The Japan Times - Lazio pull clear at Serie A summit

Lazio made a poor start as Cagliari took the lead through M'Bala Nzola in the 20th minute before goals in either half from Gustav Isaksen and Andrea Pinamonti gave them a sixth straight Serie A win.

With 28 points from 10 games, Lazio moved three clear of Inter after they lost the Milan derby. Unbeaten Roma sit third on 24 points and Como climbed back to fourth with a 1-0 win over rock-bottom Venezia.

Lazio last won Serie A in 2000 and this is the best start to a league campaign in the club's history.

As has been the case in recent home matches, Lazio played in front of largely empty sections of the Stadio Olimpico, with many ultras and supporters continuing their boycott in protest against owner and president Claudio Lotito, whom they accuse of failing to invest sufficiently in the squad.

Como's victory at home over lowly Venezia on Sunday was a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions.

The hosts dominated, but needed a penalty to find the back of the net. Como captain Lucas Da Cunha converted in the 43rd minute for the French international's first goal of the season.

"This is the type of match we found hard to win last season," Da Cunha told DAZN.

Cesc Fabregas's side had slipped to fifth when AC Milan beat champions Inter 3-1 on Saturday.

Como moved one point behind Roma, who beat Udinese 5-2 on Saturday.

"This victory is really important in terms of our maturing process," said Fabregas.

"Our state of mind is irreproachable," added the 39-year-old Spaniard.

Como resume their Champions League campaign against Lens on Wednesday.

In a season in which Italian teams have struggled in Europe, Como have the best record of the Serie A clubs in the Champions League, sitting ninth in the 36-team standings, with six points from three games.

Como, who were playing in Italy's third division as recently as 2021, beat Manchester United 4-1 in the last round of European matches.

S.Yamamoto--JT