Serie A Daily Report - 2026-10-31: Milan defeat Inter 3-1 in derby as Pulisic signs new deal

AC Milan beat Inter 3-1 at San Siro on Saturday, with Christian Pulisic scoring inside four minutes to mark his new contract. The United States international struck his fourth goal in the Milan derby, while Adrien Rabiot also scored for Milan before Alessandro Bastoni pulled one back for Inter. Diego Moreira restored the Rossoneri’s advantage with a direct free-kick before half-time. The result ended Inter’s unbeaten start to the Serie A season and represented Milan’s fourth successive derby victory, giving the city rivals a major lift after their previous league defeat by Bologna.

Pulisic signed a five-year contract extension on Friday, keeping him at Milan until 2031, and immediately underlined his importance in the biggest fixture of the domestic calendar. He said the three points were important but that Milan needed to find consistency beyond major matches. Inter had 57 per cent of possession and 19 shots, yet Mike Maignan made seven saves and Milan were more clinical. Cristian Chivu’s side also had a penalty overturned following a VAR review, leaving the defending champions off the top of the table after their first league loss.

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Roma beat Udinese 5-2 away on Saturday, moving to third in Serie A with 24 points. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side produced a ruthless first half, with Bryan Cristante heading in after 10 minutes before Rodrigo Mora, Donyell Malen and Evan Ndicka made it 4-0 by the 38th minute. Roma also struck the woodwork twice during a dominant opening period, while Udinese’s supporters jeered the home side as the contest slipped away. The victory left Roma one point behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio after the tenth round of matches.

Udinese improved after the interval, with Nicolo Zaniolo scoring against his former club and Matteo Palma reducing the deficit further. Daniele Ghilardi’s stoppage-time goal removed any prospect of a dramatic comeback and completed a result that strengthened Roma’s title credentials. The scale of the victory also highlighted the pressure on Kosta Runjaic, whose side suffered a seventh defeat in eight league matches. Runjaic described the night as a dark evening and acknowledged that Udinese had defended too easily, while the club remained second from bottom on five points.

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Lazio had taken 25 points from their first nine Serie A matches under Gennaro Gattuso, yet their home fixtures were being played in front of largely empty stands. Supporters were boycotting the club because of an ongoing dispute with owner Claudio Lotito, creating an unusual contrast between a flying team and a deserted Stadio Olimpico. Season-ticket renewals had reportedly fallen from 30,000 to fewer than 4,500, leaving the 70,000-capacity stadium nearly vacant for home matches despite Lazio sitting joint top with Inter.

The atmosphere has made Lazio’s strong start one of the league’s most striking stories. Attendance for the September meeting with Milan was less than half the previous season’s figure, and many of those present reportedly cheered the visitors. Gattuso’s results have therefore come against a backdrop of open hostility between the fanbase and ownership rather than unified momentum. With the club competing at the top of Serie A, the boycott raises questions about how long sporting success can coexist with such a deep breakdown in the relationship between Lazio and their supporters.

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Bologna beat Monza 2-1 at Renato Dall’Ara on Saturday, recovering from Gustavo Varela’s early penalty to claim a third consecutive Serie A victory. Varela converted after Arthur Theate conceded the spot-kick, but Tommaso Pobega levelled before Federico Bernardeschi completed Bologna’s comeback. The result moved Bologna up to eighth and delivered their first home league win since April. Lukasz Skorupski then became decisive at the other end, saving a late penalty from Patrick Cutrone to preserve the points.

The victory extended Bologna’s revival under Raffaele Palladino after away wins at Cagliari and Milan. Their improvement was particularly notable because the team had begun the day without a home win in the league, while Monza had lost three of their previous four matches. Varela’s goal was his ninth of the season and kept him at the top of the scoring charts, but Monza left empty-handed after failing to protect an early advantage. Skorupski’s late save gave Bologna a result that combined attacking resilience with a crucial defensive intervention.

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AC Milan and Inter announced plans for a new shared 71,500-seat stadium to be called the Generali Stadium from 2031, replacing San Siro. Generali agreed to pay about €650 million for naming rights through to 2052, a deal described as one of the most lucrative such agreements in sporting history. The clubs revealed the stadium design on Thursday, with the naming arrangement forming a central part of the commercial plan for the arena they intend to share.

The agreement would give both Serie A giants a major long-term revenue stream while attaching a corporate identity to the successor of one of football’s most recognisable grounds. Naming-rights income has helped finance modern stadium projects elsewhere in Europe, although several English clubs have struggled to sell similar rights. For Milan and Inter, the proposed move represents a significant shift from the historic San Siro while offering a substantial commercial foundation for their planned home from 2031 onwards.

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Luciano Spalletti said Juventus needed to do something different after their 2-0 defeat by Genoa on Wednesday, ahead of Sunday’s home match against Napoli. Juventus had slipped to ninth after taking four wins, two draws and three defeats from their first nine league games. The manager’s pre-match comments came during a difficult spell in which the team had also been affected by the absences of Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Francisco Conceicao and Nico Gonzalez, according to the report.

Spalletti said he had experienced challenging periods before and suggested that the latest setback would not be his last difficult moment in football. Juventus were seeking a response against Napoli after a week that had further increased scrutiny of their start. The fixture carried added importance because both clubs were trying to improve their league positions, while Juventus needed a stronger performance to prevent the Genoa defeat from becoming part of a longer downturn under their new head coach.

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