Serie A Daily Report - 2026-11-01: Lazio move three points clear after late Cagliari comeback

Lazio beat Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday to move three points clear at the top of Serie A. The visitors took the lead in the 20th minute when M'Bala Nzola finished after Alieu Fadera kept the move alive on the flank. Gustav Isaksen equalised with a curling strike in the 36th minute before Andrea Pinamonti completed the turnaround with an 83rd-minute header from close range. Adam Obert was sent off for Cagliari in stoppage time, as Lazio secured their ninth victory in 10 matches and reached 28 points.

The result allowed Lazio to capitalise on Inter Milan's 3-1 defeat to city rivals AC Milan on Saturday, opening a three-point gap at the summit after 10 rounds. Gennaro Gattuso's side had to recover from an early setback but eventually found the decisive moment late in the match. Cagliari remained 11th on 13 points, while their late dismissal added to the frustration of a match in which they had briefly threatened to produce a significant away result. Lazio's strong opening has now become the defining feature of the early title race.

AC Milan beat Inter Milan 3-1 in Saturday's Derby della Madonnina, denying the champions the chance to maintain their position at the Serie A summit. Diego Moreira was central to Milan's victory, contributing one goal and two assists in a result that carried both local and league significance. The derby win gave Milan bragging rights at San Siro and created the opening Lazio used to move top the following day. Inter's defeat also left Roma within striking distance after their emphatic win at Udinese.

Inter coach Cristian Chivu said illness and late fitness problems had forced changes to his starting line-up shortly before kick-off. He explained that Pio was unwell and Bonny had a fever, leaving the coaching staff to improvise before the match. Chivu also acknowledged defensive lapses and a continuing concern about slow starts, although he said he was not discarding everything built by the team. Milan's victory therefore represented more than a derby success: it disrupted the champions' early control and sharpened the pressure at the top of the table.

Roma beat Udinese 5-2 away on Saturday, scoring four times before half-time in one of Serie A's most emphatic results of the weekend. Bryan Cristante opened the scoring with a 10th-minute header, Rodrigo Mora doubled the advantage in the 31st minute, and Donyell Malen added a third two minutes later. Evan Ndicka headed in the fourth before the interval, while Daniele Ghilardi completed Roma's total in stoppage time after Udinese had replied through Nicolò Zaniolo and Matteo Palma. The win moved Roma to 24 points from 10 matches, third in the table.

Gian Piero Gasperini said Roma's record of 28 goals in their opening 10 league matches reflected confidence spread throughout the squad. The coach highlighted the number of different scorers involved, an important feature of a side now applying pressure to the leading pair. Roma sit one point behind Lazio and Inter, while the margin of victory further underlined their attacking momentum. Udinese, by contrast, remained 19th with five points, and the four-goal first-half collapse left them facing a difficult fight near the bottom of the division.

Como beat Venezia 1-0 on Sunday through Lucas Da Cunha's first-half penalty, moving to 23 points in the Serie A table. The narrow victory kept Como within two points of Inter and Lazio and maintained their push for the European places. The decisive incident was matched by controversy at the other end, where a possible Venezia penalty for a Luis Milla handball was overturned by the officials. Cesc Fabregas said the decision initially looked like a clear penalty to him, but accepted the explanation that Milla had not moved his arm and was attempting to keep it out of the way.

Fabregas described the victory as “incredibly valuable” and “a fundamental game”, stressing the difficulty of producing consistent performances with fixtures arriving quickly and little training time available. He also praised Como's defensive organisation after Venezia managed only one shot on target, while acknowledging that the hosts had benefited from the VAR decision. The result gave Como another important win during a demanding period, with a Champions League trip to Lens and a meeting with Inter next on the schedule according to the coach's post-match comments.

Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 on Sunday, responding to their midweek defeat at Genoa with two outstanding late strikes. Kerim Alajbegovic opened the scoring with a long-range effort that went in off the post, before Jeremie Boga curled a second into the bottom-right corner. Napoli were reduced to 10 men when Luca Marianucci received a second yellow card, adding to the difficulty of their attempt to recover. The result gave Juventus a much-needed home victory after a poor run, while Napoli left Turin without finding a response to the hosts' late quality.

Luciano Spalletti said his players “deserve all the credit” for the win and urged supporters to remain alongside the team. Juventus had entered the match under pressure after losing 2-0 to Genoa, with the coach facing criticism and the squad struggling for consistency. Spalletti's call for clearer thinking and greater decisiveness was reflected in a more effective finish after the break. The victory does not erase the uneven start, but it gives Juventus renewed momentum and provides their manager with an important result against his former club.