Serie A 2026/27 Matchweek 8 Recap: Gattuso's Lazio Top the Table, Lecce vs Juventus 0-2

Lecce vs Juventus: Douglas Luiz scores Juventus's second goal at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Lazio Beat Parma, Then Hit Six at Sassuolo

Against Parma, Kenneth Taylor opened the scoring on 50 minutes and a Diego Carlos own goal made it 2-0 eight minutes later. Simone Lontani pulled one back in stoppage time, but Lazio held on. At Sassuolo there was no holding on needed. Taylor scored inside two minutes, Tijjani Noslin added two in the second half, and Gustav Isaksen, Romano Floriani Mussolini and Mattia Zaccagni joined the party. Sassuolo's Kristian Thorstvedt scored and then got sent off, which is a busy night for anyone.

Gattuso arrived in the summer after his time with Italy ended badly, and plenty of people laughed. Nobody in Rome is laughing at him now. Well, Roma fans maybe, but quietly.

Lecce vs Juventus 0-2: Douglas Luiz Finally Shows Up

After the 3-0 home beating by Lazio last weekend, Juventus needed a win, and they got one at Lecce on Sunday. Douglas Luiz won a free-kick in midfield and clipped a long ball over the defence for Weston McKennie to score on 29 minutes. Then Luiz swept in his first goal for Juve from distance before halftime. 2-0, clean sheet, and for once nobody was yelling at the TV in my living room.

Lecce had chances early, with Konan N'Dri going close inside the first minute, and Guglielmo Vicario had to make a few saves in the second half. Kialonda Gaspar was sent off late for dissent. Kerim Alajbegović came on for McKennie in the 90th minute, so the Bosnian kid got a couple of touches and the win.

Midweek was more stress. On Thursday in Turin, Juve drew 2-2 with Rennes in the Europa League. Zeki Çelik scored after five minutes, Rennes turned it around with Mousa Al-Tamari and a Boulaye Dia penalty, and Nick Woltemade levelled from the spot. Juventus sit 7th with 14 points, four behind the top four. Luciano Spalletti needed this win more than anybody. A clean sheet buys a coach a quiet week. One week.

Serie A Title Race: Inter's Late Comeback, Roma Draw in Naples

Inter Milan kept pace with a wild 2-1 comeback against Fiorentina on Sunday. Alex Jimenez put Fiorentina ahead with a 30-yard rocket, then Marcus Thuram equalised in the 90th minute and Piotr Zielinski won it with a penalty about five minutes later. Cristian Chivu said the "injustices" made his team stronger. Inter, the champions, play at Venezia on Wednesday and can cut Lazio's lead back to zero.

Roma came from behind twice to draw 3-3 at Napoli on Saturday. Napoli led 2-0 and then 3-2, with Scott McTominay scoring twice, but Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi brought Roma back, and Balerdi headed the equaliser on 89 minutes. Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma are 3rd with 18 points. AC Milan won 2-0 at Udinese and are level with Roma.

So that's Serie A this week. Lazio are top, Inter can catch them at Venezia, and Roma and Milan sit level on 18. Juventus are 7th, four points off the top four, with Genoa and Napoli next. Two more wins and this table looks very different. Two more losses, and Spalletti's quiet week is over.

Verdicts

• Juventus: Good win, good reaction. But 7th is still 7th, and Juve fans don't frame 7th.
• Lazio: Top of the table with Gattuso shouting on the sideline. This is the best story in Italy right now.
• Inter: Thirteen points won from losing positions. Either that's character, or it's a bad habit of falling behind.

Up next: Juventus at Genoa, then Napoli at home and AZ Alkmaar away in the Europa League. Inter at Venezia.