Serie A Roundup, Matchday 3
The third round of the 2023/24 Serie A season showcased thrilling matches, surprising results, and remarkable player performances. Here’s a summary of the weekend’s games.
Venezia 0-1 Torino
Saúl Coco netted a late winner in the 86th minute, helping Torino maintain their unbeaten streak against newly-promoted Serie A teams with a 1-0 victory over Venezia. The home team was close to securing a second point of the season, but Coco scored with a powerful header from Adam Masina’s corner in the dying moments. Former Venezia coach Paolo Vanoli returned to challenge his old team with Torino, as the Bulls’ strong start to the 2024/25 season continues.
Inter 4-0 Atalanta
Inter Milan continued their perfect start to the Serie A season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Atalanta. The Nerazzurri were in control throughout the match at the San Siro, where they have now gone 17 league games without a loss. This marks Inter’s 13th consecutive unbeaten match against Atalanta, a streak that dates back to late 2018, and it represents La Dea’s joint-largest league defeat since their 7-1 loss to the same team in March 2017.
Lecce 1-0 Cagliari
Lecce bravely secured a win at the Stadio Via del Mare, overcoming Cagliari 1-0 despite playing the entire second half with only 10 players. Lecce remains unbeaten in their last 12 encounters against Cagliari (with 2 wins and 4 draws), and more significantly, this victory marks the first points of the season for Luca Gotti’s team after three attempts. On the other hand, Cagliari’s search for a victory against Lecce continues, with their last win over the Giallorossi dating back to October 2011.
Bologna 1-1 Empoli
Bologna is still seeking their first Serie A victory under new manager Vincenzo Italiano after settling for a 1-1 draw against Empoli at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Meanwhile, Empoli remains unbeaten in their three league matches this season. The visitors are likely pleased to leave with a point, especially after losing both encounters to Bologna last season without scoring. Bologna, however, faces frustration as they have the international break to regroup before embarking on their first UEFA Champions League campaign, aiming to gain momentum.
Napoli 2-1 Parma
Napoli secured a 2-1 victory over Parma with two goals scored in stoppage time against substitute goalkeeper Enrico Del Prato. Goals from Lukaku and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa secured the win for Antonio Conte’s team. This result means Parma has not won in their last 15 away matches in Serie A. Napoli achieved consecutive wins, while Parma faced their first loss of the Serie A season.
Lazio 2-2 AC Milan
A 2-2 tie with Lazio allowed AC Milan to escape the embarrassment of having their worst-ever start to a Serie A season in the three-points-for-a-win era, but they still have not won a match this season. Milan will likely feel that they missed a chance to secure a victory as they head into the international break without a win. After the break, they will face the added pressure of balancing their domestic league commitments with their return to European competition.
Genoa 0-2 Verona
Verona secured a victory over rivals Genoa for just the second time in their last eight head-to-head encounters, thanks to two unanswered goals from Jackson Tchatchoua and Casper Tengstedt. Genoa, who have been unbeaten at home for six matches and scored seven goals in their last five games, can be excused for having an off day at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Meanwhile, Zanetti’s team enters the International break with renewed confidence after achieving their third clean sheet in 13 matches, with a match against Lazio awaiting them upon their return.
Fiorentina 2-2 Monza
In a dramatic finish, Robin Gosens netted a last-minute equalizer, allowing Fiorentina to come back from a two-goal deficit and secure a draw against Monza at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. This result extended Monza’s winless streak in Serie A to 12 games. Fiorentina remains one of seven teams in the league without a victory after three matches, marking a challenging start for Raffaele Palladino in his new role. However, he managed to earn a point against his former team.
Udinese 1-0 Como
Brenner scored his first goal in Serie A, securing Udinese a second consecutive win against Como, who failed to convert a last-minute penalty, extending their 21-year search for a top-flight victory. A VAR review resulted in a controversial injury-time penalty for handball against Martín Payero, after a corner deflected onto his arm. However, Cutrone missed the penalty, allowing Udinese to hold on for the win, marking just one loss in their last ten encounters and matching their best start to a Serie A season this century.
Juventus 0-0 AS Roma
Juventus and Roma played a 0-0 stalemate at the Allianz Stadium, resulting in the Giallorossi remaining winless in their first three Serie A matches and worsening their head-to-head record to only one victory in nine encounters with the Bianconeri. The draw keeps Juventus unbeaten as they approach the international break. De Rossi on the other hand will seek to improve Roma’s performance, which currently features no wins and only one goal.
