Serie A Pre-Season Roundup: Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina, Torino and More in Action on July 25

A full slate of Serie A pre-season friendlies unfolded on Saturday, July 25, with seven Italian top-flight sides stepping onto the pitch to build fitness and test tactics ahead of the new campaign. The day featured wins, draws, and a few surprises, giving fans early signals about form and squad depth.

Juventus edge past Standard Liege

Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus opened their pre-season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Standard Liege. The first half was sluggish, with the Bianconeri lacking creativity in attack, especially without striker Lois Openda, who was absent amid transfer speculation. A youthful front line featuring Next Gen players Durmisi and Oboavwoduo failed to trouble the Liege defence.

The game changed after the break with substitutions. Midfielder Fabio Miretti scored the winner with a well-taken free kick from the edge of the box. Defensively, Juventus looked solid. After the match, Spalletti confirmed Openda’s departure: “We wish him the best. We didn’t manage to use him to his full potential.”

Milan fight back to draw with Celtic

Milan’s first friendly of the summer ended in a 2-2 draw away to Celtic. The Scottish side, further along in their pre-season, dominated the first half. Goals from Duran (11th minute) and Forrest (27th minute) put the hosts 2-0 up at the break.

Ruben Amorim made eight changes at half-time, one of them introducing 17-year-old forward Francesco Camarda. The youngster transformed the game. He converted a penalty in the 46th minute and then headed home a cross from Chukwueze seven minutes later to level the score. Milan nearly lost momentum when defender Mario Gila went off with a muscle strain in the 68th minute.

Fiorentina fall to QPR in London

Fiorentina suffered a 3-2 defeat against Championship side Queens Park Rangers. QPR’s superior fitness told over 90 minutes. The hosts took a 2-1 lead into half-time, with goals from Madsen and Kemper, while Arthur Atta scored for the Viola.

In the second half, QPR’s Smyth made it 3-1 before Roberto Piccoli pulled one back for Fiorentina. Head coach Grosso started five new signings, including centre-back pairing Dragusin and Viery, midfielders Atta and Oulai, and forward Jimenez on the right. Transfer-linked players such as Dodo, Gudmundsson, and Moise Kean also featured from the start.

Torino lose to Cittadella, Genoa and Lecce draw

Torino closed their training camp in Pinzolo with a 1-0 defeat to Cittadella. The Granata lacked pace and offensive spark in the first half. After the break, they hit the post through Njie and then missed an open goal through Aboukhlal. Goalkeeper Paleari made two crucial saves, but in the 90th minute Cittadella won a penalty, converted by Bunino.

In Moena, Genoa and Vicenza played out a 2-2 draw. Genoa took the lead through a long-range strike from Amorim and doubled it with a Colombo penalty. Vicenza fought back with goals from Cafferi and Alessio, the latter coming in stoppage time.

Lecce, under Eusebio Di Francesco, also drew 2-2 against Croatian side NK Istra. After falling behind, Lecce equalised through a Stulic penalty and then went ahead with a Maleh goal. Istra equalised in the 86th minute.

Trento wins triangular tournament

The triangular friendly in Trento saw the hosts beat both Sassuolo and Parma to win the mini-tournament. Trento defeated Sassuolo 2-0 in the first match, with goals from Capone and Aucelli. The second game between Parma and Sassuolo ended 0-0 after a disallowed goal; Parma won the penalty shootout 2-1. In the final match, Trento and Parma drew 1-1, with goals from Fiammozzi and Carboni. Trento won the decisive penalty shootout 4-3 after a miss from Valenti.

Key facts

Why this matters for Serie A followers

Pre-season friendlies provide early indicators of team shape, tactical experimentation, and emerging talent. Camarda’s double for Milan, Miretti’s winning free kick, and the integration of new signings at Fiorentina give fans concrete talking points. The results also highlight fitness gaps, with teams like Torino and Fiorentina struggling against opponents further along in their preparations. As the Serie A season approaches, these performances will shape line-up decisions and transfer priorities.

Source: TuttoMercatoWeb – https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/i-fatti-del-giorno/juventus-milan-bologna-torino-genoa-amichevoli-giocate-2257180