Five Things To Watch Out For In Serie A On Matchday 10 With Pioli And Vieira Under Increasing Pressure

With the 2025-26 Serie A season a quarter of the way through, FootItalia has identified five things to look out for on matchday 10.

Atalanta, Como and Juventus are all in action on November 1. The latter will be looking for back-to-back wins after beating Udinese on matchday 9.

On November 2, Verona host last season’s runners-up Inter Milan. The standout fixture comes from the San Siro as AC Milan squares off against Roma.

Elsewhere, struggling Fiorentina face Lecce in Florence. On November 3, basement dwellers Genoa will play Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium.

San Siro Serie A Title Clash

Undeniably, the AC Milan vs Roma match can have a huge bearing on where the 2025-26 Serie A title ends up. Naturally, it’s still very early in the season but the two titans have looked like worthy contenders so far.

A victory for either will reinforce their intent to land Italy’s top soccer prize come May. However, the latest Christian Pulisic injury update means he will miss the clash.

The USMNT star hasn’t featured since the goalless draw with Juventus on matchday 6. His absence will be felt once again having contributed six goal contributions for the Rossoneri so far.

As for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, they have won all four away games so far. The Giallorossi heads into the hugely anticipated clash level on points with Napoli at the top of the table.

Will Stefano Pioli Be The Next Serie A Manager Sacked?

After Igor Tudor was dismissed from Juventus, Stefano Pioli could be the next Serie A manager sacked if he fails to beat Lecce on home soil.

Pioli has endured a torrid time in the dugout so far in 2025-26. The AC Milan Scudetto winner is yet to steer his side to victory in Italy’s top-flight.

On matchday 9, La Viola were crushed 3-0 by Inter Milan at the San Siro. Pioli knows the pressure is mounting and a win is absolutely vital to remain as head coach in Florence.

Recent history does favor the 2022-23 Conference League runners-up though. Fiorentina did the double over Lecce last season which included a 1-0 home win. Something of which would be hugely welcomed on November 1.

Juventus Looking For Back-To-Back Wins

With Luciano Spalletti set to be announced as the new Juventus manager, it’s looking a lot rosier in Turin of late. After Igor Tudor was relieved of his duties earlier this week, Juve promptly won their first game in eight attempts.

Dusan Vlahovic, Kenan Yildiz and Federico Gatti all netted in the 3-1 victory over Udinese on matchday 9. The much-needed victory has boosted the whole club ahead of Spalletti’s appointment.

In fact, the former Napoli and Azzurri boss should be in the dugout for the matchday 10 clash against Cremonese. On paper, it’s a great fixture for the Bianconeri but the Grigiorossi have only lost once in Serie A this season.

They famously beat AC Milan in the season opener. Spalletti will know the Serie B playoff winners will be no pushovers. Especially with former English Premier League winner Jamie Vardy in their ranks.

All Or Nothing For Patrick Vieira

Similar to Stefano Pioli, Genoa head coach Patrick Vieira is on thin ice. His position at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium is extremely precarious. Especially after losing at home to Cremonese.

The matchday 9 defeat to Davide Nicola’s side means they are rooted to the bottom of the Serie A table. Vieira is yet to oversee a single win this year in Italy’s top-flight.

On November 3, the Grifone plays Sassuolo who have made a decent start this term. A defeat could be disastrous for the Arsenal and France legend.

Vieira moved to Liguria just under one year ago and led Genoa to a mid-table finish in 2024-25. However, a lack of summer activity has dampened his plans to push on this season and he could be pushed out the door this weekend.

Can Atalanta Maintain Unbeaten Run?

Interestingly, Atalanta is the only Serie A side yet to taste defeat this season. Ivan Juric replaced stalwart Gian Piero Gasperini and has performed admirably this year.

His only ‘problem’ has been too many draws. Unsurprisngly, the last outing ended in a 1-1 stalemate against Max Allegri’s AC Milan side.

Ademola Lookman netted his first goal of the season in Bergamo. The 2024 African Player of the Year appears to have put to bed his transfer saga from the summer.

On November 1, Juric’s mean take on Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium. On paper, it’s certainly a winnable fixture but avoiding defeat will mean it’s 10 games without a loss this term.