Serie A Matchday 3 Talking Points: Lukaku and Conte's happy Napoli reunion, Fonseca must quell mutinous AC Milan
Serie A has reached it's first international break of the season and the week off couldn't have come soon enough for under pressure AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca, amidst a tense Matchday 3.
The Rossoneri tactician is yet to win in Serie A with his new club after being held to a 2-2 draw by Lazio, but the major talking points surrounding the conduct of dropped pair Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez.
Elsewhere, Romelu Lukaku made a dream start to life at Napoli, whilst Inter crushed Europa League holders Atalanta and AS Roma played out a goalless draw with Juventus.
Fonseca faces mounting AC Milan pressure
Having parted ways with Stefano Pioli in the summer, it is safe to say that Milan fans felt
underwhelmed when Fonseca was named as his successor. With just two points from their opening three matches, that underwhelm is shifting towards frustration with the Portuguese tactician, particularly after Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Lazio.
The former Roma coach tried to make a statement by dropping Leao and Hernandez, but the absence of the established stars backfired as an uninspired Rossoneri struggled at the Stadio Olimpico. Indeed, it was Leao who snatched a late equaliser, with Fonseca admitting defeat by throwing him on from the bench.
More worryingly, a team huddle during a cooling break saw Hernandez and Leao isolated from the group on the pitch, and Fonseca may have cut adrift two of his best players already. With mutiny in the air at the Diavolo, it remains to be seen how viable the coach’s position remains.
Romelu Lukaku and Antonio Conte: Napoli's match made in heaven
Just four short years ago, Serie A was dominated by the goalscoring exploits of Lukaku, as he plundered freely in an Inter side built for him by coach Antonio Conte.
Since those halcyon days came to a bitter end in that summer, just weeks after Inter won a first league title in 11 years, neither player nor coach have found a settled home and have wandered the footballing wilderness, until Aurelio De Laurentiis reunited them at Napoli in late August.
Lukaku has struggled for form and fitness since joining Chelsea and 2021, with loans at Inter and Roma not proving fruitful, but a reunion with Conte yielded a debut goal.
Netting a crucial equaliser to in stoppage time before the Partenopei snatched a last-gasp winner through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Lukaku was made for Conte’s football and the duo look ready for a successful season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Inter already looking like the team to beat
Having romped to the Serie A title last season, Inter have shown little sign of slowing down and have already laid down a marker to any challengers for the scudetto this term. A 4-0 drubbing of an Atalanta side with aspirations of their own was the standout result of Matchday 3 and ensured the Nerazzurri maintained their perfect start to the season.
Once again, it was champions' blistering attack that caught the eye and after a fine debut season, forward Marcus Thuram just seems to be getting better and better.
The France international netted a second-half brace as he ran rings around a weary Atalanta defence, and he is well-primed to snatch the capocannoniere crown from teammate Lautaro Martinez as Serie A’s top scorer.
Simone Inzaghi has moulded an almost unstoppable winning machine at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in his three years at the helm, and after just three matches it already appears that Inter will take some stopping.
AS Roma’s lack of attacking spark a cause for concern
After a busy summer, Roma came into the campaign full of optimism but a record of three matches and zero wins, coupled with just a single goal makes for worrying reading.
The Giallorossi travelled to Turin and stopped Juventus in their tracks with a goalless draw, but the opportunity to earn a famous victory at a stadium that has proved a far from happy hunting ground for them was there if they wanted it.
However, Roma rarely threatened until an impressive last 10 minutes, and expensive summer acquisition Artem Dovbyk cut a frustrated figure again as he waited in vain for a chance to open his account.
Poor displays against Cagliari and Empoli meant Roma went into the match against Juventus playing catch-up, and even an overhaul of the starting line-up couldn’t inspire the attacking inspiration that Daniele De Rossi’s team have been crying out for.
With the likes of Paulo Dybala, Matias Soule, Lorenzo Pellegrini, and Alexis Saelemaekers at their disposal, Roma must find a way to make their attack click.