Serie A Power Rankings: Napoli and Juventus struggle; Lazio and Como real contenders?

Inter and Lazio are at the top of the Serie A standings after seven matchdays Oct 21, 2026 at 9:29 am ET • 6 min read Serie A was back this weekend around Italy, with Inter, the 2025-2026 Scudetto winners, looking to defend the title in the new season. AC Milan, their cross-city rivals, made some key signings in the summer after replacing the coach and the whole club hierarchy after the disappointing end to the last campaign, and they appointed former Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim to lead the new cycle. Six teams replaced their coaches, including Napoli, which saw Antonio Conte leave the Azzurri after two seasons and appointed former AC Milan and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri. But we also have our first four sackings of the Serie A season as Fiorentina replaced Fabio Grosso, who was hired in the summer, after three games in charge and called back Paolo Vanoli to lead the team and Bologna fired Domenico Tedesco after four matches and replaced him with Raffaele Palladino. Over the international break, Parma decided to part ways with manager Carlos Cuesta and appointed Alberto Gilardino, while Venezia sacked Giovanni Stroppa after six defeats in a row and appointed Davide Nicola. Let's take a look at our power rankings after the seventh matchday of the season: Don't miss all the Serie A action all season long across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. From Italy's biggest teams to America's biggest stars, Serie A has it all, and Paramount+ is the home for every minute of the action until a Scudetto winner is crowned. 1. Inter (--)The Nerazzurri managed to bounce back after conceding the opening goal (once again) against Bologna on Saturday but ended up winning 3-1 away. Another solid win, but concerns are beginning to emerge over the way Cristian Chivu's side approach their games, having conceded the opening goal in several Serie A and Champions League matches so far this season. 2. AS Roma (--)Gian Piero Gasperini's team needed the win against Genoa over the weekend after three winless matches in a row between the Italian Serie A and the Champions League, especially after losing 4-3 the last home match against the team led by Jose Mourinho. AS Roma are fully in the race to win the title but now need to cope with some absences due to injuries, such as the one of Paulo Dybala. 3. Como (--)Cesc Fabregas and his team won away against Fiorentina, showing the potential not only of their best starters but also of other players such as Mattia Liberali, who scored his first Serie A goal on Sunday. Liberali is considered the replacement of Nico Paz, but can also play alongside him when needed. Another gem in the roster of the Italian team. 4. Lazio (--)What is going on at Lazio? Six wins in seven matches, the Biancocelesti are leading the Serie A standings alongside Inter and Gennaro Gattuso can finally smile after some challenging months following Italy's failed World Cup qualification. Thanks to some key players like Davide Frattesi, Gustav Isaksen and others, this team can now face a season only focusing on the Italian Serie A while the rivals will also have to deal with the European tournaments. 5. AC Milan (--)Sunday's win over Atalanta was a solid result, with AC Milan scoring the first three goals of the game before conceding twice late on, allowing their opponents to make the scoreline more respectable before the final whistle. This is what the Rossoneri need to improve if they want to avoid some bad surprises in the future. 6. Atalanta (+1)Despite losing to AC Milan away, Maurizio Sarri's team showed they were capable of scoring two goals against the Rossoneri, but definitely need to improve if they want to compete at the highest levels of the league. However, if we look at their direct competitors, they are in a good place. 7. Napoli (-1)Another disappointing weekend for Napoli and their coach Massimiliano Allegri, as the Azzurri suffered an away defeat against Venezia, a side that had secured just their first win of the season against them following a change in management. This is not enough for Allegri to save his job in the long term and this is why the next matches will be crucial for the future of the Italian manager. 8. Frosinone (+8)The biggest surprise of the season, no doubt about that. I thought they were going to be in the relegation battle but so far they have been incredible: four wins, one draw and only two defeats in the opening seven games of the season. They still might race to avoid the Italian second division, but the coach Massimiliano Alvini and the players are delivering week after week. 9. Juventus (-1)Another big team that is facing a challenging moment. Luciano Spalletti and Juventus are in a deep crisis and no options are ruled out in the near future, including a possible change in the management. After losing at home 3-0 against Lazio over the weekend, the Bianconeri need to react before it will be too late. 10. Cagliari (-1)We probably expected too much from them after the first stint of the season but losing 4-0 to Monza on Monday definitely wasn't the result we were expecting from Fabio Pisacane's side. They have the chance to react, starting from the next home game against Bologna. 11. Bologna (-1)Speaking of Bologna, after a promising start against Inter, Raffaele Palladino's side went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat at home. Following the club's decision to part ways with Domenico Tedesco and appoint the former Atalanta coach, a period of inconsistency was always a possibility as the team adapts to a new tactical approach.12. Fiorentina (-1)It's never easy to face Como, but Fiorentina showed some positive things despite losing at the end against Cesc Fabregas' team. They are still on time to recover but now need some results, even if the next Serie A game will be against Inter at San Siro. 13. Torino (+1)Three wins in the last five matches: Ignazio Abate is finally having a positive impact at the new club. Something good to work on. 14. Udinese (-2)After one win and one draw in the first two matches, Udinese lost the last five. Manager Kosta Runjaic will have his last chance against AC Milan on Sunday. 15. Sassuolo (-2)Too many ups and downs, but they are a team that can fight until the end to avoid the relegation. 16. Genoa (-1)I was expecting much more from them and from their coach Daniele De Rossi this season. Only one win in seven games, that's not enough. 17. Monza (+2)Finally a strong win! Ivan Juric is back as Monza won two of the last three Serie A games. They probably needed some time to adapt with the new signings. 18. Lecce (--)Despite losing a lot of players in the summer, Eusebio Di Francesco is showing to be a very consistent coach. 19. Venezia (+1)They decided to hire Davide Nicola, one of the most experienced coaches when it comes to avoiding relegation. He started with the home win against Napoli. Not bad. 20. Parma (-3)After their defeat away to Inter, the Crociati suffered another setback, losing 3-0 at home to Torino. With Alberto Gilardino losing both of his first two games in charge, Parma may already be questioning whether parting ways with Carlos Cuesta was the right decision.