Inter and Lazio are level on 22 points after eight Serie A matches, and that is the sharpest part of the early-season comparison. Inter are seven points better off than they were at the same stage last season, while Lazio are 11 points up. Napoli are on 11 points, seven fewer than last season, so the gap at the top is only part of the story.
Inter and Lazio at the front
Inter's total comes after a comeback win against Fiorentina, which followed a fifth straight league round with a result worth carrying into the table. They also sit seven points above their pace from this point last year, and that sort of swing is hard to ignore even in October.
Lazio's start is even more striking. They are matching Inter on 22 points, yet their improvement against last season is bigger, with an 11-point rise from the same eight-match mark. The current table suggests they are not just hanging onto the leaders, they are matching them for pace.
Napoli's drop and Udinese's slump
Napoli's 11 points after eight matches leave them well behind the pair at the top, and the drop from last season is seven points. The gap is large enough to change the conversation around the opening weeks, especially when the comparison is set beside Inter and Lazio rather than the rest of the division.
Udinese are the worst comparison in the table. They have four points after eight matchdays and have suffered their sixth straight defeat, eight points down on last season. The source comparison stops short of saying anything broader than that, but within this eight-round view they are the clear outlier at the wrong end of the scale.
The league table can still shift quickly, but after eight rounds the early pattern is clear enough: Inter and Lazio have set the standard, Napoli have slipped back, and Udinese have fallen further still.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
