How Are Serie A Teams Performing in Pre-Season Friendlies?

As the new Serie A season approaches, fans at LuckSparkH are closely watching how the top Italian squads are shaping up. The summer pre-season friendlies offer a raw glimpse into team chemistry, tactical adjustments, and squad fitness before the real stakes begin.

Starting with the reigning champions, Inter Milan is actively reinforcing its signature 3-5-2 system. Following the departure of Dumfries to Real Madrid and the exit of veteran defenders Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij, the front office moved quickly to secure Spence and Stones to patch the right flank and central defense. They are also pursuing Curtis Jones, valuing his versatile ball distribution, while integrating Akanji and Stankovic into the fold. This newly built depth is essential for a squad facing a demanding three-front campaign across the league, domestic cups, and European fixtures. Pre-season momentum appears to be on their side, as they recently strung together a solid five-match unbeaten run in their warm-ups.

Across the city, AC Milan paired ambitious tactical tweaks with a grueling international schedule. They brought in Portuguese attacker Ramos and Gila, a technically gifted center-back from the Real Madrid academy. With legendary playmaker Luka Modric expected to feed the attack and ongoing talks for Belgian winger Diego Moreira, the roster is heavily retooled. Milan tested this new core on a United States tour, scheduling Manchester City in New York on July 27, Real Madrid in Chicago on August 1, and FC Barcelona in Baltimore on August 6. They concluded their prep back home against Monza on August 13. Their on-field results were mixed, yielding a 1W, 2D, 1L record. A stark 0-3 loss to Chelsea exposed defensive integration issues, while a chaotic 4-2 victory proved their offensive firepower but highlighted lingering vulnerabilities at the back.

Juventus approached the transfer window with aggressive spending across multiple targets rather than a single record-breaking fee. They invested over €40 million a piece for Loïs Openda and Randal Kolo Muani, and spent €32 million to acquire 18-year-old Bosnian prospect Kerim Alajbegovic, radically upgrading their attacking pace. Defensively, Colombian center-back Jhon Lucumí—noted for his solid World Cup performances—and on-loan Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario were brought in to solidify the rearguard. Their pre-season, however, has been rocky. They dropped a 1-2 decision to league rival Inter, and a subsequent 2-0 victory over their own youth squad offered little real insight into their readiness to dethrone the current champions.

Napoli opted for intensive local camps rather than global travel. Setting up their base in Dimaro, they played Anaune Val di Non on July 16 and Mantua on July 20, before moving to Castel di Sangro to face Adana Demirspor, Brest, and Girona. Despite the departure of Romelu Lukaku and the aging profile of retained star Kevin De Bruyne, Napoli's attack remains potent. They signed Rasmus Højlund and winger Alisson Santos from Manchester United, looking sharp in a recent 6-2 pre-season blowout. Meanwhile, Atalanta boosted their top-four aspirations by securing Nicola Zalewski, successfully converting the versatile wide player into a central midfielder during their solid pre-season outings.

Other Serie A mainstays focused on targeted European clashes to build their conditioning. AS Roma traveled to play Kosice on July 22 before a high-profile trip to Everton in Liverpool on August 10. Parma loaded their calendar against Lugano, Royal Antwerp, and Galatasaray, while Torino scheduled French tests against Lyon and Metz. Udinese looked outward as well, facing Al-Hilal in Kleinkirchheim on August 3. Conversely, some clubs kept it entirely domestic: Genoa and Venezia bypassed foreign teams altogether, scheduling a direct friendly against each other in Moena on July 20, and Lazio opted for a localized test against Ostiamare at the Stadio Mirko Fersini in Formello.