SMIT (Soccer Made in Italy), you can find match reports for all of this weekend’s Serie A games, plus coverage of today’s fixtures: Verona-Cremonese — featuring Vardy’s highly anticipated Serie A debut — and Como-Genoa.
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L’articolo It Makes Noise proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
