Masterpiece Goals and Narrow Wins

Matchday 15 of Serie A, once again reshuffled the standings, bringing the drama and intense unpredictability of a fast-paced and gripping league. Inter took advantage of Milan and Napoli’s setbacks and moved to top spot. Roma regained their consistency and got back into the title race, while Juventus secured an important victory over Bologna. Behind them, every point proved invaluable as Torino, Lecce, and Verona secured key wins in the relegation battle, in a closely fought round that saw just one draw and nine wins decided by a single goal. However, the Serie A weekend was undeniably a display of top-level football; it was a celebration of masterpiece goals that made stadiums across Italy erupt. It began with the New Balance Arena, where Cagliari produced one of the season’s most beautiful moves: Gaetano had a moment of magic with a running backheel, Esposito finished with the outside of his foot on the first touch, closing the triangle with a pass back to his teammate, who calmly slotted it home. It was collective, fluid, and swift play, a hallmark of the Rossoblù who earned a Puskás Award nomination earlier in the year for another masterpiece team move. At San Siro, Sassuolo surprised Milan with two beautiful goals that were born out of tight combinations, quick moves into space, and flawless timing. In Udine, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp produced an incredible goal with a clinical and powerful shot from outside the box, almost from a standstill, leaving Milinković-Savić with no chance. Different goals in their execution and context, but both united by their sheer talent and quality.

Lecce vs. Pisa: Stulić finds a way through at Via del Mare

Lecce secured three incredibly valuable points thanks to Nikola Stulić’s first Serie A goal, which proved decisive in the match against the Tuscan side and brought the Salentini to 16 points, temporarily moving them away from the relegation zone. For the Giallorossi, it’s their second consecutive win at Via del Mare, something that hasn’t happened since August to September 2023, and their fifth unbeaten home game in the last six. Pisa, on the other hand, fell behind with their third league loss in a row, all without scoring; it’s a negative streak they have already experienced from August to September. Stulić became the second Serbian player to score for Lecce in Serie A, after Nenad Tomović.

Torino vs. Cremonese: Vlasić seals the return to winning ways

A first-half goal from Nikola Vlašić is all Torino needed to halt a run of seven matches without a win and rediscover joy in front of their fans. The Granata controlled the game, created chances (18 shots in total) and also withstood Cremonese’s attempts to bounce back, as Bonazzoli came close to an equaliser with an overhead-kick. Vlašić is currently in brilliant form: he has been involved in a goal for the fourth consecutive match and has scored all of his last five Serie A goals at home. The victory allowed Torino to record their sixth clean-sheet of the season in the first 15 matches, a figure that they have only previously reached twice in the three-points-for-a-win era.

Parma-Lazio: down to nine men but Noslin wins it

One of the standout matches of the round took place at the Tardini, where Lazio managed to win despite the red cards shown to Zaccagni and Bašić. When it seemed as if the game was heading toward a draw, Noslin struck the decisive blow in the 82nd minute, handing Sarri a hugely important victory, Lazio’s second away win of the league season. It is a historic feat: the last team to win a Serie A match by scoring the decisive goal while playing with nine men against eleven was AC Milan against Bologna, in 2017. Lazio have recorded three wins in their last six games, despite remaining the team with the most red cards in the competition (five). For Zaccagni, on his 221st Serie A appearance, it is the first red card of his career.

Atalanta-Cagliari: Scamacca leads the way for the Dea

Atalanta regained consistency thanks to Gianluca Scamacca’s brace, who opened and closed the scoring, giving the Nerazzurri a valuable victory. Cagliari’s temporary equaliser came from Gaetano, who scored his second consecutive goal, both of which were assisted by Sebastiano Esposito, who recorded his fourth goal involvement in as many matches. For the Dea, it is an encouraging sign: under Palladino, they have secured two wins in the last three games, as many as in the previous 13. There are positive signs of growth for Scamacca too, who has scored in three consecutive appearances across all competitions, reestablishing himself as the offensive focal point Bergamo had been waiting for.

Milan-Sassuolo: The Bartesaghi show, Laurienté chills San Siro

It was the only draw of the round, but also one of the most spectacular matches. Sassuolo struck first at San Siro through Koné, only for AC Milan to turn things around thanks to Davide Bartesaghi’s brace, marking his first two Serie A goals at just 19 years and 350 days old. The last Rossoneri defender to score twice in a single match at such a young age was Paolo Maldini in 1988. However, late in the game, Laurienté equalised for Sassuolo, reinforcing his status as a real nemesis for AC Milan, as he has scored four goals in four matches. Notable performances also include Pinamonti, who provided two assists on his Serie A debut, while Koné took his seasonal tally up to three goals.

Fiorentina-Verona: Orban wins it at the death

Verona continued their climb with a second consecutive victory, thanks to Gift Orban, who made a decisive impact with a brace after coming off the bench following Giovane’s injury. Núñez’s own goal had given Fiorentina hope, but the Nigerian striker’s final strike sunk a struggling Viola side, marking their third consecutive defeat. The stats tell a paradox: Fiorentina registered at least 20 shots in a league match for the first time, yet they continue to concede too much, becoming the team that has conceded the most goals from outside of the box when it comes to the five major European leagues (seven). Among the many positives for Verona, Al Musrati also enjoyed the satisfaction of his first goal contribution in Serie A.

Udinese-Napoli: Ekkelenkamp halts the Azzurri’s run

Udinese got back to winning ways, doing so against Napoli, who missed the chance to take top spot in the league. After having two goals ruled out, the Friuliani took the lead through Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, a true specialist against the Azzurri: he also scored from outside of the area at the Maradona last season. For Udinese, it is their first Serie A victory over Napoli since 2016, ending an 18-game winless streak against the Partenopei. Napoli, meanwhile, suffered their fourth league defeat, all of which have come away from home, and finished a match without registering a single shot on target, for the first time.

Genoa-Inter: Bisseck and Lautaro propel the Nerazzurri to the top

At the Ferraris, Inter got the job done and returned to the top of the table. Yann Bisseck opened the scoring immediately, confirming himself as the centre-back with the most goals in Serie A since his 2023/24 season debut (six). Lautaro Martínez then doubled the lead, with his third goal in as many matches. Vitinha pulled one back, but it wasn’t enough to stop Chivu’s side, who made the most of their brilliant attacking output from their defence; only Borussia Dortmund have scored more goals from defence in the top five European leagues. For Genoa, it marked their first defeat since October, ending a run of five games unbeaten.

Bologna-Juventus: Cabal decisive at the Dall’Ara

Juventus got a crucial win against Bologna. After a balanced first half, the Bianconeri struck through Juan Cabal, who headed Kenan Yildiz’s cross into the net, subsequently securing three vital points for Spalletti’s side. Yildiz continued to shine: with nine goal contributions (five goals and four assists), only Lautaro Martínez and Nico Paz have a better record this season. For Cabal, it is his second goal of the campaign after three seasons without scoring. Bologna, meanwhile, suffer their second consecutive home defeat, a first since 2021–22, and remain without a win for the third straight match.

**Roma-Como: Wesley secures a 1-0 win to boost the Giallorossi
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Roma edged past Como to return to winning ways after two consecutive defeat. The decisive moment came from Wesley, as he bagged his third goal of the season; no defender has scored more in Serie A this campaign, tied with Østigård. The numbers underline Roma’s identity: having conceded just eight goals, they remain the league’s best defence. In 2025, they have already won 13 Serie A matches 1–0 — at least five more than any other team in the top-five European leagues. Como, on the other hand, suffered their second consecutive defeat away from home without scoring.

Watch all the goals from Matchday 15, click here. (Photo LaPresse)