Serie A Daily Report - 2026-08-30

Como claimed a historic 2-1 victory at Napoli on Sunday, handing Massimiliano Allegri defeat in his first home match as the Partenopei’s head coach. Martin Baturina put the visitors ahead in the 17th minute after Assane Diao’s cut-back, before Rasmus Højlund levelled with a low finish on the half-hour. Como restored their lead four minutes later when Anastasios Douvikas capitalised on a defensive error. All three goals came before half-time, and Napoli could not find another equaliser despite introducing Kevin De Bruyne after the interval. Stanislav Lobotka’s stoppage-time effort was ruled out for offside.

Como’s victory ended their wait for a first Serie A win at Napoli and strengthened the impression that last season’s fourth-place finish was not a one-off achievement. Cesc Fàbregas’s side moved to four points from two matches after drawing at Udinese on the opening weekend, while Napoli remained on three points. Fàbregas said his team had shown it could withstand the pressure created by facing the reigning champions. For Allegri, the result underlined the scale of the rebuilding task, particularly after Napoli had begun the campaign with victory away to Genoa.

Inter maintained their perfect start to the Serie A title defence with a 1-0 victory at Cagliari on Sunday. Hakan Calhanoglu scored after nine minutes, guiding a first-time shot from outside the penalty area into the bottom corner. The champions dominated much of the match but failed to convert further opportunities, with Lautaro Martínez, Francesco Pio Esposito and Alessandro Bastoni among those to go close. Inter finished with 29 shots in one report, while another recorded 31 and an expected-goals figure of 3.9. Cagliari threatened late on, but Cristian Chivu’s side held on for a second win from two matches.

Chivu acknowledged that Inter had allowed the contest to remain in doubt by wasting chances and becoming stretched after half-time. He said the side had created a great deal but became chaotic and panicked during the closing stages. Curtis Jones made his Inter debut from the bench in the second half, entering in the 65th minute, while the club’s other English additions were part of the wider matchday story. The result kept Inter alongside the other clubs with maximum points, but the performance also offered an early warning that control must be matched by greater efficiency in front of goal.

Lazio made it two 1-0 victories from two Serie A matches by defeating Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. Davide Frattesi scored the decisive goal in the 25th minute, repeating his match-winning contribution from Lazio’s opening league fixture. The midfielder is on loan from Inter, and his early-season impact helped Gennaro Gattuso’s side remain among the teams with a perfect record. Genoa had begun the campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Napoli, and the loss left Daniele De Rossi’s team still searching for its first league points.

The result gave Lazio an encouraging response after their earlier Coppa Italia exit to Mantova and extended their winning start under former Italy manager Gattuso. Their two victories have both been narrow, suggesting the immediate value of a disciplined defensive platform while the new coach establishes his methods. Frattesi’s goals have proved particularly important because each has settled a 1-0 match. Lazio joined Inter, Juventus and AC Milan on six points after two games, placing early pressure on the clubs expected to challenge near the top of the table.

Roma completed moves for two experienced captains on Sunday, bringing in Marten De Roon from Atalanta and Leonardo Balerdi from Marseille. De Roon, 35, spent a decade at Atalanta across two spells and will reunite with Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who previously coached him in Bergamo. His transfer was reported at €1 million. Balerdi joined on loan with an option to make the move permanent. The 27-year-old Argentina international has played more than 200 European matches for Borussia Dortmund and Marseille, where he also became captain.

The deals added leadership and familiarity to a Roma side seeking to mount a stronger Serie A challenge under Gasperini. De Roon’s arrival was completed quickly after Atalanta reportedly gave him freedom to choose his next club, with Gasperini saying the midfielder wanted to move to the capital. Balerdi offers another senior defensive option and arrives with experience of wearing the armband at a major European club. The contrasting structures of the deals also give Roma immediate depth while retaining flexibility over whether to make the centre-back’s transfer permanent.

Rafael Leão completed a transfer from AC Milan to Galatasaray on Sunday for €38 million, equivalent to about $44 million. Galatasaray announced that the Portugal winger had signed a four-year contract carrying a net salary of €10 million per season. The agreement also includes a clause giving Milan 20 per cent of any profit from a future sale. Leão, 27, was Serie A’s most valuable player when he helped Milan win the title in 2021-22, but his later period at the club was affected by injuries and inconsistent form.

The move ended Leão’s time at Milan after a spell that began with a league title and individual recognition but ultimately required a fresh direction. Galatasaray have secured a player with established Serie A pedigree and a record of decisive attacking contributions, while Milan have negotiated a substantial fee and retained a future-sale interest. Leão’s recent Portugal involvement included creating Gonçalo Ramos’s stoppage-time winner against Croatia at last month’s World Cup. His four-year deal underlines Galatasaray’s intention to make him a central figure.

Santiago Giménez was reportedly close to joining Porto on loan from AC Milan for the 2026-27 season. Sports Illustrated reported that the clubs had reached a verbal agreement and that the Mexico international had travelled to Portugal on Sunday to complete the move. The proposed deal includes an €18 million buy option, worth about $20.8 million, which would become mandatory if certain performance milestones were reached. Milan signed Giménez from Feyenoord for $36 million little more than 18 months ago, making the expected departure a rapid change in his fortunes.

The proposed loan would give Giménez an opportunity to rebuild his form with the Portuguese champions after an underwhelming season-and-a-half at San Siro. Porto’s option provides a possible permanent route while protecting Milan’s ability to receive a meaningful return if the conditions are met. The striker’s reported exit followed months of speculation about his future and came as Milan collected their second win of the season with him watching from the stands. His move would leave Porto assessing whether he can rediscover the form that made him a major Mexico international.

AC Milan recorded a second successive Serie A victory by beating Venezia 2-0, according to a weekend European football roundup. The result kept Milan among the clubs with maximum points after two matches, alongside Inter, Juventus and Lazio. It followed the Rossoneri’s opening win and provided another positive result during a period of significant squad change. Milan’s weekend was also marked by the reported imminent departure of Santiago Giménez to Porto on loan and the completed transfer of former Serie A MVP Rafael Leão to Galatasaray.

The clean-sheet win gave Milan an early platform in the table while the club continued to reshape its attacking options. Leão’s exit represents a major change in the team’s attacking identity, particularly given his role in the 2021-22 title success, while Giménez’s reported loan would remove another forward from the squad. Milan therefore began the campaign perfectly on points but entered the closing phase of the transfer window with important questions around how those departures would be balanced.