Serie A matchday 9 preview: Lazio at Sassuolo, Inter at Venezia, Roma v Cagliari, Milan v Bologna

Inter and Lazio are level at the top on 22 points, both unbeaten, and both go away in midweek. Lazio open the round on Tuesday evening at Sassuolo, and Inter play on Wednesday at Venezia, who are bottom. AS Roma and AC Milan, four points behind and also unbeaten, are both at home: Roma to Cagliari on Tuesday, Milan to Bologna on Wednesday.

Tuesday

Sassuolo v Lazio (17:30 UTC, Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore). Sassuolo, 14th on eight points, lost 2–0 at Como without a shot on target. Lazio beat Parma 2–1 and have conceded five, the fewest in the league. Sky Sport Italia listed Gudmundsson as out with a dislocated shoulder, with a return possible by the first half of November, and Rovella as due back between the end of October and early November. Lazio won 2–1 at home in March; Sassuolo won 1–0 here in September 2025, and Lazio 2–0 here in October 2023.

AS Roma v Cagliari (19:45 UTC, Stadio Olimpico). Roma drew 3–3 at Napoli after trailing 2–0, and are third on goal difference. Sky Sport Italia reports that Paulo Dybala should be available after tests on his right calf cleared him. Tuttosport reported last week that Lorenzo Pellegrini will be out for about two months with a hamstring injury. Cagliari, ninth on 13, lost 2–0 at home to Bologna and have scored six, joint second-fewest. Roma won 2–0 here in February, Cagliari 1–0 at home in December 2025, and Roma 1–0 here in March 2025.

Torino v Como (19:45 UTC, Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino). Torino, eighth on 13, beat Monza 3–2 for a third straight win. Como, fifth on 17, beat Sassuolo 2–0 with two goals from Anastasios Douvikas. Como have won the last three meetings: 6–0 at home in January, 5–1 here in November 2025 and 1–0 at home in April 2025; Torino won 1–0 here in October 2024.

Wednesday

AC Milan v Bologna (17:30 UTC, San Siro). Milan won 2–0 at Udinese with goals from Christian Pulisic and Omari Hutchinson and have five wins and three draws. Sky Sport Italia lists Gabbia and Saelemaekers as out until 2027. Bologna, 13th on eight, won 2–0 at Cagliari; Sky lists Orsolini as out until the second half of November. Milan won 3–0 in Bologna in February and 1–0 here in September 2025; Bologna beat Milan 1–0 in the Coppa Italia in May 2025.

Parma v Udinese (17:30 UTC, Ennio Tardini). Both have four points: Parma, 19th, lost 2–1 at Lazio and have scored five, the fewest in the league; Udinese, 17th, lost 2–0 at home to Milan, their sixth league defeat in a row. Parma won 1–0 at Udinese in April; Udinese won 2–0 here in November 2025.

Venezia v Inter (17:30 UTC, Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo). Venezia, bottom on three, lost 1–0 at Genoa and have lost seven of eight. Davide Nicola took over on 14 October after Giovanni Stroppa was sacked, Sky Sport Italia reports. Inter beat Fiorentina 2–1 with two goals in stoppage time and have scored 23, the most in the league. Sky listed Lautaro Martínez as out until after the November international break, with John Stones aiming to return for the derby on 31 October. Inter have won the last five meetings, among them 1–0 here in January 2025 and 5–1 in the Coppa Italia in December 2025.

Genoa v Juventus (19:45 UTC, Luigi Ferraris). Genoa, 16th on seven, beat Venezia 1–0. Juventus, seventh on 14, won 2–0 at Lecce; Sky Sport Italia lists Yıldız as out until early December and Locatelli and Thuram until 2027. Genoa have not beaten Juventus in the last five meetings: Juventus won 2–0 in Turin in April and 1–0 here in August 2025, and 3–0 here in September 2024.

Monza v Napoli (19:45 UTC, Stadio Brianteo). Monza, 15th on seven, lost 3–2 at Torino; Gustavo Varela has seven league goals. Napoli, tenth on eleven, drew 3–3 with Roma, and Massimiliano Allegri was sent off at the end. Corriere dello Sport writes that his ban is automatic and that a one-match suspension, which would keep him off the bench in Monza, is expected. Sky Sport Italia listed Neres as out until at least early November. Napoli won 1–0 here in April 2025 and 2–0 at home in September 2024; Monza won 2–0 here in May 2023.

Thursday

Frosinone v Lecce (17:30 UTC, Stadio Benito Stirpe). Frosinone, sixth on 14, drew 4–4 at Atalanta, and Antonio Raimondo shares the scoring lead with seven. Lecce, twelfth on nine, lost 2–0 at home to Juventus. The last Serie A meetings were in the 2023/24 season: 1–1 here in March 2024 and a 2–1 Lecce win in December 2023.

Fiorentina v Atalanta (19:45 UTC, Stadio Artemio Franchi). Fiorentina, 18th on four, lost 2–1 at Inter after leading until stoppage time and have conceded 19, the most in the league. Atalanta, eleventh on ten, drew 4–4 with Frosinone; Sky Sport Italia lists Kessié as out until mid-November and Kossounou until the second half of November. The sides drew 1–1 here in May; Atalanta won 2–0 at home in November 2025, and Fiorentina 1–0 here in March 2025.

The table before the round

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
1	Inter	8	+13	22
2	Lazio	8	+11	22
3	AS Roma	8	+13	18
4	AC Milan	8	+9	18
5	Como	8	+7	17
6	Frosinone	8	+4	14
7	Juventus	8	+3	14
8	Torino	8	+2	13
…
16	Genoa	8	−7	7
17	Udinese	8	−9	4
18	Fiorentina	8	−10	4
19	Parma	8	−10	4
20	Venezia	8	−11	3

Lazio play first of the leaders, on Tuesday, a day before Inter. Roma, Milan and Como are within five points of the top. Udinese, Fiorentina and Parma have four points, one more than Venezia, and Parma and Udinese meet on Wednesday.

Numbers to know

• A. Raimondo of Frosinone and Gustavo Varela of Monza lead the scorers with seven; D. Malen of Roma has six.
• Inter, Lazio, Roma and Milan are the four unbeaten sides.
• Lazio have conceded five goals, the fewest; Fiorentina 19, the most.
• Inter have scored 23; Parma five, the fewest.
• Udinese have lost their last six league matches; Venezia seven of eight.

The full round with kick-off times in your time zone is on the Serie A page.

Sources for the context: Sky Sport Italia, Sky Sport Italia, Sky Sport Italia, Corriere dello Sport, Tuttosport.