Serie A Daily Report - 2026-11-02: Milan beat Inter 3-1 to seize derby momentum

AC Milan beat Inter 3-1 in Saturday’s Milan derby at San Siro. Christian Pulisic put Milan ahead inside four minutes, and the American’s goal helped Ruben Amorim celebrate a first derby victory as the club’s head coach. The result represented a major setback for the defending champions, while Milan capped a difficult week with a statement win against their city rivals. The victory also strengthened the sense that Amorim’s side are improving quickly under his leadership, having arrived at the fixture with considerable attention on their form and direction.

Pulisic’s performance carried additional significance because Milan announced a new contract for him through 2031 less than 24 hours before the derby. According to FOX Sports, the forward had scored 45 goals for the club since arriving in 2023, and his latest effort gave Milan an ideal start in the biggest fixture of the weekend. Inter’s defeat allowed Lazio to move clear at the summit, while Milan’s success put pressure on the champions and offered Amorim evidence that his tactical approach can deliver in high-stakes matches. The derby win now gives Milan an important platform for the next phase of the campaign.

Lazio moved three points clear at the top of Serie A by beating Cagliari 2-1 on Sunday. Andrea Pinamonti scored the late winner, allowing Gennaro Gattuso’s side to take full advantage of Inter’s defeat to Milan in the derby. The result extended Lazio’s remarkable rise under Gattuso and placed them at the summit after a weekend in which several leading clubs strengthened their claims. Cagliari pushed Lazio hard at the Stadio Olimpico, but the hosts held on to claim a result that gave their title challenge greater substance.

The victory was particularly significant because Lazio had been viewed as an unexpected contender rather than an established force at the start of the season. The Indian Express described their resurgence as part of a wider Serie A campaign filled with goals and drama, while the late goal against Cagliari showed the side’s ability to find a decisive moment under pressure. Lazio now lead the league by three points, with Milan’s derby success having removed Inter from the top position. The coming fixtures will test whether Gattuso’s team can maintain that advantage and remain in the title conversation.

Juventus beat 10-man Napoli 2-0 on Sunday to climb to seventh in Serie A. Kerim Alajbegovic broke the deadlock with a powerful long-range strike in the 70th minute, before Jeremie Boga sealed the victory late after Napoli defender Luca Marianucci was sent off. The match was goalless at half-time, with both goalkeepers making important interventions, but Juventus took control after the interval. Napoli had started brightly and created early opportunities, yet the defeat deepened the pressure surrounding Massimiliano Allegri’s team after another disappointing performance.

Luciano Spalletti said the credit belonged to the Juventus players, who he felt had recovered their desire and self-belief after a difficult result against Genoa. The victory lifted Juventus from their recent uncertainty and gave Alajbegovic a prominent moment in a fixture that had remained finely balanced for much of the afternoon. Napoli, meanwhile, were left facing a worsening league campaign, with Allegri’s position already under scrutiny according to reports. Juventus will hope the result becomes a turning point, while Napoli must quickly address both their form and their ability to stay competitive in demanding matches.

Fiorentina ended a 52-day winless run by beating Sassuolo 4-2 at the Mapei Stadium on Monday. Armand Laurienté scored twice for the hosts, but Franco Mastantuono struck in the 79th minute to put Fiorentina ahead before Víctor Valdepeñas added his first goal for the club in stoppage time. The result ended a sequence of three consecutive defeats and lifted Fiorentina from the immediate danger around the relegation places. Sassuolo had taken the lead through Laurienté after Sebastiano Esposito’s counter-attacking pass, but Fiorentina recovered in a match that opened up after the interval.

Mastantuono’s decisive contribution was the clearest sign of Fiorentina’s attacking resilience, although the victory also exposed the defensive problems that had affected both teams before kick-off. Fiorentina had been hovering just above the relegation zone after a draw with Atalanta, while Sassuolo entered the game after a heavy defeat by Lazio. The win gives Fiorentina breathing space and a platform to rebuild confidence, while Sassuolo suffered a fourth straight defeat and remained 17th on goal difference. Both sides now face continued pressure to improve at the back.

Parma beat Atalanta 3-0 away on Monday to record their first Serie A victory on the road this season. Giovanni Fabbian headed the visitors in front before Davide Zappacosta’s own goal doubled Parma’s advantage shortly after half-time, and Simone Lontani completed the scoring. Atalanta had started positively, with Nikola Krstovic seeing an early effort ruled out for offside and Charles De Ketelaere going close, but Parma grew into the contest and punished the hosts before the interval. The result moved Parma out of the relegation zone.

Atalanta’s failure to convert their early pressure extended a poor run and left them without a win in four matches. Their frustration increased when Giovanni Daffara denied Nicola Zalewski in first-half stoppage time, preserving Parma’s lead before the visitors added twice after the break. Parma’s clean sheet made the result even more valuable in a relegation battle, particularly against a team that had dominated the early stages. The win also gave Fabio Pecchia’s side a lift after a sequence of difficult results, while Atalanta must recover quickly from a heavy home defeat.

Udinese parted company with head coach Kosta Runjaic on Monday after a 5-2 home defeat by Roma. The German coach’s dismissal followed a difficult opening to the Serie A season, with Udinese collecting five points from their first 10 matches and sitting 19th in the table. The club thanked Runjaic for a spell it described as being marked by significant successes, bringing an end to his tenure after more than two years in charge. His departure made Udinese the latest club to respond to a damaging run before the campaign reached its halfway point.

Runjaic had joined Udinese from Legia Warsaw in 2024 and led the club into the top half of the table for the first time in more than a decade. The immediate priority is to appoint a successor capable of stabilising a side that has struggled to turn performances into points. Paolo Zanetti, who has previously coached Verona, Empoli and Venezia in Serie A, was being touted as a possible replacement. Udinese’s next managerial decision will therefore shape their attempt to escape the relegation places and protect their long-standing top-flight status.