There are three goalkeepers among the top 10 Italian performers in Serie A so far, while Federico Dimarco has been the best Azzurri player in the league so far.
Dimarco is the best Italian performer in Serie A so far, according to average player ratings from Italian sports papers (via Fantacalcio).
Three goalkeepers among to 10 Italy players in Serie A
COMO, ITALY – NOVEMBER 08: Elia Caprile of Cagliari Calcio reacts during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and Cagliari Calcio at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The Inter defender is a regular in Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy team that will be facing Northern Ireland in the World Cup playoff semifinal in March 2026.
Quite worryingly for Italy, the top-10 Italian performers from week 1 to 16 include three goalkeepers, Lecce’s Wladimiro Falcone (2nd) Cagliari’s Elia Caprile (3rd) and Lazio’s Ivan Provedel (10th).
The lack of eligible Serie A players in the Italy national team is a matter of concern that both Gattuso and FIGC President Gabriele Gravina have highlighted multiple times, but, as the ranking you see below suggests, the options are further reduced when it comes to outfield players.
Surely, one emerging talent in the opening games of the season is Cagliari’s Marco Palestra, who is on loan from Atalanta and features in the top five performers so far.
Serie A Round 17 begins tomorrow, Saturday, December 27, with Parma-Fiorentina, but it will be a weekend where relegation candidates will cross paths with title contenders.
Serie A will know no break during the Christmas festive period as the Round 17 will be played between Saturday, December 27 and Monday 29.
Sunday’s big match in Serie A
epa11969146 Inters Carlos Augusto (R) scores the 0-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Atalanta BC and FC Internazionale, in Bergamo, Italy, 16 March 2025. EPA-EFE/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA
Table leaders Inter have a big game coming up as they’ll visit Raffaele Palladino’s Atalanta in Bergamo on Sunday evening.
Technically, it’s the only big game of the weekend, which, however, doesn’t mean the Nerazzurri opponents will necessarily have an easy pathway.
On the following day, Milan will face Verona at San Siro (12:30 CET), while Napoli will visit Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese.
Vardy vs. McTominay
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 13: Marcus Pedersen of Torino FC is challenged by Jamie Vardy of US Cremonese during the Serie A match between Torino FC and US Cremonese at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on December 13, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Diego Puletto/Getty Images)
The Grigiorossi have had a fantastic start to the season, grabbing 21 points in 11 games and putting nine points between them and the relegation zone. This means they can play with freedom and on a counter-attack against the Partenopei, who will return to the pitch after winning the Supercoppa in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
The first weekend game, Parma-Fiorentina, is a big one in the race for survival, with the Viola still sitting 20th and the Ducali being just two points above the drop zone.
Lecce will be looking to earn points at home against Como, while Cagliari will visit Torino. Udinese and Lazio still hope to get a European placement, while Bologna and Sassuolo will meet in a local derby at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
Lastly, Daniele De Rossi will return to the Olimpico for the last game of the weekend against his beloved Roma.
There are no Serie A matches on December 26, but there will be no break in Italy with league games on December 27, 28 and 29, January 2, 3 and 4.
There’s no rest for Serie A clubs as Italian football action will continue over the Christmas and New Year period.
Serie A Matchday 17 will begin right after Christmas, on December 27, with Parma hosting Fiorentina in a relegation showdown. On the same day, Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus will visit Pisa, while Napoli, Inter and Milan will take to the pitch on December 28. Roma’s first game after Christmas is against Genoa on Monday, December 29.
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – DECEMBER 18: Christian Pulisic of AC Milan battles for possession with Stanislav Lobotka of SSC Napoli during the Supercoppa Italiana Semi-Final match between SSC Napoli and AC Milan at King Saud University Stadium on December 18, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
On the following weekend, Milan will visit Cagliari in the first game of 2026 in Serie A on Friday, January 2.
Juventus-Lecce and Atalanta-Roma will be played on January 3, while Lazio-Napoli and Inter-Bologna are scheduled for January 4.
Weston McKennie scores a goal for Juventus against Pafos in the Champions League (@juventusfc)
There’s also a mid-week round starting on Tuesday, January 6 (public holiday in Italy) with Pisa-Como. That same day, Lecce will host Roma, and Juventus will visit Sassuolo.
Below are all the games scheduled during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Serie A Round 17
Parma-Fiorentina – Saturday, December 27 at 12:30 CET
Torino-Cagliari – Saturday, December 27 at 15:00 CET
Lecce-Como – Saturday, December 27 at 15:00 CET
Udinese-Lazio, Saturday, December 27 at 18:00 CET
Pisa-Juventus, Saturday, December 27 at 20:45 CET
Milan-Verona, Sunday, December 28 at 12:30 CET
Cremonese-Napoli, Sunday, December 28 at 15:00 CET
Bologna-Sassuolo, Sunday, December 28 at 18:00 CET
Atalanta-Inter, Sunday, December 28 at 20:45 CET
Roma-Genoa, Monday, December 29 at 20:45 CET
Serie A Round 18
Cagliari-Milan, Friday, January 2 at 20:45 CET
Como-Udinese, Saturday, January 3 at 12:30 CET
Sassuolo-Parma, Saturday, January 3 at 15:00 CET
Genoa-Pisa, Saturday, January 3 at 15:00 CET
Juventus-Lecce, Saturday, January 3 at 18:00 CET
Atalanta-Roma, Saturday, January 3 at 20:45 CET
Lazio-Napoli, Sunday, January 4 at 12:30 CET
Fiorentina-Cremonese, Sunday, January 4 at 15:00 CET
Verona-Torino, Sunday, January 4 at 18:00 CET
Inter-Bologna, Sunday, January 4 at 20:45 CET
Serie A Round 19
Pisa-Como, Tuesday, January 6 at 15:00 CET
Lecce-Roma, Tuesday, January 6 at 18:00 CET
Sassuolo-Juventus, Tuesday, January 6 at 20:45 CET
Bologna-Atalanta, Wednesday, January 7 at 18:30 CET
Napoli-Verona, Wednesday, January 7 at 18:30 CET
Parma-Inter, Wednesday, January 7 at 20:45 CET
Torino-Udinese, Wednesday, January 7 at 20:45 CET
Cremonese-Cagliari, Thursday, January 8 at 18:30 CET
Milan-Genoa, Thursday, January 8 at 20:45 CET
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