Inter are top of Serie A after nine matchdays with 25 points, seven more than they had at the same stage last season. Lazio are level with them on 25, and their jump is even bigger, with 13 extra points compared with the same point a year ago. The early table comparison is already split between a pair of fast starters and the rest of the pack.
Inter and Lazio ahead of last season's pace
The scale of the improvement is the main story. Inter's +7 is strong, but Lazio's +13 stands out as the biggest positive swing in the table. In a comparison built on the same nine-matchday mark, that gap is hard to ignore without over-reading where the title race ends up.
AS Roma are on 21 points and exactly level with last season, while AC Milan are on 18, also unchanged from a year ago. Those totals make the middle of the table look steadier than explosive, even if the top two have pulled away from last year's pace.
Napoli and Udinese slipping back
The negative swings are more severe lower down. Napoli are on 14 points after nine matchdays, seven fewer than at the same stage last season. Udinese have only five points, down from 12, which gives the comparison table its sharpest warning signs.
That leaves the early-season contrast in plain view. Inter and Lazio have built momentum faster than they did a year ago, while Napoli and Udinese have gone the other way, and Milan and Roma have mostly held their ground. The next comparison will come after the 10th round, when these nine-matchday gaps start to look a little less provisional.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
