The Wait Is Over: Your Guide to Serie A Enilive Matchday 1
The wait is almost over: this weekend, Serie A 2026/27 will officially get underway.
After a summer filled with the World Cup across the Atlantic and the long build-up to the new season, it is time to turn our attention back to Italian football. Following a particularly lively summer transfer window, packed with moves of all kinds, the 20 teams in Italy’s top flight are ready for Matchday 1.
It’s a little like the first day of school; the nerves of wanting to make a good start, the curiosity of discovering what this new chapter has in store, and the excitement of competing with those alongside you.
There are those who finished with the ‘best grades’ just a few months ago – Inter – and now want to keep that momentum going in pursuit of back-to-back titles; there are the main challengers, sporting new looks and looking to build on their foundations; then there are those who want to surprise, and those who, through consistency and hard work, have the confidence needed to challenge the top.
This is Serie A: every mistake comes at a cost, while a strong start can open the road to success.
Four matches on both Saturday and Sunday, followed by two fixtures on Monday evening to keep the buzz going. Evening kick-offs will help ensure the spectacle is not dampened by the summer heat. August matches come with players still building up their fitness and the transfer window still creating uncertainty, but the points are worth exactly the same. The doors to Serie A are wide open: it’s time to start the party.
INTER vs MONZA (SATURDAY, 18:30 CEST)
The reigning Italian champions will get the season underway against newly promoted Monza. The Brianzoli have changed manager, appointing Ivan Jurić after Paolo Bianco's successful campaign. For Chivu, who won the title in his first season in charge of the Nerazzurri, comes the responsibility of starting the campaign as favourites. Retaining the title will not be easy, but pre-season showcased an evolved Inter that has built on its previous success. Lautaro and Thuram should both return for the opener, while Pio Esposito and Bonny are pushing for a place after impressive showings in the friendlies. It remains to be seen whether former Manchester City defender Stones will feature immediately in defence, but Chivu has plenty of options when it comes to selecting his starting XI and choosing between different formations.
Monza, meanwhile, are looking for a major upset. In the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa, they recorded a convincing win over Avellino: a 3-0 victory that featured a brace from new signing Varela and a goal from Forson, with Patrick Cutrone – who provided two assists – in impressive form. The former AC Milan striker will be dreaming of the perfect night at his old stadium.
UDINESE vs COMO (SATURDAY, 18:30 CEST)
At the same time as the match at the Giuseppe Meazza, Udinese and Como will face off at the Bluenergy Stadium. Runjaić's side have already opened their competitive campaign with a 1-0 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa victory over Padova. Davis, who scored the winning goal, was the standout performer and looks set to once again lead the line in attack, alongside Nicolò Zaniolo, who has stayed in Udine and will hope to finally fulfil his potential.
Fàbregas' Como have enjoyed an international flavour to their summer, getting a taste of their upcoming Champions League experience in friendlies against Arsenal and Liverpool. They therefore head into the new season with an openly stated desire to raise the bar and establish themselves as a regular presence towards the top end of the table. Saturday's game promises to be a balanced affair: Udinese are physical and particularly formidable at home, while Como are bold and fearless.
GENOA vs NAPOLI (SATURDAY, 20:45 CEST)
The temperature is rising at Marassi ahead of the visit of Max Allegri's Napoli. The Livorno-born coach has begun his latest chapter, after finishing fifth with AC Milan last season. The Partenopei squad remains largely the same from the 2025/26 campaign, recently adding the promising profile of Favasuli. The post-Conte era is taking shape around continuity, and Napoli's depth of experience could encourage them to hit the ground running, starting at the Luigi Ferraris.
Opposite them will be a Genoa built in the image of their manager, Daniele De Rossi, who guided the Grifone to a relatively comfortable survival last season and is now looking to build on that encouraging progress. The Rossoblù beat Ascoli 4-1 in the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa last Sunday, with Tommaso Baldanzi pulling the strings in attack. Napoli still have some defensive questions to answer, but the McTominay-De Bruyne-Højlund axis offers plenty of firepower to ensure they are ready for the trip to Liguria.
PARMA vs CAGLIARI (SATURDAY, 20:45 CEST)
The feel of a relegation battle hangs over the Tardini. Both teams came through their Coppa Italia Frecciarossa fixtures successfully, and Saturday's opening-day meeting represents the first significant test on the road to developing their respective projects. It may be too early to start counting points, but direct encounters — even at the beginning of the season — can provide a useful measure of how a team is progressing.
Fabio Pisacane and Carlos Cuesta, both entering their second Serie A campaigns, have worked hard to shape their teams, although with the transfer window still open, further arrivals and departures cannot be ruled out over the final two weeks. Saturday could provide an immediate opportunity to see the new arrivals in action: Simone Lontani, who scored twice against Catania, and Argentine striker Romero for Parma, while Daniel Maldini and Fazzini could feature for Cagliari.
FROSINONE vs JUVENTUS (SUNDAY, 18:30 CEST)
Luciano Spalletti's opening match at the Benito Stirpe comes against last season's Serie B runners-up. Juventus have enjoyed a positive pre-season, highlighted by their win over Chelsea in Hong Kong, though falling to Chivu's Inter in the same tour. There have been plenty of new arrivals, with Alajbegović and Kolo Muani potentially set to start from the outset.
On paper, the gap between the two sides appears considerable, but the traps at the Stirpe are well hidden. Massimiliano Alvini will look to surprise Juventus with his team's tempo and attacking energy. In their Coppa Italia Frecciarossa meeting, a convincing win over Juve Stabia, K'vernadze stood out with a brace, while Zerbin's introduction at the start of the second half demonstrated the range of options available to Frosinone as they look to maintain a high intensity.
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VENEZIA vs LECCE (SUNDAY, 18:30 CEST)
Fresh from winning the 2025/26 Serie B title and following an impressive transfer window, Giovanni Stroppa's Venezia have returned to the top flight after just one season away. The team had to work harder than expected to beat Modena 3-2 in the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa round of 32. Nevertheless, Saturday's match highlighted the attacking potential of Akor Adams and Yeboah, a duo capable of getting the Luigi Penzo dreaming.
The Arancioneroverdi are already riding a wave of enthusiasm, something they will need to handle carefully against Lecce. The Salentini's defeat in Palermo in the cup calls for an immediate response from Di Francesco and his players. The Giallorossi are keeping a close eye on the final weeks of the transfer window, while the trip to Venice offers the perfect opportunity to bounce back and start afresh.
ATALANTA vs SASSUOLO (SUNDAY, 20:45 CEST)
Maurizio Sarri and Atalanta already face a double commitment, with the Bergamaschi involved in a two-legged play-off against Hapoel Tel Aviv for a place in the Conference League. Given rotation is an obvious priority in Bergamo, it is less easy to predict Sarri's starting XI for the Sassuolo game.
The former Lazio coach has overseen something of a tactical revolution: the switch from a back three to a back four, Sarri's trademark system, appears to have been quickly absorbed by the squad, which looked lively in recent friendly wins over Schalke 04 and Athletic Bilbao.
With a little more time to recover, Aquilani's Sassuolo – having parted ways with Fabio Grosso – want to continue on an upward trend after last season's surprise 11th-place finish. In their 3-0 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa win over Cesena, new signing Adžić got on the scoresheet, alongside young talents Lipani and Volpato. The Emilia side's youth-focused project is looking to the future and, with Berardi still struggling for full fitness, will be ready to take their chance against an Atalanta facing a congested schedule.
TORINO vs AC MILAN (SUNDAY, 20:45 CEST)
The first competitive match of Rúben Amorim's tenure comes in a historically difficult away fixture for AC Milan. The Rossoneri have been active in the transfer market, bringing in the trio of Ramos, Gila and Diego Moreira, with the aim of giving the former Manchester United boss a squad suited to his style.
Pulisic will miss the game against Torino, while Leão remains a doubt. It also remains to be seen whether Rabiot, the last player to return to Milanello following the World Cup, will be handed a spot in the starting lineup.
For Torino, the man inspiring confidence is Simeone: il Cholito scored the winner in their Coppa Italia Frecciarossa tie, while his double-digit goal tally last campaign gives the Mole plenty to look forward to this season.
The presence of Ignazio Abate – a former AC Milan favourite with more than 300 appearances for the Rossoneri as a player – on the Torino bench adds another intriguing subplot.
BOLOGNA vs LAZIO (MONDAY, 18:30 CEST)
Vincenzo Italiano's spell in Emilia has come to an end, with Domenico Tedesco coming to Bologna with a fresh approach as he looks to shape the new Rossoblù.
Up front, Bologna have said goodbye to Castro and Dallinga, with Piccoli and Dovbyk expected to battle it out in a fiercely contested race for the starting No. 9 spot from the very first game.
Neither side will have European football to contend with and, following their Coppa Italia Frecciarossa exit, Lazio will have just one competition to focus on between now and next May. The new Biancocelesti era has, it must be said, got off to an unexpected start: the home defeat to Mantova means Rino Gattuso needs to turn things around quickly.
Davide Frattesi has arrived at Formello, a key addition to strengthen the midfield and add another dimension to the team's attacking potential through his runs into the box.
ROMA vs FIORENTINA (MONDAY, 20:45 CEST)
The real blockbuster of the opening round takes place in the capital, with Roma hosting Fiorentina. Both were among the big movers in the summer transfer market and expectations are sky-high on both sides.
Eager for their return to the Champions League after years away, Gasperini's side will be looking to make a strong start in front of a passionate home crowd, which turned out in force to welcome latest signing Rodrigo Mora from Porto.
The Tuscans, meanwhile, have overhauled their squad, eager to quickly forget last season's mixed fortunes. The excitement is already sky-high after their 4-1 win over Benevento in the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa round of 32. Monday night will be an entirely different challenge, but the Fiorentina side seen during pre-season is certainly a tough opponent for anyone.
Roma vs Fiorentina is the perfect finale to an unmissable opening weekend of Serie A.