Serie A has returned from the international break — one in which the Italian national team scored ten goals across two games – with the same mix of the magical and mundane that has characterised the season so far.
And so, with the league back in full swing, here’s a quick sweep through the highs and lows of Matchday 3.
Spectacular Adzic winner gives The Old Lady victory over Nerazzurri
Juventus edged Inter Milan 4-3 in a wonderful Derby d’Italia, with brothers Marcus and Khephren Thuram both on the scoresheet for their respective teams.
Lloyd Kelly’s first Serie A goal and Kenan Yildiz’s strike twice put Juventus ahead, but Hakan Calhanoglu hit back with two superb equalisers. Then came Thuram time. Firstly Marcus headed Inter in front on 76 minutes, only for younger brother Khephren to nod in from a free-kick six minutes later to level the match once more.
Nineteen-year-old substitute Vasilije Adzic sealed the home win in stoppage time with a thunderous 30-yard strike, a perfect finale to a stunning contest. The win preserved Juve’s flawless start to the season, while Cristian Chivu’s Inter have now slipped to back-to-back defeats.
Modrić lights up otherwise tepid encounter
The evergreen Luka Modrić struck just after the hour mark to give AC Milan a much-needed 1-0 win over Bologna in an otherwise dire game at San Siro.
The match produced only three shots on target, all from Milan, but it was the wily Modrić who latched onto Alexis Saelemaekers’ pass and swept the ball into the bottom-left corner with his wand of a right foot.
Victory carried an added edge for the Rossoneri , who gained revenge of sorts after being beaten by the same opponents in the Coppa Italia final back in May.
Højlund finds his scoring boots to help Napoli to victory
Napoli came back from the the international break in fine scoring form, earning a 3-1 away win over Fiorentina.
Manchester United loanee Rasmus Højlund marked his Napoli debut with a fine goal. The Dane raced through, dragged fellow former Red Devil David de Gea off his line, and coolly slotted low into the corner to make it 2-0. Kevin De Bruyne had earlier opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before Sam Beukema added a third in the second-half, tapping in from close range after some slack Fiorentina defending from a Napoli corner.
Luca Ranieri gave La Viola a lifeline with a 79th-minute goal, but despite sustained pressure, Napoli goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić stood firm to preserve the champions’ perfect start.
If Højlund continues in this form, the obligation for his loan from Manchester United to become permanent will feel less like a duty and more a no-brainer.
What happened elsewhere?
Atalanta cruised to a 4-1 win over Lecce, while Cagliari defeated struggling Parma 2-0. Sassuolo, Udinese and Torino all earned 1-0 victories, while Monday’s matches ended in draws: 1-1 between Como and Genoa, and a stalemate between Verona and early surprise package Cremonese.
Serie A Matchday 3 results
( ) = League position
- (8) Cagliari 2–0 Parma (19)
- (2) Juventus 4–3 Inter Milan (11)
- (16) Fiorentina 1–3 Napoli (1)
- (5) AC Milan 1–0 Bologna (13)
- (14) Sassuolo 1–0 Lazio(12)
- (18) Pisa 0–1 Udinese (4)
- (7) Atalanta 4–1 Lecce (20)
- (6) Roma 0–1 Torino (10)
- (9) Como 1–1 Genoa (15)
- (17) Verona 0–0 Cremonese (3)
