The Serie A matchday concludes today with Monday’s two fixtures, but the league’s biggest clubs are already looking ahead to their cup commitments and the next round of matches.
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Let’s look at today’s biggest stories.
🚑 Juve’s injury crisis continues! Woltemade ready
Following their draw against Cagliari, Juventus are preparing to return to Europa League action: on Thursday, the Bianconeri visit Celta Vigo, aiming to build on their brilliant European opener, a 5-0 thrashing of NEC featuring five different scorers. However, Luciano Spalletti still has a lengthy injury list to contend with: from Yildiz to Locatelli, along with Boga, Ekhator and Thuram, none will recover in time for the trip to Spain. The only player returning will be goalkeeper Neto, who missed the league match through suspension, while Zhegrova is unavailable because he is not on the UEFA squad list.
The absences pave the way for some changes, particularly in defence, where Gatti and Kelly are hoping to start. In attack, Woltemade’s situation remains to be assessed: he has already scored against NEC but is still searching for his first Serie A goal. The German failed to impress in the closing stages against Cagliari, but Spalletti could give him another opportunity in Europe, where Juventus want to continue playing a leading role.
😔 Milan, Cardinale disappointed with Amorim
Gerry Cardinale was at the Mapei Stadium for Sassuolo-Milan, reaffirming his support for the team: Sunday’s game was the sixth league match the Rossoneri owner has attended in person. However, according to Sky Sport, the 1-1 draw in Reggio Emilia reportedly fell short of his expectations.
Milan need to show signs of improvement as early as Thursday, when they face Salzburg in the Europa League following their opening defeat to Benfica. Cardinale is reportedly particularly concerned about Amorim’s attacking approach, with Gonçalo Ramos too little involved in the build-up, as well as their defensive frailties and performances at set pieces. After an extended period of work during the break, a more noticeable step forward was expected from the team: now they need to deliver.
🙅♂️ Inter turned down two English clubs for Sucic! But without a starting spot...
Zvonimir Boban’s comments have reignited the debate over the future of Petar Sucic, who has so far played less than he expected at Inter. The Dinamo Zagreb president praised the Croatian midfielder, calling him one of the best in the world in his position, and questioned whether staying in Milan would be the right move if the situation does not change. However, according to the well-known Croatian newspaper Sportke Novosti, the player is happy with his experience at Inter and is not considering leaving,
His future will depend above all on his playing time over the coming months. Newcastle and Everton had already shown interest in the Croatian, but Inter previously rejected the English clubs’ approaches. For his part, Sucic does not want to settle for a peripheral role: he aims to become a regular starter and would only consider other options if he fails to achieve that.
🔙 Napoli, it’s McTominay’s time!
After their win against Frosinone, Napoli are preparing for Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Villarreal, aiming to build on the progress shown in the league. According to Corriere dello Sport, Allegri is expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1, but could make three changes to the starting line-up: Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Matteo Politano are in contention to start after coming off the bench in the match at the Maradona.
The tactical setup remains to be finalised. McTominay could partner Lobotka in central midfield or move into an attacking midfield role, with either Lang or Neres at risk of losing their place; Gilmour, meanwhile, could line up alongside the Slovak, giving De Bruyne more freedom in attacking midfield. There are two options for Politano: play on the right of the four-man midfield, with Di Lorenzo dropping back into defence, or take a more advanced position in place of Neres.
🟥 Roma, how long a ban could Malen face?
Donyell Malen received the first red card of his career, sent off against Como for a dangerous challenge on Kaiki. The Roma striker protested over a foul he had suffered moments earlier, but the referee upheld the dismissal. As Luca Marelli explained on DAZN, the decision was correct: the speed of the challenge, the proximity of the knee and the exposed studs are enough to constitute serious foul play, even though there was no full contact.
The expected punishment is a one-match suspension: Malen will therefore miss Saturday’s clash with Genoa, but will be available again for the big match against Napoli. There are no issues, however, for Wednesday’s European fixture against Real Madrid, in which the Dutchman will be free to lead Roma’s attack.
🤔 Lazio heading to the Stadium without organised supporter groups?
The trip to face Juventus has already drawn a strong response from Lazio fans: all 1,016 seats in the lower tier of the away section at the Allianz Stadium have sold out. According to Il Tempo, tickets remain available for the upper tier, which offers another 2,099 seats. The number of Lazio supporters in Turin could therefore increase over the coming days, in contrast to the ongoing protest involving some fans at home matches at the Stadio Olimpico.
However, the position of the organised supporter groups remains unclear, as they have not yet announced whether they will follow the team on the trip. Ticket sales already confirm a significant turnout, but do not yet resolve the question of whether the organised groups will be present at the Allianz Stadium. A decision is expected in the coming days.
🎯 Fiorentina had two big names in their midfield sights
Midfield remains one of the issues Fiorentina need to address. As Corriere Fiorentino points out, the summer plans focused on the quality of Fagioli, Oulai and Atta, but the idea of relying on a technically gifted midfield must be balanced against the need for greater defensive cover and stability. Atta’s injury further complicates matters, with the player set to remain sidelined for some time.
That is why, in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, Fabio Paratici tried to act, sounding out players such as Torreira, Thorstvedt and Brozovic, after Grosso had identified Matic and Hojbjerg as two potential reinforcements. However, no deal was completed and the issue remained unresolved, carrying over from Grosso’s tenure to that of current coach Vanoli. The club must now assess how to give their midfield greater solidity.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.