It’s tight at the top and at the bottom of Serie A and, for the neutrals, it could well prove to be the most exciting league in Europe to follow this season.
In May, Milan pipped city rivals Inter to be crowned champions for the first time in over a decade.
And this weekend they fully displayed the character of champs to move joint top at the summit.
Junior Messias opened the scoring after only six minutes but things became a little complicated after Rafael Leao received a second yellow card shortly after the restart.
Leao has been a key figure and Milan will miss him in next weekend’s top of the table clash.
Filip Djuricic equalised for Sampdoria against 10 men, but Olivier Giroud converted a penalty midway through the second half to seal a hard fought win.
Next opponents Napoli were terrific in the Champions League in midweek, blitzing Liverpool in an emphatic 4-1 win.
They had a very different task on their hands on Saturday against spirited Spezia.
It wasn’t all one-way either as, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia twice went close and Piotr Zielinski was denied, Spezia had their own moments, particularly when Amir Rrahmani cleared off the line from Jakub Kiwior.
The hosts’ pressure was finally rewarded when Hirving Lozano crossed from the right and debutant Giacomo Raspadori capped a day he will never forget for the Partenopei.
Napoli and Milan are level on 14 points with Atalanta who were pegged back by Cremonese as they claimed their second point of the campaign.
La Dea looked to be on course when they broke the deadlock 16 minutes from time as Merih Demiral guided a header into the back of the net following a Teun Koopmeiners free-kick.
Yet four minutes later, a Santiago Ascacibar shot was parried away and Emanuele Valeri swopped into poke the equaliser.
Atalanta’s efforts to find a winner were unsuccessful as Cremonese held strong to secure a hard-fought point.
Serie A highlights have been hard to come by for Bologna so far this season and, in the week they sacked manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, looked set for more disappointment, especially when Lucas Martinez-Quarta slid in the opener for Fiorentina.
The decision to sack Mihajlovic seems harsh after more than three years with the club during which he developed a rapport with fans that became stronger as he received treatment for leukemia.
The home support did have smiles on their faces this weekend though as, with new boss Thiago Motta in the stands and Luca Vigiani on the bench as caretaker, goals from Musa Barrow and Marko Arnautovic overturned the deficit.
They equalised when Arnautovic hooked the ball back over his head at the touchline, Barrow broke free and swept the ball past Pietro Terracciano.
That was actually the first goal Bologna have scored this season that was not from Arnautovic and, moments later, the Austrian did it again.
Denso Kasius dispossessed Martinez-Quarta and rolled the ball across the face of goal where Arnautovic was waiting.
It proved to be the winner as Bologna sealed their first victory of the season with Fiorentina reduced to 10 men deep into stoppage time.
On the day the Formula One Italian Grand Prix was being held at Monza, there was an historical moment for the city’s football club.
After 40 seasons in Serie B, not to mention some in Serie C, the club from Lombardy reached the promised land in terms of football this summer.
At home to fellow newly promoted outfit Lecce, they now have their first point in the top flight.
This was already a relegation dogfight but, while Lecce had earned two points against Empoli and Napoli, Monza had lost all five matches to date, piling pressure on coach Giovanni Stroppa.
A superb Stefano Sensi free kick had them dreaming of an elusive victory before substitute Joan Gonzalez fired Lecce back on level terms.
The goal was straight after the restart with Gonzalez turning the ball home to earn a point, although Lecce felt they were denied at least one or two definite penalties after that.
If both sides can defy the SBOTOP Serie A betting odds and stay up, they will have done it the hard way.
Although as Salernitana showed in Turin on Sunday night, it is never easy.
The ‘Old Lady’ of Turin hosts were stunned as the visitors took a 2-0 half-time lead and were still in front going into the final minute of normal time.
Then Leonardo Bonucci managed to convert a rebound after his initial penalty was saved before Arek Milik guided home a 94th minute header to send multiple champions Juventus into raptures and Salernitana into despair – momentarily.
It sparked a brawl and a second yellow card for Milik and it took some time before the official could view VAR to rule out the goal.
A player from each side duly saw red in the aftermath – Juan Cuadrado and Federico Fazio – even home manager Max Allergi was dismissed as all discipline was lost.
It capped quite an evening as the contest finished in bedlam, but no-one could argue Salernitana deserved their point.
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