And It Happened Again: The Italian League's "Capolista" Changed Hands

GENOA, MONDAY – The top team in the Italian League table changes every week. Inter Milan once again felt like they were in control of the league after defeating Genoa 2-1 early Monday morning (12/15/2025) WIB. The Nerazzurri surpassed Napoli and AC Milan, who failed to win.

Inter began their match at home against Genoa, at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, with great determination. Three points would restore them to the top position they held in the 10th week.

This is not unrelated to the loss of points experienced by the two teams above them as they entered week 15. AC Milan was held to a 2-2 draw by the currently best-performing promoted team, Sassuolo, at the San Siro Stadium.

In another match, Napoli suffered their fourth defeat of the season. They lost 0-1 to Udinese due to a solitary goal from Jurgen Ekkelenkamp.

Inter didn't waste the opportunity. The three points rocketed them from third place to the top of the standings.

The Nerazzurri were already in first place just six minutes into the match at the Luigi Ferraris. Defender Yan Aurel Bisseck scored his team's first goal. Near the end of the first half, Inter skipper Lautaro Martinez doubled the lead in the 38th minute.

In the second half, Inter, determined to maintain their lead, faced several threats from the home team. Genoa responded positively with a goal from Vitor Oliveira in the 69th minute. However, after that goal, Inter performed flawlessly to preserve their advantage and secure three points from their visit to Genoa.

The result helped Inter to maintain their position at the top of the Italian League 2025-2026 in the second week. Previously, Inter had only watched three competitors, namely AS Roma, Napoli, and Milan, alternately occupy the top of the standings.

Currently, Inter has collected 33 points from 15 matches. They are one point ahead of their city rival, AC Milan, and two points ahead of the defending champion, Napoli.

That advantage is an important capital for Inter before temporarily leaving the competition in Serie A. Next weekend, Inter, along with Milan, Napoli, and Bologna, will rush to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in the 2025 Supercoppa Italiana. This mini-tournament presents the first opportunity for Inter to secure a trophy under Cristian Chivu's regime.

After returning from Saudi Arabia, Inter is set to face four challenging final matches of the first round. It begins with an away game against Atalanta as the concluding match in 2025, followed by encounters with Bologna, Parma, and Napoli to kick off the new year in 2026.

Martinez stated that the victory over Genoa, which helped his team reach the top of the standings, is very significant. According to him, this result serves as an important foundation and proves that their hard work is beginning to yield positive outcomes.

"We're back at the top thanks to hard work, self-sacrifice, and constant striving for improvement. We're aware of our strengths. The message in the dressing room is clear: we want to take Inter to the top," Martinez told DAZN.

Martinez, the striker for the Argentina national team, does not care about outsiders' opinions regarding his team. According to him, it is normal for many parties to assess Inter's performance this season.

"Everyone has been talking about Inter in recent years because we have been doing well. It is normal to have criticism and other comments. We do not pay attention to that because the team speaks through its performance on the field," said 28-year-old Martinez.

On the other hand, Chivu is reluctant to discuss his team's position in the temporary standings. For the Romanian tactician, the most important thing is to review the performance of his players at Luigi Ferraris.

"It was a tough match, both in terms of the atmosphere and the opponent's improved performance since Daniele De Rossi took charge. We got three important points," Chivu said, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The match against Genoa was a response demonstrated by Inter after their 0-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League. The Inter squad appeared to not face a mental block after suffering their first loss at the San Siro Stadium in a Champions League game since September 2022.

The rotation implemented by Chivu, for instance, by playing Petar Sucic and Francesco Pio Esposito, has been effective since the kickoff. Both filled the roles of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Thuram to help I Nerazzurri return to the winning path.

Chivu emphasized that Inter's performance at home against Genoa is a testament to the quality of his players. He acknowledged that the change of coach from Simone Inzaghi to himself was initially met with skepticism.

"A few months ago, many said we would finish the season in eighth or tenth place because this team seemed to be finished. Our journey is still long, but we realize that we need consistency in everything," he said.