How Are Serie A Clubs Performing in the 2026 Friendlies?

The 2026-2027 Serie A campaign kicks off on August 22, and the summer friendlies have provided a chaotic but revealing preview of what to expect from Italy's top tier. At JILICC, we closely monitor these tactical shifts as traditional heavyweights attempt to integrate new signings and patch defensive gaps before the real stakes begin.

The defending champions, Inter Milan, face a steep three-front war this year across domestic and European competitions. Having lost Dumfries, Acerbi, and De Vrij, they retooled their right flank and central defense with Spence and Stones, while adding Akanji to reinforce their trusted 3-5-2 system. Maintaining squad depth is critical. Their active pursuit of Curtis Jones highlights a conscious effort to prepare for the physical toll ahead. While recent form has held steady, maintaining dominance will require avoiding the late-game lapses seen in past summers—such as their August 11, 2024 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, where Marcus Thuram's early strike was negated by a 90th-minute equalizer from Lesley Ugochukwu.

Across the city, AC Milan’s preseason has been a mix of attacking flair and defensive vulnerability. Their August 15, 2026 friendly in Wroclaw, Poland, captured this perfectly: a 4-2 victory over Manchester United. Harry Maguire opened the scoring for the English side, but Milan’s new-look forward line eventually overwhelmed them. Samuel Chukwueze, Patrick Dorgu, Alpha Cissé, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all found the net. The offensive output is highly promising, especially with veteran Luka Modric expected to supply newly acquired Portuguese forward Ramos. Yet, the integration of young center-back Gila remains a pressing task, as conceding twice highlights a defense still in transition.

Juventus opted for a steady grind of tactical tests. Instead of a single massive marquee signing, they invested heavily across the frontline, bringing in Loïs Openda, Randal Kolo Muani, and the 18-year-old Bosnian talent Kerim Alajbegovic for a combined fee nearing €72 million. Their 2026 preseason results reflect a team slowly finding its defensive footing. After a quiet 0-0 draw against FC Basel on July 18, they secured three consecutive clean sheets: a 1-0 win over Standard Liège in Belgium via a Fabio Miretti free-kick on July 25, a 2-0 victory against OGC Nice on July 31, and a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong on August 5, decided by Edon Zhegrova. Defensive additions like Jhon Lucumí and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario seem to be settling in well.

Elsewhere, Napoli’s strategy hinges on a reshaped attack. They swapped Lukaku for Rasmus Højlund and winger Alisson Santos, hoping an aging Kevin De Bruyne can still orchestrate the midfield effectively enough to keep them in the top-three conversation. Atalanta looks poised to challenge for the top four as well, having successfully converted versatile winger Nicola Zalewski into a central midfield role to great effect during their warm-up fixtures.