⚽️🇮🇹 Napoli's return to the top of Serie A
In this week’s Italian soccer digest, we're looking at Christian Pulisic's superb form, undefeated runs from Juventus and Empoli, and much more!
🔝 Napoli top the table for first time since famous scudetto win
With a 2-0 home win over Monza on Sunday, Napoli returned to the summit of Serie A for the first time since they won their long-awaited third league title.
👊 Under coach Antonio Conte, Napoli has 13 points from six games, and lead proceedings even though they lost at Verona in their opener. Through six game weeks, only two teams in Serie A remain undefeated (more on them shortly).
🗣️ Conte noted that his side can devote more time to preparation without playing European soccer this season: "There is an advantage and a disadvantage - the advantage is that you can train the team all week, the disadvantage is that the squad is not as competitive as those that do play in Europe."
👋 Italy national team coach Luciano Spalletti - who led Napoli to title glory in 2023 - attended the game and received a warm welcome from fans.
🚙 The much-admired Mister famously drives a Fiat Panda, which had its steering wheel stolen by fans in 2021, and returned to him upon winning the scudetto. While in Naples over the weekend, Spalletti donated a custom Panda, complete with a Napoli-themed paint job and player signatures, to a local children’s hospital.
Up next for Napoli 👉 Conte’s side kick off the game week this Friday when they welcome Como to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium (12pm ET on CBS Sports). Under coach Cesc Fabregas, Como has won its last two Serie A outings.
🛑 Juventus’ record-breaking defensive start to the season
Juventus has still yet to concede a Serie A goal after its opening six matches. Not only is this a record for the Bianconeri, it is the longest start any Serie A team has had in the three-point era without conceding.
🤯 Juve is now the only team in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues that is yet to concede in league play.
🧤 Per SB Nation, goalkeepers Michele Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin have faced only nine shots in total from six games.
😲 The record is even more incredible when noting that Thiago Motta has already played eight different defenders in front of those goalkeepers.
Sunday’s 3-0 win over Genoa put Juve at the top of the table, but they were subsequently overtaken by Napoli.
Up next for Juventus 👉 Motta’s side welcome Cagliari to Turin on Sunday (6.30am ET on CBS Sports). Juve has won its last seven home games against Cagliari, conceding only two goals in the process.
🙌 Christian Pulisic’s incredible form continues
American forward Christian Pulisic set a high bar in his first Serie A season, and is clearly continuing his positive trajectory during his sophomore campaign with Milan.
⚽️ After finding the net in last Friday’s 3-0 win over Lecce, the 26-year-old now boasts five goals and two assists in all competitions for the Rossoneri this season.
🔝 He is currently Milan’s top scorer and the joint-highest scorer in the league.
🇺🇸 Unsurprisingly, Pulisic made the cut for Mauricio Pochettino’s first USMNT roster. He may feature in Poch’s first international game, against Panama in Austin, TX on October 12th.
👏 The Lecce game was also significant for Pulisic’s teammate Théo Hernández, who equaled Paolo Maldini’s record as the defender with the most goals scored for Milan in Serie A (29).
🗣️ Maldini was gracious in his response to having his record matched: “Grande Théo. The small difference is it took me 25 years and only took you 5! You’re special!”
👏 Empoli remain undefeated in Serie A
We’ve praised Juventus for their defensive fortitude already, so it’s only right that we shine a light on the only other undefeated team in the league this season: Empoli.
📈 After holding Fiorentina to a goalless draw on Sunday, Roberto D'Aversa's side occupy sixth place in Serie A, putting them just three points behind leaders Napoli.
👍 Empoli’s run has included wins over Roma and Cagliari, and an admirable draw with Juventus.
😮 The Tuscan side’s start stands in sharp contrast to last season, where they lost their opening five games and only survived with a dramatic stoppage-time goal to beat Roma on the final day of the season.
Up next for Empoli 👉 The Azzurri Empolesi face a stern test on Sunday when they travel to the Stadio Olimpico to face seventh-place Lazio (9am ET, CBS Sports and FOX Deportes). The Rome side has won its last three games against Empoli, each by a 2-0 scoreline.
🙌 ICYMI: Wild ending as Cagliari earn first win of the season
Cagliari put three points on the board for the first time this season after taking the lead three times at Parma on Monday, in a wildly entertaining affair.
😮 The hosts may have thought they secured a point when Brazilian midfielder Hernani converted an 87th minute penalty to make it 2-2. Less than a minute later, however, Roberto Piccoli’s first-time effort secured the win for the traveling side.
🫠 In the same game, Cagliari’s Razvan Marin treated us to one of the best goals of the season, with a 20-yard shot that tucked inside the upper 90.
👉 Like Empoli, Cagliari survived on the final day of last season, under Claudio Ranieri. This season, they are coached by Davide Nicola, who was at the helm of Empoli last term.
🎯 Cole Palmer puts all his penalty faith in Mario Balotelli
England midfielder Cole Palmer has scored all eleven of the penalties he has taken in his senior career, so he knows a thing or two about scoring from 12 yards. When asked to choose one player to take a penalty to save his life, he selected none other than Italian striker Mario Balotelli.
🥅 Cult hero Balotelli, who has most recently played in Turkey with Adana Demirspor, has converted 48 career penalties, while missing five (per Transfermarkt). In Serie A play, Balotelli has scored 10 spot kicks and missed three.
🥶 In other Cole Palmer-related news, Lazio’s players adopted his trademark “cold” celebration during their away win over Torino last weekend!
🗣️ You might say that Palmer’s decision to select Balotelli to take his life-or-death penalty was a ballottaggio…
💬 Calcio Conversations
With the season well underway, most Serie A coaches are having to deal with some head-scratching ballottaggi most weeks.
🤷♂️ Some what?! Ballottaggio literally means a second ballot or run-off, but in soccer terms, it refers to a selection decision that’s too close to call. It’s a common word in team news or predicted lineups in Italian newspapers and media.
🔎 Where would you see it used? If two players are vying for a starting spot, their competition for that place is described as a ballottaggio. You will often see percentages given to explain the likelihood of one getting the nod over the other. For example, “Pulisic 70% Chukwueze 30%” would suggest the latter has a smaller chance of starting.
🐺 Roma Academy product Niccolò Pisilli nets first Serie A goal
Coach Ivan Jurić has a 100% record after two Serie A games with Roma, following Sunday’s comeback 2-1 win over Venezia. The winning goal came from the head of 20-year-old Giallorossi youth product Niccolò Pisilli.
🥹 It was an emotional moment for the 20-year-old Roman native, who joined Roma at the age of eight.
👏 Il Corriere dello Sport gave Jose Mourinho his flowers, noting that the Portuguese manager had enough faith in Pisilli to give him his senior debut last year.
🗞️ The Italian newspaper also notes that Pisilli - whose father was an ATP-ranked tennis player - has a humble lifestyle: he still lives with his mother, he shuns social media, and drives a Toyota Yaris.
💪 He scored his first goal for the club under Mou in the Europa League, and played twice under Daniele De Rossi. The midfielder has been ever-present for Jurić.
🇮🇹 Pisilli is now on the radar of the Italy national team: the aforementioned head coach Luciano Spalletti has confirmed the central playmaker is in the preliminary squad for the next international window later this month, in which Italy will resume UEFA Nations League play.
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🇺🇸 Serie A sides to compete in revamped FIFA Club World Cup next summer
Inter and Juventus will be in the United States next summer, competing in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
🆕 In recent seasons, the FIFA Club World Cup has been a seven-team tournament, held in winter. In 2025, it expands to 32 teams, who will play across 12 North American venues.
🇮🇹 Inter and Juve have claimed two of UEFA’s 12 spots in the contest, by virtue of their respective UEFA four-year rankings.
👉 It will be the Bianconeri’s first time in the competition, while the Nerazzurri won the Club World Cup in 2010, following their incredible treble-winning European season.
🗓️ The tournament will begin on June 15th, 2025 through to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13th, 2025.
🏟️ In addition to Metlife Stadium, 11 other North American venues will host: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), TQL Stadium (Cincinnati), Rose Bowl Stadium (Los Angeles), Hard Rock Stadium (Miami), GEODIS Park (Nashville), Camping World Stadium (Orlando), Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Lumen Field (Seattle), and Audi Field (Washington, D.C.).
📺 This weekend on CBS Sports, Paramount+, FOX Deportes and SiriusXM
Friday, October 4th
Napoli v Como (12pm ET)
Verona v Venezia (2.45pm ET)
Saturday, October 5th
Udinese v Lecce (9am ET)
Atalanta v Genoa (12pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Inter v Torino (2.45pm ET, also on SiriusXM FC)
Sunday, October 6th
Juventus v Cagliari (6.30am ET)
Bologna v Parma (9am ET)
Lazio v Empoli (9am ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Monza v Roma (12pm ET, also on FOX Deportes)
Fiorentina v Milan (2.45pm ET, also on FOX Deportes and SiriusXM FC)
🇨🇦 Watch ALL Serie A games live on Fubo - and select games with Italian-language commentary on TLN 🇨🇦
🇺🇸 Watch select games with Spanish-language commentary on FOX Deportes and English-language commentary on SiriusXM 🇺🇸
👋 Grazie e arrivederci!
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