REGGIO EMILIA, Italy, Oct 11 : Lazio maintained their impressive start to the season with a 3-1 win over Monza on Sunday to move level on points with Serie A leaders Inter Milan, while Juventus rescued a 1-1 draw at high-flying Cagliari.
Ten-man AS Roma held on to draw 0-0 at Como and AC Milan were pegged back in a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo.
Inter moved to 16 points with Saturday's 3-0 win over Parma and Lazio joined them despite almost allowing 10-man Monza back in the game. Roma are two points behind in third, with Cagliari fourth on 13 points and Milan a further point back in fifth spot. Juventus and Como are on 11 points.
Gennaro Gattuso's Lazio took a third-minute lead at the Stadio Olimpico when Nuno Tavares rifled an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net.
Midway through the first half, Lazio doubled their advantage with Gustav Isaksen finding the far bottom corner with a first-time shot from wide in the box. Monza's comeback chances then took a hammering when they had Lorenzo Lucchesi sent off 10 minutes before the break.
Instead, Lazio appeared to switch off, and Monza pulled one back in the opening minute of the second half. Dany Mota flicked on a corner for Saba Goglichidze to head home, and for long periods the visitors had Lazio under the cosh.
Mota was twice denied by Lazio keeper Christos Mandas before Lazio regrouped and finished off Monza's challenge two minutes from time through Andrea Pinamonti's strike from the edge of the six-yard box.
"We can't afford to play like we did in the second half," Gattuso told DAZN.
"We shouldn't be trying to manage the game. We need to keep doing things the right way."
ROMA AND MILAN LOSE GROUND
Roma were without injured keeper Mile Svilar, allowing Pierluigi Gollini to make his first league appearance since joining the club in January 2025.
Gollini was in action early on, denying Nico Paz's attempted chip and at the other end Lorenzo Pellegrini's shot hit the upright in an evenly contested opening half.
It was mostly one-way traffic, however, once Roma's Donyell Malen was sent off eight minutes after the break and Como piled on the pressure in search of a winner.
Tasos Douvikas fired a shot into the side netting, and Gollini again saved from Paz as Roma hung on to earn a point in the first scoreless draw of the season in Serie A.
Milan also lost ground on the leaders after surrendering a second-half advantage at Sassuolo, although they remain unbeaten this season.
Sassuolo keeper Arijanet Muric made saves from Goncalo Ramos, Diego Moreira and Strahinja Pavlovic to keep the game goalless at the break.
Milan introduced Luka Modric from the bench at the start of the second half, and the Croatian playmaker set up the opening goal in the 63rd minute with a pass into Adrien Rabiot, who scored from a tight angle.
Sassuolo levelled five minutes later, Cas Odenthal firing past Mike Maignan through a crowded six-yard box following a corner kick.
Cagliari, who had won four of their opening five matches, appeared on course for another victory after Daniel Maldini gave them a 20th-minute lead against Juventus.
The visitors rescued a draw nine minutes from time when substitute Kerim Alajbegovic crossed to the back post for Randal Kolo Muani to score his first league goal of the season.
Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti and his Cagliari counterpart Fabio Pisacane were both shown red cards following a verbal altercation after the final whistle.