ROME, ITALY, September 12, 2026: Serie A’s Saturday slate produced three very different results but one common theme: early-season assumptions are already being challenged.
Lazio surrendered a two-goal halftime lead as substitute Diego Moreira scored twice in two minutes to rescue AC Milan in a 2-2 draw at the Stadio Olimpico. Cagliari strengthened their remarkable start by beating Atalanta 2-1 in Bergamo, with Daniel Maldini converting the decisive penalty against the club that owns his registration. Earlier, Genoa finally collected their first point of the season in a chaotic 1-1 draw with promoted Frosinone that included a missed penalty, the league campaign’s first major VAR intervention and a late red card.
Saturday therefore ended with Lazio provisionally leading Serie A on 10 points, Cagliari climbing to nine, Milan remaining unbeaten on eight, and Genoa finally removing the zero from their points column.
Matchday 4 had opened Friday with Franco Mastantuono scoring a hat-trick as Fiorentina beat Venezia 4-2. Saturday added a completely different set of questions around Lazio’s ability to close games, Milan’s depth, Cagliari’s ceiling, Atalanta’s vulnerability and Genoa’s continuing attacking problems.
Serie A Saturday Results at a Glance
| Match | Result | Key Development |
|---|---|---|
| Genoa vs Frosinone | 1-1 | Kvernadze scores first; Vásquez equalizes before late red card |
| Lazio vs AC Milan | 2-2 | Moreira scores twice in two minutes after Lazio lead 2-0 |
| Atalanta vs Cagliari | 1-2 | Mendy and Maldini give Cagliari third win in four |
The three fixtures formed the complete Serie A program for Saturday, with Genoa-Frosinone kicking off in the afternoon, Lazio-Milan following in Rome and Atalanta-Cagliari closing the night in Bergamo. The sequence was also tracked through Football Italia’s Saturday Serie A coverage.
Lazio 2-2 Milan: Moreira Changes Everything in Two Minutes
For 45 minutes, Lazio looked ready to turn their perfect start into four wins from four.
Matteo Cancellieri put Gennaro Gattuso’s side ahead in the 10th minute before Tijjani Noslin doubled the advantage in the 39th. Lazio carried a 2-0 lead into halftime and appeared to have exposed a Milan side struggling for rhythm after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Juventus.
The second half belonged to Ruben Amorim’s substitutions.
Christian Pulisic, Diego Moreira and Yunus Musah entered as Milan changed the shape and tempo of their attack. Moreira pulled one back in the 65th minute following Pulisic’s involvement, then scored again only two minutes later after Adrien Rabiot helped create the opportunity.
The turnaround was so rapid that Lazio went from protecting a two-goal cushion to defending a level game before they had fully reorganized.
Reuters confirmed the 2-2 result, the Cancellieri and Noslin first-half goals, Moreira’s second-half brace and the decisive contribution of Milan’s substitutes. The full report also confirms Lazio moved to 10 points while Milan reached eight.
Lazio Lose Perfection, but Not Their Early Authority
The frustration for Lazio is obvious. A 2-0 home lead should normally become three points, particularly for a team that had already won its first three league matches.
Gattuso’s side had entered Saturday as one of Serie A’s early leaders after beating Udinese in the previous round. The Sports Encounter examined that momentum in our report on Lazio’s 2-1 victory over Udinese.
The draw ends Lazio’s perfect record, but 10 points from four games remains an excellent opening. More importantly, the first half against Milan showed that Lazio can still impose themselves against another Champions League-level squad.
The concern is game management.
Once Milan increased the tempo, Lazio lost control of midfield and could not slow the sequence that produced two goals in approximately two minutes. That is an issue Gattuso will need to address if Lazio intend to stay in the Scudetto conversation beyond the opening weeks.
Milan’s Bench May Be More Important Than Its Starting XI
Milan’s comeback carried a different message.
They were poor enough in the first half to trail 2-0, yet deep enough to completely transform the match with substitutions.
Moreira was the headline figure, but Pulisic’s return and Rabiot’s influence were also important. Amorim suddenly had runners attacking Lazio’s defensive line rather than receiving the ball in front of it.
That attacking depth had already been one of Milan’s early strengths. Gonçalo Ramos delivered the breakthrough in Milan’s 2-0 victory over Venezia, while the previous weekend’s Serie A Matchday 3 wrap showed how competitive the upper part of the table had already become.
Milan remain unbeaten after four league matches. Eight points is slightly behind the pace set by Lazio, but rescuing a point from 2-0 down away from home may prove more valuable than the table suggests.
Atalanta 1-2 Cagliari: The Sardinian Rise Is No Longer a Curiosity
Cagliari’s victory in Bergamo may be the most significant result of Saturday.
Paul Mendy gave the visitors the lead in the 19th minute with a left-footed finish that went in off the crossbar. Gianluca Scamacca equalized for Atalanta in the 41st after Charles De Ketelaere drove centrally and the loose ball fell into the striker’s path.
The decisive moment arrived shortly after the hour.
Sead Kolašinac was penalized for handball, giving Cagliari a penalty. Daniel Maldini converted in the 61st minute to restore the visitors’ lead.
Atalanta pushed hard for another equalizer. Lazar Samardžić went close, Franck Kessié was denied by Elia Caprile and Nikola Krstović also tested the goalkeeper, but Cagliari held on.
The official Atalanta match report confirms Mendy’s 19th-minute opener, Scamacca’s 41st-minute equalizer and Maldini’s 61st-minute penalty.
Daniel Maldini Has Changed Cagliari’s Attack
Maldini scored the winner against Lecce in Cagliari’s previous league game.
Five days later, he scored the decisive goal against Atalanta.
The Sports Encounter had already highlighted his growing influence after Maldini’s header delivered Cagliari’s 1-0 victory over Lecce.
The Bergamo result strengthens that narrative considerably.
Cagliari now have nine points from four matches, with three victories and only one defeat. The Sardinians provisionally moved into fourth place on Saturday night, level on points with Roma and Inter before Sunday and Monday’s remaining fixtures.
That is no longer merely an encouraging start.
Fabio Pisacane’s team have now shown they can win a tight home match and then go away to a European contender and survive sustained pressure.
Mendy Gives Cagliari Another Young Match-Winner
Paul Mendy is only 19, but his opening goal added another youthful element to Cagliari’s rise.
The Senegalese forward did not need many opportunities. Cagliari spent much of the match defending, yet Mendy punished Atalanta when space appeared.
That efficiency separates Cagliari from several teams who dominate possession but struggle to convert territory into goals.
The team has scored only four league goals after four rounds, yet those four goals have produced nine points.
That is an extraordinary return on attacking output.
Atalanta’s Early Season Is Becoming Difficult to Read
Atalanta entered the weekend on six points after winning two of their first three league games.
The defeat leaves them on six and provisionally ninth.
Their season has already included dramatic extremes. Lazar Samardžić scored in the 96th minute to beat Bologna 1-0, a match covered in our analysis of Atalanta’s late opening-season escape.
Against Cagliari, Maurizio Sarri’s side created enough second-half pressure to earn something but did not find the finishing quality required.
Scamacca’s goal was a positive sign. The striker looked dangerous repeatedly before being substituted in the 68th minute.
The larger concern is defensive control. Atalanta allowed Cagliari to score twice despite the visitors spending long periods without the ball. Against disciplined opponents, conceding first continues to make Sarri’s attacking structure work much harder than necessary.
Genoa 1-1 Frosinone: First Point, Same Problems
The afternoon fixture in Genoa was less glamorous than Lazio-Milan but arguably more chaotic.
Giorgi Kvernadze put promoted Frosinone ahead in the 14th minute, cutting inside before beating Justin Bijlow.
Genoa then appeared to equalize through Tommaso Baldanzi, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
The biggest opportunity of the first half arrived after VAR intervened for a Cittadini handball. It was the first major VAR review of the new Serie A season, but Lorenzo Colombo failed to capitalize and sent the penalty wide.
Johan Vásquez finally equalized in the 50th minute from a Djibril Sow corner.
His match ended very differently.
Vásquez received a second yellow card late in the second half, leaving Genoa with 10 men while Frosinone pushed for a winner. Bijlow then made a crucial late save to preserve the draw.
The result gave Genoa their first point after three consecutive league defeats.
One Point Helps Genoa, but It Does Not Solve the Attack
Genoa had scored only once in their first three matches.
That included a damaging 4-1 home defeat to Como, which we analyzed in our report on Como’s dominant win at Luigi Ferraris.
Saturday finally brought another goal, but the performance also repeated the same concerns.
Genoa created opportunities without converting enough of them. Colombo’s missed penalty was the clearest example, while several promising attacks ended without the final pass or shot carrying sufficient quality.
The first point is psychologically useful.
For Daniele De Rossi, though, the more important task is turning improvement into wins before the lower end of the table starts separating.
Frosinone Continue to Look Comfortable Back in Serie A
Frosinone’s seven points after four matches represent an impressive start for a promoted team.
They arrived in Genoa having already won two league games, including a 3-2 victory over Venezia in which they survived a comeback before finding the decisive goal.
Kvernadze’s finish again demonstrated that Frosinone can threaten without dominating possession.
They also reacted well after conceding the equalizer. Rather than retreating completely, they created late opportunities after Vásquez’s dismissal and came close to taking all three points.
Seven points from four games puts Frosinone in the upper half provisionally and gives them an early cushion over the relegation places.
What Saturday Changed in the Serie A Table
| Team | Played | Points | Saturday Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazio | 4 | 10 | Perfect start ends, but Lazio go provisionally top |
| Cagliari | 4 | 9 | Third win in four sends Sardinians provisionally fourth |
| AC Milan | 4 | 8 | Remain unbeaten after comeback in Rome |
| Frosinone | 4 | 7 | Promoted side extend strong opening |
| Atalanta | 4 | 6 | Second defeat interrupts positive start |
| Genoa | 4 | 1 | First point of the season |
Those positions remain provisional because Roma, Inter, Juventus, Napoli, Como and several other clubs still have Matchday 4 fixtures to play.
The broader context was already developing after Inter and Roma stayed perfect during Matchday 3. Saturday has now placed pressure on those sides to respond.
Cagliari May Be Saturday’s Biggest Winner
Lazio remain first provisionally.
Milan produced the comeback of the day.
Yet Cagliari probably gained the most.
Winning away to Atalanta gives them a result that changes how opponents will view Pisacane’s team. They have now beaten Lecce and Atalanta consecutively, with Maldini scoring the decisive goal in both matches.
The team does not produce overwhelming attacking numbers, but it is becoming extremely efficient in decisive moments.
That represents a very different route to success from the expansive football associated with Inter, Roma or Atalanta.
The Scudetto Picture Is Already Becoming Crowded
Lazio’s 10 points put them in an excellent position, but the league table still contains several clubs with games in hand.
Inter and Roma entered Matchday 4 on nine points. Milan have eight. Juventus and Como began the weekend on seven.
The Sports Encounter’s preseason Serie A title-race analysis focused heavily on whether Inter could maintain their position as favorites, but the opening month has produced considerably more depth than a one-team race.
The opening weekend already hinted at that volatility. Saturday reinforced it.
Lazio look legitimate.
Milan remain unbeaten.
Cagliari are emerging as the early surprise.
And several traditional contenders still have the opportunity to reshape the table before Matchday 4 closes.
TSE Analysis: Saturday Rewarded Teams That Could Change the Game
The three Saturday matches produced three different forms of adaptation.
Milan were tactically second-best for 45 minutes, then changed personnel and rescued the match through Moreira.
Cagliari spent significant periods without control of the ball but punished Atalanta twice and defended their advantage with discipline.
Genoa missed a penalty, conceded first and went down to 10 men late, yet still found enough resilience to secure their first point.
The common lesson is that possession and reputation mattered less than reaction.
Lazio dominated one half but could not respond quickly enough once Milan changed the game.
Atalanta pushed for an equalizer but could not undo Cagliari’s efficiency.
Frosinone did enough away from home to confirm that their strong opening is not accidental.
Four rounds will not define the Serie A season, but Saturday gave us several useful clues about which teams can adjust when matches stop following the expected script.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were Saturday’s Serie A results?
Genoa drew 1-1 with Frosinone, Lazio drew 2-2 with AC Milan, and Cagliari beat Atalanta 2-1.
Who scored for Milan against Lazio?
Substitute Diego Moreira scored twice, in the 65th and 67th minutes, after Lazio had taken a 2-0 first-half lead.
Who scored in Atalanta vs Cagliari?
Paul Mendy opened the scoring for Cagliari in the 19th minute, Gianluca Scamacca equalized in the 41st, and Daniel Maldini scored the winning penalty in the 61st.
Did Lazio remain top of Serie A?
Lazio ended Saturday provisionally top with 10 points from four matches, although several leading teams still had their Matchday 4 fixtures to play.
How many points do Cagliari have?
Cagliari have nine points from four matches after winning three of their opening four league games.
Did Genoa win their first game?
No. Genoa drew 1-1 with Frosinone, but the result gave them their first point of the 2026-27 Serie A season.