How Are Serie A Clubs Preparing in the 2026 European Football Pre-Season Friendlies?

August is rapidly closing in, and the 2026-27 Serie A campaign is about to test whether any squad can genuinely challenge the defending champions. Across July and August, 22 clubs from six leading European leagues have used their pre-season friendlies to integrate fresh signings and refine tactical systems. For football enthusiasts closely tracking the build-up on KRIKYA, these summer matches—especially the high-profile clashes in Asia and Australia—have provided a stark look at who is ready for the grind and who still has glaring holes to fix.

Inter Milan remains the undeniable benchmark. After veterans Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij stepped away from the famous black and blue stripes, and Denzel Dumfries departed for Madrid, the champions moved quickly to secure Spence and Stones to patch the gaps. Their demanding 3-5-2 system relies heavily on depth, prompting the club to test combinations that can survive an incoming three-front war across the league, domestic cup, and Champions League. Their pre-season form has been formidable, stringing together a five-match unbeaten run that included a sharp 2-1 victory over domestic rivals Juventus down in Australia, serving as an ideal tune-up before their scheduled August 1 fixture against Manchester City.

Across the city, AC Milan’s preparations have looked far more disjointed. Management brought in Portuguese forward Ramos and highly-rated center-back Gila, hoping the latter’s ball-playing ability out of the back would fit a modernized system. With veteran Luka Modric expected to feed the frontline, the theory sounds potent, yet the reality on the pitch has been messy. Their friendly record yielded just one win alongside two draws and a defeat. A heavy 0-3 loss to Chelsea fully exposed a defense that has not yet learned to play together, even if a later 4-2 victory proved they can still outscore opponents when the attack clicks.

Juventus took a different approach to their summer rebuild, bypassing singular mega-transfers in favor of a broad attacking overhaul. They committed over €40 million each for Loïs Openda and Randal Kolo Muani, while securing 18-year-old Bosnian talent Kerim Alajbegovic. At the back, World Cup standout Jhon Lucumí and on-loan goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario arrived to shore up the defense. Their seven-match pre-season schedule was extensive, highlighted by an August 5 clash against Chelsea at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium for the Hong Kong Football Festival. While they managed victories against Standard Liege, Nice, and Chelsea, and closed their preparations with successive 2-0 wins over Palermo and Juventus Next Gen, that earlier defeat to Inter Milan suggests they still lack the collective cohesion to unseat the current titleholders.

Elsewhere, AS Roma used the summer fixtures to integrate new squad additions, including Donyell Malen making his early appearances in the attack. Napoli handed their revamped frontline to Rasmus Højlund and Alisson Santos following Romelu Lukaku's exit. Napoli looked sharp, routing one opponent 6-2, though relying on an aging Kevin De Bruyne to pull the strings over a grueling season carries obvious risks. Atalanta quietly reshaped their midfield by pulling Nicola Zalewski inside, a tactical shift that looked surprisingly effective as they aim to solidify their status as top-four contenders alongside other European heavyweights like Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon, and Bayer Leverkusen.