Inter Milan blew a two-goal to drop points at the top of Serie A as Bologna earned a 2-2 draw at the San Siro.
Inter looked set to move clear at the summit of the table after they burst into a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes as Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martinez scored.
But mid-table Bologna hit back, with Bendetta Orsolini scoring from the penalty spot before the break and Joshua Zirkzee earned a point after the break.
The result was a big boost for Inter’s city rivals AC Milan, who play at Genoa later on Saturday and go three points ahead with a win.
Although the hosts made a fast start, it was Bologna that almost drew first blood as former Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson hit the post in an open start to the match.
But it was the hosts that soon took control as Acerbi headed home from Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner in the 11th minute.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Martinez doubled the lead in style, rocketing a 25-yard shot into the top corner for his 10th goal of the season, becoming just the third Inter player in history to reach double figures in the opening eight matches.
Bologna were shell-shocked, but they responded well and were awarded an 18th-minute penalty when VAR spotted an infringement at a corner, with Martinez ruled to have fouled Ferguson.
Orsolini converted from 12 yards, though Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer may be disappointed after he got a hand to it.
Inter should have restored their two-goal lead eight minutes before the break as both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu found space in the area but could not get a shot away.
Bologna responded well after the break and levelled seven minutes after the restart.
Zirkzee got the ball on the edge of the area and wrong-footed Sommer, shooting into the near post to make it 2-2.
Inter thought they had regained the lead on the hour when Sanchez converted Carlos Augusto’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Boss Simone Inzhagi’s frustration boiled over and he received a yellow card in protestations at refereeing decisions.
His mood did not improve as Martinez then flashed a header just wide from a corner as they pushed to regain the lead.
The pressure mounted in the final 10 minutes with Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski beating away Augusto’s shot before the same player headed over at the death.
Napoli boss Rudi Garcia is expecting his team to deliver against Fiorentina on Sunday.
The Partenopei boss revealed at a press conference that he asked his team to win their three Serie A matches ahead of the international break, following a disappointing goalless draw at Bologna.
After a 4-1 home victory over Udinese and 4-0 success at Lecce last time out, Garcia’s players are close to providing the right answer to his request.
Ahead of Sunday’s visit of La Viola to the Stadio Maradona, Garcia told his club’s official website: “I asked the team for three straight wins and on Sunday we have the chance to achieve that.
“We’re in third place, alongside Fiorentina. We want to beat them to stay up near the top and consolidate our position.”
However, the 59-year-old knows his team will not have things all their own way as they seek to extend their winning league run.
He continued: “We know they’re a team who play good football and they’ve enjoyed an excellent start to the season.
“Fiorentina have top-quality players, they’re well drilled and have a clear playing philosophy. They’ve scored lots of headed goals and we’ve analysed their strengths.
“They’re a similar team to us in the way they press and win the ball back. We know it will be a difficult match but we’re playing at home and we must show we’re capable of winning it.”
Despite their strong league form, Napoli lost 3-2 to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.
However, Garcia says the team should not be short of confidence despite the home defeat.
He explained: “We can take confidence and become stronger because of it. The way we played shows we’re capable of giving world-class teams like Real a game.
“There were little things we should have done better, especially when we conceded the goals, but it can help us grow.
“The Real Madrid match shows we’re a strong side but now we need to take that into our game on Sunday and be even more determined when defending.”
Garcia has not ruled out making changes against Fiorentina, revealing he would decide after their final training session ahead of the game.
Defender Amir Rrahmani is closing in on a return from a muscle injury but is not yet fit to play 90 minutes.
Inter Milan are hoping to have Davide Frattesi available for Saturday’s clash with Bologna.
The Italy international suffered a muscle injury in the defeat at Sassuolo 10 days ago and missed the Serie A clash with Salernitana and the Champions League win over Benfica in midweek.
He trained on Friday and boss Simone Inzaghi will decide whether to risk him for Bologna’s visit to the San Siro.
Marko Arnautovic did not train with the group and will miss out.
Inter sit top of Serie A on goal difference ahead of their rivals AC Milan after a strong start to the season.
Defender Carlos Augusto is loving life at the San Siro following his loan move from Monza.
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The 24-year-old Brazilian has featured nine times for his new team and already knows what is expected.
“It’s going very well,” he said in an interview with DAZN, reported by La Gazzetta Dello Sport.
“The group and the staff have helped me a lot to get used to the new surroundings as best as possible and I’m very happy to help my team-mates. We are a family where everyone helps each other and for this reason, we are doing well.
“Inter aims to always win in all competitions, we want the title, but also the Italian Cup and to get as high as possible in the Champions League, this is what this team is, we want to win everything, always.”
Bologna have only lost once this season – a 2-0 reverse to AC Milan – so they will present a difficult challenge to Inter.
However, they will be without injured trio Stefan Posch, Jhon Lukumi, and Adama Soumaoro.
Massimiliano Allegri says victory is the only option for Juventus in their Turin derby with Torino on Saturday.
Juve host their city rivals in Serie A hoping to hang on to the coat-tails of the two Milan clubs at the top of the table.
They are also looking to bounce back from a disappointing 0-0 draw with Atalanta last week and Allegri says it is important to get bragging rights in a “special” encounter.
“We are not satisfied with a result other than victory,” he said in a press conference reported on the club’s website.
“It will be a derby and these are always special matches. In managing the ball and passing, we will undoubtedly have to play a better match than the one in Bergamo, aware of the value of the team we will face.
“We face a Torino that is difficult to play against, an aggressive team led by Ivan Juric who is an excellent coach. For him, the results he achieved and the growth of his players speak for themselves.
Midfielder Paul Pogba remains suspended amid reports he has tested positive for testosterone in his B sample.
Juventus will also be without Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa but Moise Kean and Kenan Yildiz will be involved.
“Moise Kean is doing well and will play.” Allegri added.
“It’s sad not to have Chiesa and Vlahovic because they are doing very well, but these things are part of the game. Kenan Yildiz is ready to play like everyone else who is available.
“On Saturday I will see, the derby is important and above all for us it could serve as another step forward in the standings. We are calm.
“In terms of goalscorers we have Kean, Arek Milik and Yildiz, in midfield we have Adrien Rabiot, who is a goalscorer, Nicolo Fagioli and Fabio Miretti who will start to score goals soon, and then several defenders who are always dangerous on dead-ball situations.”
Turin is black and white if recent results are anything to go by, with Juventus unbeaten in their last 17 meetings with Torino going back to 2015.
Their head coach Ivan Juric has seen his team push Juve close in recent years, without being able to get over the line.
And he hopes that changes on Saturday.
“An aggressive Juve awaits us, we hope to repeat what we have done in the past in terms of performances but with a different result,” he said on his club’s official website.
AC Milan head for promoted Genoa on Saturday desperate to make up for drawing another Champions League blank in midweek.
The Rossoneri make the trip to the Luigi Ferraris Stadium having won their last three Serie A fixtures against Verona, Cagliari and Lazio to remain level on points with leaders and derby rivals Inter at the top of the table.
However, they do so still reflecting on the disappointment of Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw at Borussia Dortmund in their second Group F fixture, with the first against Newcastle at San Siro having similarly ended in stalemate.
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Manager Stefano Pioli said after the Dortmund game: “Many things we do are positive, but we have not been concrete and ruthless. I want to start again from the many positive things we are doing.”
Pioli and his players were unable to travel back to Italy from Germany on Thursday and so have effectively had just one day to prepare for the clash with Genoa.
They will still be without midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who suffered an adductor muscle injury during the 2-0 victory over Lazio.
Ismael Bennacer and Rade Krunic are also out and the forthcoming international break could hardly be better timed for Pioli’s walking wounded, with Juventus, Paris St Germain and Napoli waiting in the wings in back-to-back games.
Opposite number Alberto Gilardino will hope his side can take advantage of any fatigue to build upon a 4-1 home victory over Roma and a 2-2 draw at Udinese.
However, Gilardino is sweating on the fitness of star striker Mateo Retegui, who suffered a knee injury in Udine.
The manager told a press conference: “Retegui still has pain in his knee, but we’ll wait 24 hours to see if there is a possibility of recovery without risking the rest of his season.
“Everyone’s desire is to see him on the pitch, but we need to be clear in our assessments.”
Whatever team he is able to field, Gilardino knows the task they face will be a tough one.
He added: “We will have to limit the percentage of errors on our part as much as possible. We are facing a strong team, both the starting XI and those who will take over, all players with important characteristics both in terms of technical qualities and physicality.
“I will ask the boys for a huge effort. The important thing will be to be united.”
Juventus and Atalanta were forced to share the points after grinding out a goalless draw in Serie A on Sunday.
After an even start to the match in Bergamo both teams came close later in the first half, with Davide Zappacosta trying his luck before Nicolo Fagioli and Moise Kean tested Juan Musso in the Atalanta goal.
However, the hosts had the pick of the chances in the second half when Wojciech Szczesny got his fingertips to Luis Muriel’s free-kick before Teun Koopmeiners had two good shots in the closing stages.
The stalemate sees Massimiliano Allegri’s men sit four points behind league leaders Inter Milan in the table, while Atalanta remain a point behind Juve.
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Both sides opened the game well but Atalanta had the first clear-cut chance in the 14th minute when a great ball from Oscar Ruggeri on the left found Zappacosta in the box and the full-back’s effort whistled wide of a post.
A slow first half saw both sides have equal possession of the ball and Federico Chiesa was trying to create chances for Juve.
The visitors then had a chance on the half-hour mark as a corner ball fell to Fagioli on the edge of the box, but Musso managed to push it away.
Kean then tested Musso from distance, with the goalkeeper making a comfortable save to his right.
Atalanta put pressure on the visitors early in the second-half as Ederson hit a teasing cross into the box but Zappacosta was unable to meet the ball and Juve were straight up the other end of the pitch as Chiesa had a powerful effort palmed away by Musso.
The hosts were making good runs around the box but Juventus were able to counter the danger and they threatened again in the 69th minute from a corner.
Sead Kolasinac’s flicked header was turned away by Manuel Locatelli at the back post before Ederson’s resulting overhead kick flew wide.
Atalanta had an excellent opportunity in the 73rd minute when Muriel’s free-kick was curling towards the top corner, but Szczesny made a fantastic save, just getting his fingertips to the ball, and it deflected off the bar before being cleared away.
They threatened again from a corner as Berat Djimsiti headed over the bar before Ederson’s low strike was blocked by the Juve defence.
Atalanta nearly found the winner in the 88th minute when Muriel’s thumping shot was spilled by Szczesny into the path of Koopmeiners, but the Dutchman was unable to finish from the rebound.
Koopmeiners had another opportunity to snatch three points for the hosts after finding space in the box but his shot blazed over the bar and Juventus defended well to hold on for a point.
Lautaro Martinez scored four times after coming off the bench as Inter Milan returned to winning ways and the top of Serie A with a 4-0 victory at struggling Salernitana.
Inter, who slipped to a first loss of the campaign at home to Sassuolo in midweek, initially struggled to break down a Salernitana side that had not managed to win any of their previous six matches.
Martinez’s entrance in the 55th minute proved key and he broke the deadlock just after the hour, although Inter were grateful that Mateusz Legowski saw an equaliser chalked off for offside.
Martinez struck again and then completed a 23-minute hat-trick from the penalty spot before the Argentinian took his tally for the season to eight goals as Inter went back above city rivals Milan, who beat Lazio on Saturday.
Marcus Thuram had an early sight at goal but Salernitana keeper Guillermo Ochoa made a comfortable save while Alexis Sanchez and Denzel Dumfries were unable to direct their efforts on target.
Salernitana steadily grew into the encounter and Boulaye Dia tested Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who then had to get down low to keep out Grigoris Kastanos’ strike from distance.
The hosts ended the half on top and Inter’s listlessness in the final third after the interval prompted Simone Inzaghi to introduce Martinez, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Kristjan Asllani also brought on.
Martinez needed just seven minutes to make his presence felt as a low ball into his path from Thuram required a delicate chip to beat the advancing Ochoa and put Inter ahead.
They were almost immediately pegged back as Agustin Martegani’s perfectly-weighted through ball saw Lęgowski dash in to score what he thought was his first Serie A goal, only to be ruled offside on replay.
Inter got a gift as they doubled their lead as Ochoa’s throw caught Domagoj Bradaric unaware and the Croatian was dispossessed by Dumfries before the ball was worked to Nicolo Barella, whose cut back allowed Martinez to slam home in the 77th minute.
Salernitana’s plight worsened as Thuram turned away from Matteo Lovato before being hauled down in the area, allowing Martinez to step up and complete his hat-trick in the 89th minute.
Martinez was still not finished and completed a miserable second half for Salernitana with another first-time finish after being teed up by Carlos Augusto.
AC Milan turned on the second-half style to record an impressive 2-0 Serie A victory over Lazio.
Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor were on target to finally end stubborn Lazio resistance at the San Siro, but Rafael Leao was the star attraction in a commanding performance.
Leao set up both Pulisic and Okafor – and the Portugal winger now has 72 goal contributions since joining Milan in 2019.
Felipe Anderson and Valentin Castellanos had half-chances for Lazio during a first period that took some time to burst into life.
But Lazio, who kept Ciro Immobile until the final 15 minutes, were largely toothless up front.
Milan lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who had scored his first goal for the Rossoneri against Cagliari in midweek – to an early injury but gained momentum as the contest moved past the half-hour mark.
Leao saw his near-post effort from a tight angle saved by Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.
The deadlock was almost broken on the stroke of half-time after Olivier Giroud brought Provedel into action again.
Provedel could not hold the shot and the loose ball fell to Tijjani Reijnders, who took it around the goalkeeper but, off balance, back-heeled it against the outside of a post.
Milan really upped the tempo after the break and took a deserved lead after an hour.
Leao surged down the left and his cut-back found Pulisic unmarked on the penalty spot.
The American’s shot had enough to get past Provedel for his third goal of the season, although the goalkeeper got a hand to the effort.
Provedel distinguished himself by saving from Yunus Musah after the American had brought the ball down and fired goalwards in one sharp movement.
Reijnders fired into the side netting before Milan put the issue beyond doubt two minutes from time.
Leao was again the instigator with another excellent run and cross which allowed Okafor to convert with a simple tap-in.
It was Okafor’s second Milan goal after his first for the club in the 3-1 win at Cagliari.
Lazio were denied a spectacular consolation in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Spanish substitute Pedro sent a 25-yard shot into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s net.
The officials had spotted an offside in the build-up and there was to be no joy for Lazio after a VAR check.
This was Milan’s third successive league win, while Lazio’s season has yet to get going after this fourth defeat in seven games.
Napoli emphatically ended Lecce’s 100 per cent home record in Serie A with a 4-0 victory at the Stadio Via del Mare.
Goals from Leo Ostigard and substitutes Victor Osimhen and Gianluca Gaetano had the visitors in control before Matteo Politano converted a penalty in added time.
Both teams started the day in the top six with 11 points from six games but Rudi Garcia’s men were good value for their fourth win of the campaign to maintain the pressure on the Milan clubs.
Garcia made three changes following the convincing 4-1 defeat of Udinese in midweek, with Mathias Olivera, Giovanni Simeone and Jesper Lindstrom coming in for Mario Rui, Osimhen and Politano.
Napoli had early control in sunny Puglia with Lecce, the season’s surprise package, struggling to make an impression.
The visitors’ early enterprise was rewarded in the 16th minute when they took the lead, central defender Ostigard heading in Piotr Zielinski’s free-kick from the left unchallenged at the far post.
Lecce won only three home games last season but had already beaten Lazio, Salernitana and Genoa this time around and falling behind sparked them into life.
Roberto D’Aversa’s men, who saw their best start to a Serie A season end on Tuesday with a 1-0 loss at Juventus, threatened in the 25th minute when Nikola Krstovic brought a low, diving save out of goalkeeper Alex Meret.
Central defender Marin Pongracic then wasted the Salentini’s best first-half chance on the half hour, firing over from seven yards after a corner on the right.
However, Napoli finished the half strongly and could have led by more than one goal at the interval.
In the final five minutes of the first half, Simeone saw a powerful right-foot shot go just wide, Wladimiro Falcone saved from Zielinski, then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was narrowly off-target with a free-kick.
Osimhen replaced Simeone for the second half, and within six minutes of his introduction he had doubled Napoli’s lead with his fifth goal of the season, a header off the post from close range following Kvaratskhelia’s cross.
Gabriel Strefezza had the ball in the visitors’ net in the 57th minute with a close-range header but it was ruled out for handball in the build-up by Krstovic.
With a Champions League match against Real Madrid coming up on Tuesday, Garcia rotated his players, first replacing Lindstrom and Kvaratskhelia with Giacomo Raspadori and Politano.
Raspadori’s low left-foot shot was saved by Falcone in the 67th minute, before Jens-Lys Cajuste came on for Stanislav Lobotka with 14 minutes remaining.
Lecce could not find the breakthrough they needed to set up a tense finish and Napoli made it 3-0 when Gaetano, the last of their five substitutes to be introduced, increased the lead with two minutes remaining.
Less than five minutes after his introduction, the attacking midfielder fired home powerfully from the edge of the penalty box.
There was still time for a fourth goal, Politano sending Falcone the wrong way from the penalty spot after Ylber Ramadani had been penalised for fouling Gaetano.
Juventus will have to deal with a depleted attack when they travel to Atalanta on Sunday as both Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik have been ruled out by injury.
Vlahovic, who has scored four times in Juve’s opening six Serie A games, has a back issue, while Milik, who got the winner against Lecce last time out, has a calf problem.
“Unfortunately both Dusan Vlahovic and Arek Milik won’t be available tomorrow,” boss Massimiliano Allegri told a press conference.
“Dusan has a back problem. This week he trained, but then yesterday he was in too much pain and had to stop. He tried to grit his teeth to be there, but it’s better to give him time off to recover.
“Arek, however, felt pain in his calf after Lecce and since then it’s been a delicate situation, so we preferred to rest him so that he can return to the team on Tuesday.”
Allegri, whose side’s last away game resulted in a 4-2 defeat at Sassuolo, warned his players to expect a hard-fought encounter against Atalanta, who are on a three-match winning run in all competitions.
The hosts trail third-placed Juve by just a single point, while the last three meetings between the sides have ended in draws.
Allegri said: “Usually the matches against Atalanta are all very tight.
“Atalanta are in good form, they haven’t lost or conceded a goal at home yet. You have to prepare for the match in the best possible way, with great attention to detail while keeping up a good rhythm.
“We won a direct clash against Lazio, now we have another one against a team that play in a completely different way and are more physical and more aggressive.”
And Allegri wants nothing less than total commitment from his side.
He added: “Clearly the championship doesn’t end tomorrow, but tomorrow is one of those matches where you have to give everything if you want to bring home a result.
“We don’t have to look at the rankings now, even if staying in the top four would help us have greater self-esteem and allow us to work with more peace of mind.
“We must continue to work, knowing that our goal is to get into the top four so we can play in the Champions League next year. There is enthusiasm in the group and, above all, a desire to improve.”
Lecce manager Roberto D’Aversa will prepare his squad to face the “complete team” when Napoli come to the Stadio Via del Mare.
Napoli eased the pressure on under-fire boss Rudi Garcia with a 4-1 win over Udinese on Wednesday night, which puts the Serie A champions fifth in the table heading into the next round of fixtures.
Speculation over Garcia’s future, though, continues, with the French coach having ducked recent media duties amid reports of unrest within the camp and a bizarre video on TikTok which seemingly mocked striker Victor Osimhen following his penalty miss against Bologna.
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D’Aversa, though, is expecting nothing less than the sternest of tests from the Partenopei in Saturday’s afternoon kick-off.
“If I have to list them all (Napoli’s strengths), we would never end,” the Lecce boss told a press conference.
“They are Italian champions, they have a complete team with capable and quality players – Osimhen attacks from deep and is one of the best in Europe.
“On our part, there must be the will to put in a great performance.”
Lecce sit just a place behind Napoli, level on points, after losing their first Serie A game this season 1-0 at Juventus on Tuesday night.
D’Aversa will be without midfielder Mohamed Kaba through suspension after his late sending off and is set to rotate the squad.
“When there are three games a week you have to look for the player’s performance,” he said.
“In Turin, we didn’t have any turnover. We need to pay more attention to certain situations.
“(Lorenzo) Venuti and (Remi) Oudin are starters for me. It is clear that, where possible, there will be some changes tomorrow.”
Reports in Italy suggest Osimhen will not not pursue legal action against Napoli following the TikTok video.
After they face Lecce, Napoli host Real Madrid in the Champions League next week.
Forward Giovanni Simeone was on the scoresheet against Udinese and feels the squad can reset and push on into the season.
“Let’s start again from this victory,” the Argentinian said, quoted on the club’s official website. “We have worked a lot and collected little so far, but we know our value.
“We are a strong and united group. We are aware that two seasons cannot be repeated the same, but we are also sure that we have the spirit, mentality and quality to continue to be protagonists.”
Stefano Pioli is using the pain of derby defeat as fresh inspiration as he attempts to steer AC Milan to success this season.
The Rossoneri were trounced 5-1 by Inter Milan a fortnight ago and then drew 0-0 with Newcastle in their Champions League opener.
They have since beaten Verona and Cagliari to go level on points with Inter at the top of the Serie A table and manager Pioli, who found himself under intense pressure in the wake of a difficult week, is keen to draw a line under the derby day disappointment ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Lazio.
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He told a press conference: “We are doing well, we want to find the right continuity to do well in the league and in the Champions League. We need to focus only on tomorrow.
“We have always lived with balance between negative and positive moments. The derby was not the end of our journey, but a new beginning to start from.
“Now we are not perfect, we are not flawless, but we can put our best performance on the field tomorrow.”
Pioli will hope to have key players back for the weekend, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan having sat out Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Cagliari through injury, while strikers Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao started on the bench with the former not leaving it.
However, the Milan boss was coy about his team selection when asked about the depth of his squad.
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Pioli said: “I am convinced of the quality of my players, but we have to keep moving forward.
“After the break, a new season started. To stay at the top, we need to be strong in every aspect. Now we only think about tomorrow.”
Lazio will arrive at the San Siro after clinching just their second win of the campaign in midweek, when they beat Torino 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.
Pioli will hope a third successive victory will ease the tide of criticism which has come his way, although he remains philosophical.
He said: “It’s useless to talk about the criticisms. We are Milan, we want to win and be competitive. The club is following a wonderful path, already capable of winning and to put the accounts right. Everyone is working very well.
“We are Milan, the praise and criticism are high. It’s part of our job.”
Victor Osimhen put his social media storm with Napoli to one side to help his club return to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Udinese.
Last season’s Scudetto winners entered this fixture after a three-match winless run in Serie A, which had turned up the heat on new boss Rudi Garcia.
Osimhen’s missed penalty in last weekend’s stalemate at Bologna was followed by a bizarre post on Napoli’s official TikTok account.
It appeared to mock the Nigeria international but, while the forward threatened to take legal action, Osimhen brushed off the scrutiny to end his four-game goal drought with a smart finish in the 39th minute in Naples to fire the hosts up to seventh in the table.
After the spot-kick drama of Sunday, it took Napoli only a quarter of an hour to be awarded another penalty when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was fouled inside the area.
VAR was called and eventually the penalty was awarded, but instead of Osimhen it was Piotr Zielinski who took responsibility and he rolled into the bottom corner after 19 minutes to make it 1-0 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Garcia’s out-of-form side were firmly in the ascendancy now with Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen and Mario Rui forcing saves from Marco Silvestri in the Udinese goal.
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Silvestri had no answer to Osimhen in the 39th minute when Matteo Politano slipped through last season’s leading marksman and Napoli’s number nine drilled into the net for his fourth goal this season.
Osimhen was initially reluctant to celebrate but after some anxious glances towards the assistant referee, no offside flag was raised and he embraced his team-mates while feeling the support of a raucous home crowd.
Further applause followed in the 63rd minute when Osimhen was replaced by Giovanni Simeone, who would find the net but not before Kvaratskhelia.
Georgian attacker Kvaratskhelia had endured a difficult start to the season and would have been grateful for the gift from away defender Jaka Bijol.
A poor touch by Bijol allowed Kvaratskhelia to steal in and win possession before he beat Silvestri to the loose ball and was able to open his account for the season from close range in the 74th minute.
Lazar Samardzic reduced the deficit in the 80th minute but, seconds later, Kvaratskhelia turned provider again when his excellent run and cross found Simeone, who headed low into the net to wrap up the scoring on a much-needed positive night for the champions.
Domenico Berardi fired a stunning winner as Sassuolo hit back to halt Inter Milan’s 100 per cent start to the Serie A season with a 2-1 win at San Siro.
Italy forward Berardi crashed home a swerving shot from outside the penalty area after Nedim Bajrami’s second-half equaliser had cancelled out Denzel Dumfries’ opener for Inter.
Simone Inzaghi’s side had won all of their opening five league matches to top the table, but Sassuolo produced a second upset in the space of four days after beating Juventus 4-2 at home on Saturday.
Sassuolo made an encouraging start, enjoying an equal share of possession as neither side created a clear scoring chance in the first 30 minutes.
Inter then sparked into life when Nicolo Barella sent Dumfries sprinting down the right, with the latter’s excellent cross headed just over by Marcus Thuram.
Thuram then missed when well placed from another ball in from Dumfries before Jeremy Toljan provided Sassuolo’s best first-half chance as his fierce angled effort was well saved by Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
Sommer was alert again to keep out Bajrami’s low shot before Inter broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.
Dumfries cut inside on the right edge of the penalty area and arrowed a low finish into the bottom corner for his second goal of the season.
Martin Erlic headed a golden chance wide for Sassuolo from Berardi’s brilliant cross, but the visitors drew level in the 54th minute.
Berardi was again the provider as his slide-rule pass on the right side of the area was hammered home by Bajrami, with Sommer furious he had allowed the ball to beat him at the near post.
It got worse for Inter soon after. Berardi was allowed to cut inside from the right on to his left foot and he unleashed a brilliant, dipping shot that nestled inside Sommer’s far post.
Inter boss Inzaghi sent on substitutes Carlos Augusto, Stefan de Vrij and Davide Frattesi soon after and the latter forced visiting goalkeeper Andrea Consigli into a low save.
Sassuolo dealt comfortably with Inter’s bid to get back on terms and Armand Lauriente sliced his chance to extend the visitors’ lead wide in the 85th minute.
Lauriente then saw a better effort that would have settled it saved by Sommer before Francesco Acerbi fired straight at Consigli and Lautaro Martinez shot narrowly wide in stoppage time.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s superb strike helped AC Milan to a 3-1 Serie A victory at struggling Cagliari.
Zito Luvumbo gave Claudio Ranieri’s winless side a shock lead but Noah Okafor and Fikayo Tomori turned things around before Loftus-Cheek’s first Milan goal secured the win.
Milan have now won back-to-back league games since their derby drubbing by city rivals Inter – their only dropped points of the season so far – while Cagliari remain in the bottom three with just two points from their opening six matches.
Stefano Pioli’s side started on the front foot against their out-of-form hosts, Tijjani Reijnders drifting an early opportunity wide before Loftus-Cheek wasted a chance due to a heavy first touch inside the area.
Much of the visitors’ threat was coming from Samuel Chukwueze down the right, with the Nigerian’s cross-shot floating wide.
The first big chance fell to striker Okafor, but his tame shot from 12 yards was easily held by Boris Radunovic.
Cagliari caught Milan out from a throw-in to score just their second goal of the season in the 29th minute, with Luvumbo – who got their first – smashing a left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
Ibrahim Sulemana shot straight at Marco Sportiello from distance as Cagliari pushed for another but Milan went straight down the other end to level after 40 minutes.
Christian Pulisic jinked past the full-back to cross low into the area and Radunovic spilled the ball into the path of Okafor, who finished from six yards.
Milan seized the initiative as Chukwueze fired over before Theo Hernandez’s shot required a fingertip save by Radunovic.
And the Rossoneri were ahead on the stroke of half-time as Reijnders’ cross along the six-yard line was bundled in by Tomori.
Cagliari threatened in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as Luvumbo was denied by a last-ditch block and Gaetano Oristanio shot over from the edge of the box.
Loftus-Cheek’s goal came on the hour mark as he arrowed a superb strike from 25 yards low into the bottom corner.
The hosts carried little threat as Milan controlled the game, but Luvumbo capitalised on a slip from Tomori to create their best chance to reduce the arrears three minutes from time as Oristanio’s strike was beaten away by Sportiello.
Milan’s next game is at home to Lazio on Saturday while Cagliari face a trip to Fiorentina on Monday.
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