What Do European Football Pre-Season Friendlies Show For Serie A?

The 2026-2027 Serie A season kicks off on August 22, and the summer preparation window is already showing how the top contenders will line up. Fans looking closely at the European football pre-season friendlies can see aggressive rebuilds and defensive overhauls taking shape. At JILIASIA, we have been tracking these tactical adjustments as the Italian giants integrate their summer signings.

Defending champions Inter Milan face a demanding three-front war this year across Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Champions League. After Dumfries departed for Real Madrid and veterans Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij left the squad, the club moved fast to sign Spence and Stones. They established their summer training camp in Donaueschingen from July 16 to 25 to integrate these pieces alongside new arrivals Akanji and Stankovic. While the board continues to contact versatile midfielder Curtis Jones, the current squad tested their signature 3-5-2 formation with friendlies against Karlsruhe on July 26, Manchester City on August 1, and AC Milan on August 5, aiming to extend their impressive five-match unbeaten rhythm.

AC Milan is undergoing its own defensive restructuring after bringing in Gila, a center-back from the Real Madrid youth system whose passing range fits modern tactical demands. With Luka Modric expected to supply newly signed Portuguese forward Ramos, the attacking potential is clear. The club is also actively chasing Belgian winger Diego Moreira to finalize the front line. However, their preparation schedule—featuring Celtic on July 25, Chelsea on August 8, and Manchester United on August 15—revealed inconsistency. They recorded a mix of two draws, one win, and one loss overall. A heavy 3-0 defeat to Chelsea exposed the urgent need to shore up defensive integrations, even though a separate 4-2 victory showcased their raw attacking firepower.

Juventus opted for heavy investment, dropping over 40 million euros each for forwards Loïs Openda and Randal Kolo Muani, along with a 32 million euro deal for 18-year-old Bosnian talent Kerim Alajbegovic. At the back, they added Colombian defender Jhon Lucumí and brought in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario on loan from Tottenham. While some unofficial scrimmages saw a 1-2 setback against Inter and a 2-0 win over a youth squad, their main pre-season fixtures showed massive defensive solidity. Juventus played out a 0-0 draw against FC Basel on July 18, then strung together three clean-sheet victories: 1-0 over Standard Liège on July 25, 2-0 against OGC Nice on July 31, and a 1-0 win against Chelsea on August 5. Despite this impressive run, unseating Inter from the top spot will be difficult.

Further down the table, Napoli focused on their attack by signing Rasmus Højlund and winger Alisson Santos as the new answers up front following Lukaku's exit. Kevin De Bruyne stayed with the club, but his advancing age suggests Napoli will still struggle to break into the top three, even after an encouraging 6-2 pre-season victory. They split their camps between Dimaro-Folgarida from July 17 to 27 and Castel di Sangro from July 30 to August 13. Atalanta strengthened their top-four credentials by successfully converting new signing Nicola Zalewski into a central midfielder. Elsewhere, teams utilized regional camps to build fitness: Genoa set up in Moena with friendlies against Trento on July 19 and Vicenza on July 25. Bologna headed to Rio Pusteria-Valles to face Arminia Bielefeld on July 12, Heidenheim on July 22, and Iraklis on July 25, while Lazio scheduled an August 5 clash against Ostiamare at the Stadio Mirko Fersini in Formello. Finally, Fiorentina rounded out the calendar with an August 6 fixture against Deportivo La Coruna.