Serie A Roundup, Matchday 2
The second round of the 2023/24 Serie A season featured exciting matches, unexpected outcomes, and outstanding performances from players. Here’s a recap of the weekend’s games.
Udinese 2-1 Lazio
Udinese kicked off their Serie A home season with a victory, defeating Lazio 2-1 at the Bluenergy Stadium. Florian Thauvin was instrumental in the win, contributing a goal and an assist, marking his first successful scoring game in Serie A after six attempts. A late goal from Gustav Isaksen, did little to dampen the spirits of the home team. The Zebretti managed to hold on in the final moments, matching their total home wins for the entire 2023/24 season in just this one match, while leaving Lazio with plenty to consider for the future.
Parma 2-1 AC Milan
Parma delivered a remarkable performance to defeat AC Milan 2-1 at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, marking their first top-flight head-to-head win against the Rossoneri in over ten years. Parma managed to maintain their unbeaten start in the top division after three years, following a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina in their opening match. Meanwhile, Fonseca’s revamped Milan will regret not securing a win in their first two games of the season, a situation they haven’t faced since the 2011/12 season.
Monza 0-1 Genoa
Genoa maintained their strong beginning to the 2024/25 Serie A season by securing their first victory over Monza at Stadio Brianteo since 2006. The win came from a lone header by Andrea Pinamonti. The Biancorossi are now without a win in 11 consecutive Serie A matches and have gone four straight top-flight games without scoring for the first time in their history. On the other hand, the Rossoblù have only suffered two losses since their defeat to Monza in the 28th matchday of last season.
Inter 2-0 Lecce
Inter extended their impressive head-to-head record against Lecce at the San Siro, achieving 18 victories in 19 home encounters in the top division, as they rebounded from a disappointing start to the season with a solid 2-0 win. The reigning champions maintained control throughout the match, securing a relatively easy victory. On the other hand, Lecce remains at the bottom of the table with a goal difference of -6 and has yet to score this season, continuing a goalless streak that dates back to last season and now includes five league matches.
Torino 2-1 Atalanta
Torino has now suffered only one defeat in their last 15 Serie A matches at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, having come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Atalanta. This win represents Torino’s second win in their last 10 head-to-head encounters, and it keeps their unbeaten record intact for the 2024/25 season. On the other hand, Atalanta will aim to bounce back quickly, but they face a tough task as they prepare to take on the reigning Scudetto champions, Inter Milan, at the San Siro.
Fiorentina 0-0 Venezia
Fiorentina faced a challenging beginning under Raffaele Palladino, managing only two draws in their first two league matches. They were held to a 0-0 draw by newly-promoted Venezia at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Neither team could find the back of the net, as Venezia effectively frustrated Fiorentina with tight marking and a defensive strategy. By securing an unexpected point in Tuscany, Venezia ended a six-match losing streak in away games against Fiorentina.
Napoli 3-0 Bologna
Antonio Conte achieved his first victory as Napoli’s head coach, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia contributing a goal and an assist to help the team secure a 3-0 triumph over Bologna at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. This result marked Bologna’s first loss of the season, with Vincenzo Italiano now experiencing a draw and a defeat in his initial two matches in charge. Additionally, Napoli’s win ended an eight-match winless run in Serie A that had persisted since last season.
AS Roma 1-2 Empoli
Empoli delivered a remarkable performance to beat AS Roma 2-1, earning all three points and marking the first time the Giallorossi have lost a home match in Serie A against them. Empoli managed to maintain their lead for a commendable win, bringing their total to four points from two games, an impressive beginning to the season for a team that narrowly avoided relegation by just one point last year. On the other hand, after a goalless draw with Cagliari in their Serie A opener, this unexpected loss adds to Roma’s disappointing start to the season.
Cagliari 1-1 Como
Cesc Fàbregas’ Como earned their first Serie A point in 22 years by coming from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Cagliari at the Unipol Domus. For Cagliari, two back-to-back draws mark a strong beginning to the season. Although Como has not won any of their first two matches in their last 10 Serie A seasons, they can take encouragement from this determined draw. In the future, Fàbregas hopes that his new players will blend well and simplify his coaching experience.
Verona 0-3 Juventus
Juventus secured their second consecutive win under Thiago Motta with a commanding 3-0 victory against Verona, marking the first time in three seasons that they have won their opening two matches of a new Serie A season. Motta’s impact was evident as the Bianconeri controlled the game, especially in the last thirty minutes. The outlook appears positive for the Turin team, while Verona’s coach Zanetti will be disheartened by his team’s performance after their strong start to the season.