Both teams at the top lost their first matches of the season, which has made the title race a bit tighter after this weekend's matches.

The Italian Serie A had quite a few surprises for fans around the country and those who follow it in the world, as none of the top-seeded teams were capabel of earning points this week. On the contrary, the title race became a bit closer thanks to Inter's 3-2 victory, which got the defending champions closer to those who are leading the pack. Elsewhere, Atalanta, Juventus, and Roma made things more entertaining for those who are a bit behind, giving us a glimpse of how tough the rest of the competition will be.

Here's how things look like in the Italian top-flight after what turned out to be one interesting weekend full of games.

Who are the top five Serie A teams after Matchday 12?

Napoli and Milan kept their lead at the top of the table despite losing their respective games. Inter are now four points closer to the leaders thanks to their victory over Napoli, while Atalanta also got nearer with their come-from-behind win against Spezia. Last, but not least, Roma returned to the top five after beating Genoa away from home thanks to a brace by Felix Afena-Gyan. 

Serie A top 3 scorers

The top spot in the goalscoring charts is shared by Dusan Vlahovic and Ciro Immobile, both of them with ten goals. Fiorentina's striker reached that number this week after a brace that led the Viola to a win against Milan, while Immobile was not capable of scoring in Lazio's defeat to Juventus. The third place in the Capocannoniere race is owned by Giovanni Simeone, who helped Hellas Verona beat Empoli but without finding the back of the net.

Serie A – Top headlines

  • Dries Mertens makes history for Napoli in loss to Inter - The Belgian footballer was the most prolific scorer in Serie A history for Napoli, but this weekend he also became the team's all-time top scorer in Serie A matches. With his goal against Inter, Mertens surpassed Antonio Vojak's 102 Serie A goals for I Partenopei, also increasing his overall tally to 135 goals.

  • Vlahovic becomes Fiorentina's all-time top scorer in a single calendar year - It has been quite a year for the Serbian striker, and what better way to prove that than watching his goalscoring stats in the ongoing year. So far, Vlahovic has scored 27 goals in 2021, matching the record owned by Kurt Hamrin, who did the same for the Viola side in 1960. Judging by Vlahovic's goalscoring prowess, it seems like a matter of time before he is the sole owner of that record.

  • Zlatan reaches milestone in Milan's defeat against Fiorentina - The Swedish ace went back to his team after a disappointing international break, but he did so to earn one more record for his resume. The "Lion" became the first 40-year-old footballer to score two or more goals in a Serie A match, while also becoming the first player to accomplish that feat in the top-five European leagues during the course of the 21st Century. It seems that for Zlatan, his forties are starting to look as his new thirties.

Top matches to watch in Serie A on November 26-28, 2021

Juventus vs Atalanta: Massimiliano Allegri's men claimed a huge win over Lazio last weekend, and this time, they will be facing Gian Piero Gasperini's Atalants trying to repeat that feat. The black and blue side will not be easy to defeat, but if the bianconeri can defeat the fourth-best team in the league, then we will seriously have to consider the most winning side in Serie A history as true title contenders after a dubious start.

Venezia vs Inter: The neraazzurri are back in the title race after beating Napoli, but their next opponent has proven recently that they are no pushover. Considering the record each team has put up in the ongoing season, we can easily believe that this will be a must-watch game for all football fans in Italy and the world.

Napoli vs Lazio: The league leaders fell for the first time in the season, and facing Lazio may not give them any guarantee about their chances for success. Luciano Spalletti's men are facing the toughest part of the tournament so far, and taking three points against Le Aquile will give them some breathing space and confirm them as the team to beat in the ongoing Serie A season.

*Keep track of all the activity in the Italian top-flight by following our dedicated Serie A competition page.