Serie A Daily Report - 2026-10-28: Lazio thrash Sassuolo to remain unbeaten at Serie A summit

Lazio beat Sassuolo 6-2 on Tuesday, October 27, to stay top of Serie A. Gennaro Gattuso’s side scored through Kenneth Taylor, Gustav Isaksen, Romano Floriani Mussolini, Mattia Zaccagni and Tijjani Noslin, who struck twice. Sassuolo replied through an own goal and Sebastiano Esposito, while Kristian Thorstvedt was sent off in the 31st minute. Lazio also missed two penalties, both saved by Stefano Turati, but still produced a commanding victory at the MAPEI Stadium. The result left Lazio unbeaten after nine league matches, with eight wins and 25 points, three ahead of Inter before Wednesday’s fixtures.

Gattuso nevertheless expressed concern about Lazio’s defensive performance despite the emphatic scoreline. Soccer News reported that the coach was encouraged by his players’ mentality but worried after Sassuolo managed to score twice and create moments despite playing for much of the match with 10 men. Lazio recorded 16 shots and an xG figure of 3.57, compared with Sassuolo’s 0.76 from six attempts, underlining their attacking control. Floriani Mussolini’s first Serie A goal was another notable moment, but the wider significance was Lazio’s continued ability to turn strong performances into a sustained title challenge.

Inter beat Venezia 2-0 on Wednesday, October 28, to return to the Serie A summit. The champions needed two late own goals, with Matías Moreno diverting the ball into his own net in the 80th minute before Redouane Halhal did the same two minutes later. Venezia had threatened repeatedly before the interval, while Lion Lauberbach had a goal ruled out for offside and saw another effort pushed onto the crossbar by Ivan Provedel. Inter’s victory moved them level with Lazio on 25 points, ahead of Saturday’s Milan derby, while Venezia remained bottom with three points.

The result extended Inter’s run to four consecutive wins in all competitions, but it was hardly a comfortable preparation for the derby. Cristian Chivu acknowledged that his team needed to recover both mental and physical energy after another demanding comeback, following the stoppage-time turnaround against Fiorentina at the weekend. Venezia’s pressure made Provedel one of Inter’s most important players, despite the eventual clean sheet. The late goals also illustrated the champions’ persistence, but their performance left room for improvement before they face an AC Milan side that had suffered its first league defeat of the season earlier in the evening.

Bologna beat AC Milan 4-2 at San Siro on Wednesday, October 28, ending the Rossoneri’s unbeaten Serie A start under Ruben Amorim. Samuel Mbangula opened the scoring in the eighth minute and completed his hat-trick after the interval, while Davide Bartesaghi’s own goal was Bologna’s other decisive contribution. Alphadjo Cisse’s first-half brace had turned the game around and put Milan 2-1 ahead at half-time, but Bologna scored three times after the break to claim a second successive victory. Milan fell to fifth place on 18 points, seven behind the leaders, before Saturday’s derby against Inter.

Amorim said Milan had looked tired from the first minute and admitted the team lacked energy, although he refused to treat the absences affecting his squad as an excuse. The defeat exposed a sharp second-half decline after Milan had appeared in control at the interval, with Bologna responding forcefully and exploiting defensive uncertainty. Mbangula’s three goals made him the defining figure of the match, while Milan must now address their concentration and physical drop-off immediately. The timing makes the result especially significant: Inter will arrive for the derby level with Lazio at the summit, while Milan enter it under pressure.

Genoa beat Juventus 2-0 at the Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday, October 28, dealing another blow to Luciano Spalletti’s side. Kingsley Ehizibue gave Genoa the lead inside 12 minutes after his shot deflected off Andrea Cambiaso, before Tommaso Baldanzi doubled the advantage on 28 minutes. Juventus controlled 63 per cent of possession and finished with 17 attempts, but only four were on target against a disciplined Genoa defence. Teun Koopmeiners struck the underside of the crossbar in stoppage time, yet Juventus could not find a response and remained eighth in Serie A with 14 points.

Spalletti said Juventus had “lost duels all over the place” and apologised to the supporters for a performance he felt lacked fight and willingness to compete for the ball. The defeat was particularly damaging because Genoa had scored only six goals all season before the match, according to the reaction report. Juventus’ possession failed to produce the cutting edge required to break down their opponents, while early defensive errors left them chasing the game. Pressure on Spalletti increased after the loss, with the team’s inability to impose itself against a struggling opponent becoming the central concern.

Roma beat Cagliari 4-2 at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, October 27, scoring twice in the final six minutes. Rodrigo Mora and Donyell Malen, both second-half substitutes, supplied the late goals that settled a match which had repeatedly changed direction. The victory preserved Roma’s unbeaten domestic league run and moved Gian Piero Gasperini’s side into third place in Serie A. Cagliari had remained competitive deep into the contest, but Roma’s late attacking surge secured a result that followed their 4-0 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava.

The performance gave Roma another example of their ability to finish strongly in a contest that had become increasingly open. Mora and Malen’s impact from the bench also underlined the value of Gasperini’s in-game changes, with the substitutes providing the decisive quality when the match was still in the balance. Roma’s unbeaten league record kept them in the title picture behind Lazio and Inter, while the six-goal contest exposed the volatility of the evening rather than a routine home victory. Their next challenge will be maintaining that momentum as the leading group begins to separate from the chasing pack.

Christian Pulisic is reportedly set to sign a new AC Milan contract through 2031. Goal reported that the proposed extension would add four years to the 28-year-old’s deal, which is due to expire next summer. The agreement has not been presented as official in the report, but it would keep one of Milan’s most prominent players at the club for the remainder of his prime. Pulisic’s future had attracted attention as his existing contract approached its final season, with questions over whether the American forward would remain part of Milan’s long-term plans.

A new agreement would signal that Milan regard Pulisic as central to their rebuild under Amorim, while giving the player a settled future during the next World Cup cycle. Goal also highlighted the wider commercial and sporting importance for American football, given Pulisic’s status as the United States’ leading star and Milan’s global profile. The timing follows a difficult night for the club, whose 4-2 defeat by Bologna increased pressure before the derby. If completed, the extension would provide continuity even as Milan reshape a squad that has fallen seven points behind the leaders.