A damp squib? Not quite…
At first glance, the latest round of fixtures did little to alter the standings, but it has certainly set the stage for a thrilling run-in. Matchday 27 of Serie A Enilive left the balance at the top intact but cranked up the tension across every part of the table, pushing any potentially decisive breakaways to the upcoming six-pointers. Inter, fully aware of their own strength, continue to set the pace at the summit, while Napoli returned to winning ways at the death. The entertaining draw between Roma and Juventus kept the Bianconeri firmly in the Champions League race and prevented the Giallorossi from making what might have been a decisive step forward. Behind them, Como climbed up to fifth place, and Atalanta felt the effects of their Champions League exploits against Dortmund. Meanwhile, little has shifted at the foot of the table, with Torino the only side to make a significant leap forward in D’Aversa’s first match in charge.
Beyond the tensions in the table, the weekend also served up goals of the highest quality: Michael Folorunsho’s thunderbolt to open the matchday, Federico Dimarco’s superb volley with the outside of his boot, Francisco Conceição’s long-range masterpiece, and Jens Odgaard’s finish struck as sweetly as a golf shot.
At the Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma and Cagliari played out a relegation six-pointer that remained deadlocked for long spells before being lit up by a moment of brilliance. Michael Folorunsho’s long-range rocket – hardly a surprise, considering four of his seven Serie A goals have come from outside the box – fired Cagliari in front. However, in the 83rd minute, Gaetano Oristanio restored parity for Parma, sealing a 1-1 draw and extending the Emilians’ unbeaten run to four matches, their best sequence under Carlos Cuesta. The Sardinians, who have been involved in back-to-back draws, once again showed a degree of fragility in the closing stages: they’ve conceded ten goals conceded in the final 15 minutes of matches. At the final whistle, the Rossoblù and the Ducali had to settle for a point apiece – enough to keep both sides at a safe distance from the drop zone.
Como continue to surprise, keeping their points tally ticking over as they swept Lecce aside with three goals. Trailing after a quarter of an hour following Coulibaly’s finish – all three of his league goals this season have come inside the opening 20 minutes – Fàbregas’ men responded with character and quality, turning the game around before half-time. Indeed, they found the net three times in the first half, something Como hadn’t achieved in Serie A since 1987. Tasos Douvikas moved level with Nico Paz on nine goals as the club’s top foreign scorer in a single Serie A campaign, while Jesús Rodríguez – the youngest player with at least eight direct goal involvements (one goal and seven assists) – opened his account in the Italian top flight. Marc Oliver Kempf, meanwhile, netted his fourth goal of the season, a new personal best across Europe’s top five leagues. It was a victory that lifts Como into fifth place and firmly underlines their growing credentials in the race for Europe.
At the Bentegodi, the match between Hellas Verona and Napoli got off to a lightning-fast start, with Højlund heading in after just 1’46” to score the Partenopei’s quickest league goal of the season. Hellas Verona stayed calm and equalised through Akpa Akpro, who netted his first Gialloblù goal. But just when a draw looked certain, Napoli’s class told: at 95’11”, Romelu Lukaku scored the Partenopei’s latest goal of the season, ending a personal 281-day drought – his longest spell without a goal across the top five European leagues. For Conte, it was a welcome return to winning ways that puts the Azzurri back on track; for Verona, it was their eighth defeat of 2026 – more than any other team in Europe’s top five divisions – and their third in a row.
Inter delivered yet another display of solidity and quality, claiming their eighth consecutive league win with a victory over Genoa. The breakthrough came courtesy of a technical masterpiece from Dimarco, who fired home with a first-time left-footed volley to score his sixth goal of the season – a new personal best in Serie A. Çalhanoglu wrapped up the scoring from the penalty spot; since his arrival at the Nerazzurri, no one has converted more penalties in the league (21). The numbers underline a dominant force: 22 wins in total – more than any other side in Europe’s top five leagues – and 15 clean sheets, another continental record.
With the derby on the horizon, AC Milan responded to their city rivals with a late one-two in Cremona that mattered both for morale and the table. At the Zini, Strahinja Pavlovic broke the deadlock in the 89th minute – his third goal of the season, already surpassing his tally last season – before Rafael Leão finished off Nkunku’s assist on the counter in the 94th minute. The Rossoneri also registered the highest Expected Goals of their campaign and underlined their strength on the road: they’ve won seven of their last nine away games and are one of two sides still unbeaten on their travels across the top five European leagues, alongside Bayern Munich. Cremonese, meanwhile, remain mired at the bottom: they’ve picked up just four points from their last 13 matches and have failed to score in eleven games over the same period.
Sassuolo’s victory over Atalanta carries double significance. Reduced to ten men after just 16 minutes following Pinamonti’s red card, Grosso’s men pulled off a remarkable display of character, taking a two-goal lead through Koné and Thorstvedt. Laurienté once again proved his creative edge, registering more than one assist for the second consecutive match and taking his season tally to seven (only Dimarco has done better). Three of Laurienté’s assists have come from corners, again second only to Inter’s wing-back. It was Sassuolo’s third consecutive win – a feat they had yet to achieve this season. Musah’s first goal for Atalanta couldn’t prevent defeat, as the rigours of European football caught up with them.
New era, fresh impetus. Roberto D’Aversa made a winning start as Torino coach, guiding the Granata past Lazio thanks to goals from Simeone and Duván Zapata. For the Colombian, it was his 126th Serie A goal, earning him 50th place outright in the competition’s all-time scoring charts. Torino are turning the Grande Torino into a fortress again: they’ve recorded two wins in their last three home games, as many as in the previous eight. Lazio, by contrast, are faltering: they’ve suffered two defeats in their last three matches and gone three consecutive games without scoring.
All eyes were on the Olimpico as Roma and Juventus went at each other hammer and tongs, producing a 3-3 thriller full of quality, pride, and twists. The hosts, who took the lead through Wesley in the 39th minute, looked set to pull clear in the race for a Champions League spot, but Federico Gatti, who had just come on, scored in second-half stoppage time to secure a draw that keeps the standings wide open. In between, there was Boga’s first goal for Juventus, Ndicka’s second consecutive strike, Conceição’s long-range masterpiece, and the blistering runs of Malen, who is now one of the most prolific players in Europe’s top five leagues since his Serie A debut, with six goals to his name. Roma, rock-solid for months, conceded three goals in a single match for the first time this season. Juventus, meanwhile, proved their credentials in clashes against their closest rivals. The Bianconeri have picked up eleven points from matches against the top five sides – a record matched only by Napoli and AC Milan.
Bologna snatched a last-gasp win at Pisa thanks to Jens Odgaard’s fantastic finish in stoppage time. Four of the Dane’s five goals this season have come away from home. The Rossoblù notched their fifth consecutive victory in all competitions and a fourth successive clean sheet, a first under Vincenzo Italiano. Pisa are now without a win in 16 games, despite a spirited display that saw them repeatedly thwarted by an in-form Skorupski in the Bologna goal.
At the Bluenergy Stadium, Udinese rediscovered their confidence and efficiency after three games without a win, defeating Fiorentina 3-0 with a commanding performance. Kabasele scored his third goal of the season – a personal Serie A best – Davis converted a penalty to reach eight goals (double what he scored in his first 65 appearances in Europe’s top five leagues), and Buksa wrapped up the win. For Fiorentina, it was a night to forget: they failed to register a single shot on target for the first time this season and suffered their first defeat without scoring in 2026.
