How Are Serie A Teams Shaping Up in Their European Pre-Season Friendlies?

As the Serie A season approaches its August 22 kickoff, observers at Phswerte are tracking the summer fixtures closely to see how the major Italian clubs integrate their new signings. The pre-season calendar has provided a mixture of tactical experiments and surprising scorelines across Europe.

The reigning champions, Inter Milan, have navigated a significant defensive reshuffle following the departure of veterans Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij. To secure their backline, they added Spence, Stones, and Akanji, hoping to maintain the solidity of their 3-5-2 system. Their efforts showed early promise during a commanding performance at Stadio Dino Manuzzi in Cesena on July 27, 2024. Mehdi Taremi struck twice and Federico Dimarco added a third as Inter Milan defeated UD Las Palmas 3-0, suggesting their attacking mechanisms remain intact despite the roster turnover.

Across the city, AC Milan has experienced a more turbulent preparation phase against English opposition. They secured a notable 3-2 victory over Manchester City at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 27, 2024, powered by a brace from Lorenzo Colombo and a decisive strike from Marco Nasti. However, defensive frailties surfaced in subsequent matchups. Arsenal defeated AC Milan 1-0 on July 23, 2025, and Chelsea later overpowered them 4-1 on August 10, 2025. Integrating new defensive addition Gila alongside the playmaking of Luka Modric remains a pressing task for the technical staff.

Other contenders are heavily investing to challenge the top spot. Juventus focused on offensive firepower, spending heavily on Loïs Openda, Randal Kolo Muani, and young winger Kerim Alajbegovic. Meanwhile, Napoli retained Kevin De Bruyne while securing Rasmus Højlund and Alisson Santos to compensate for Romelu Lukaku's exit. Elsewhere, AS Roma's preparations included a 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on August 10, 2024, where Lorenzo Pellegrini opened the scoring, though they later suffered a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa on August 6, 2025. Lazio edged out Burnley 1-0 on August 9, 2025, while Atalanta converted winger Nicola Zalewski into a central midfielder to bolster their ranks. Finally, Como managed a 2-1 win over Las Palmas in Marbella, Spain on July 20, 2024, featuring goals from Patrick Cutrone and Gabriel Strefezza.