Introduction
Ciao Ciao! Matchday 5 of Serie A has wrapped up, delivering thrill, excitement, surprises, and nail-biting clashes between heavyweights. We at Tackle from Behind x Calcio Charcha bring you a complete roundup of Gameweek 5 of the Italian league, giving you all the tactical, emotional, and physical highlights of how the matches unfolded.
Como 1907 1 vs 1 US Cremonese
Cesc Fàbregas’ Como and Davide Nicola’s Cremonese played out a 1-1 draw over the weekend. Como have been playing impressive football this season, with Fàbregas showing significant evolution as a coach compared to last year. Cremonese, who are also having a solid campaign, currently sit one point ahead of Como in the league standings.Nico Paz opened the scoring for Como, while Federico Baschirotto equalized for Cremonese. Late in the match, Como’s Jesús Rodríguez was sent off in the 82nd minute for a rash challenge.
Tactically, Como dominated the game — enjoying more possession, more shots, more shots on target, higher passing accuracy, and more completed passes than Cremonese. They struck first, but Cremonese leveled the score through a well-executed set piece. In the closing stages, Rodríguez’s red card left Como with ten men, adding further frustration.Como should have walked away with all three points, but Cremonese managed to sneak a valuable draw, taking home a hard-earned point.
AS Roma 2 vs 0 Hellas Verona FC
The Roma vs. Verona clash was close and exciting, and the 2-0 scoreline in Roma’s favor doesn’t fully reflect the intensity of the game. Roma certainly rode their luck at times, but their defensive solidity ultimately held firm. Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma’s head coach, seems to be gradually instilling his ideas into the team. Artem Dovbyk scored his first goal for the club, suggesting that the Ukrainian striker is regaining Gasperini’s confidence, while Matías Soulé also found the net.
In past seasons, Roma often conceded after taking the lead and dropped crucial points, but under Gasperini, there appears to be a mentality shift within the squad. Tactically, it was a tight contest: Roma enjoyed more possession, but Verona registered more overall shots. However, Roma produced more shots on target and capitalized on their chances, converting both of the big opportunities they created, while Verona failed to take theirs.Verona collected four yellow cards and committed several fouls, disrupting their rhythm. In the end, Roma clinched a hard-fought 2-0 victory, showing signs of growth under Gasperini’s leadership
Juventus FC 1 vs 1 Atalanta BC
For Juventus, it was another disappointing result at home, while Atalanta, under Ivan Jurić, continued their strong start to the season. Barring the one Champions League defeat to title holders PSG, Atalanta have been impressive and are steadily improving in the league. Kamaldeen Sulemana, nicknamed “Camaldinho” by the locals, opened the scoring and confirmed his status as one of Serie A’s young players to watch.
Juventus, meanwhile, recorded their third consecutive draw. Teun Koopmeiners has struggled to find form, while Jonathan David and Dušan Vlahović are still settling into the attack. The Bianconeri remain heavily reliant on Kenan Yıldız, and head coach Igor Tudor must find solutions in the final third if Juventus are to turn stalemates into victories.Atalanta emerged the happier of the two sides, taking a valuable point away from Turin, while Juventus were once again left frustrated.
Cagliari Calcio 0 vs 2 Inter Milan
Inter Milan traveled to the Unipol Domus, Cagliari Calcio’s home ground, and returned with a routine victory. Although Cagliari caused some problems, Inter ultimately relied on their superior quality and experience to handle the situation. The win lifted Inter to fifth place in the table, while Cagliari slipped to tenth.
Lautaro Martínez opened the scoring, and in the 82nd minute, Francesco Esposito netted his first goal for the club. Unfortunately for Cagliari, their woes deepened as Andrea Belotti suffered an ACL injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
For Inter, this was a much-needed result. With other league giants already setting the pace, the victory not only secured three points but also gave Cristian Chivu’s men a timely boost in confidence and morale.
AC Milan 2 vs 1 SSC Napoli
AC Milan vs. Napoli was the box-office clash of this Serie A gameweek, and it certainly lived up to the hype. With Napoli traveling to San Siro, expectations were sky-high, and the match delivered fireworks worthy of the occasion. It was a true battle of contrasting styles, and while Napoli posted a higher xG of 2.1 compared to Milan’s 1.0, the Rossoneri still came away with a 2-1 victory.Milan’s defensive unit—Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlović, and Matteo Gabbia—performed with precision, frustrating Napoli’s attack. Mike Maignan added to the defensive solidity with several outstanding saves. Although Napoli fired 19 shots to Milan’s 6, only 7 of their attempts were on target, showing how effectively Milan forced them into low-quality efforts from distance. Napoli also enjoyed more possession and completed more passes, but Milan’s clinical edge in front of goal proved decisive: 6 shots, 3 on target, 2 goals.
Milan struck early when Christian Pulisic set up Alexis Saelemaekers for the opener in the 3rd minute, before scoring himself later in the first half. Even after Pervis Estupiñán’s red card in the 57th minute left Milan with 10 men for over half an hour, they held firm. Napoli managed to pull one back in the 60th minute when the artist Kevin De Bruyne coolly converted from the penalty spot, but the visitors couldn’t find an equalizer.
For Milan, the six-time UCL winner Luka Modrić rolled back the years with a tireless display, constantly punishing Napoli’s mistakes and dictating the midfield. Still, Christian Pulisic stood out as the man of the match, delivering both a goal and an assist in a game that lived up to every expectation—a true spectacle for football enthusiasts.
