Serie A is back this weekend after quite a challenging week of European soccer for the Italian teams, as all four clubs involved in the Champions League lost. Inter, the Serie A leaders, conceded four goals and lost to Club Brugge at San Siro. AS Roma led Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid 3-1 with 10 minutes to go before conceding three goals and losing 4-3 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday.
Napoli and Como also lost, so the only Italian wins of the week came from Juventus, AC Milan and Atalanta in the Europa League and Conference League. Let's now take a closer look at what to watch for on Matchday 7: the game, the player and the story you need to know. Lazio have been the most surprising side of the Serie A season so far.
Gennaro Gattuso's team is level with Inter at the top of the standings, with 16 points from five wins and a draw in the opening six matches. However, this weekend they will visit Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. Luciano Spalletti's side hasn't had a great start to the new season, with three wins, two draws and a defeat in its opening six games, and will be looking to react on Sunday after last weekend's draw at Cagliari.
Gattuso has shown some encouraging signs following the disappointment of Italy's World Cup playoff elimination against Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier this year. Meanwhile, despite the ongoing boycott of home games by Lazio fans amid their dispute with club owner Claudio Lotito, the Biancocelesti continue to deliver consistent performances week after week. After this week's home defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League, Inter need to react immediately when they visit Bologna on Saturday.
Inter coach Cristian Chivu will be without captain Lautaro Martinez for at least three weeks after the Argentinian striker suffered a muscular injury after the Champions League game. He won't be back until after the November international break, so he will also miss the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan at San Siro on Oct. 31. Inter will now need to rely on their strikers Marcus Thuram, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito.
In particular, the French international needs to step up in this phase to cope with the absence of Lautaro Martinez. It won't be easy by any means, but he's the one who has to make it happen. It was the first time in history that all four Italian teams lost on the same Champions League matchday.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
