Lazio beat Monza 3-1 to join Inter at the top of Serie A

Lazio continued their remarkable start to the Serie A season on Sunday with a 3-1 home win over Monza that lifted Gennaro Gattuso's side level with Inter at the top of the table. A spectacular early goal from Nuno Tavares set the tone for a team enjoying the best opening in the club's history and now sitting on 16 points from a possible 18.

• Lazio beat Monza 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico and joined Inter on 16 points at the top of Serie A.
• Nuno Tavares opened the scoring after three minutes with an unstoppable left-footed strike from outside the box into the top corner.
• Gustav Isaksen made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute and Andrea Pinamonti sealed the win in the 89th after Alfonso Pedraza's assist.
• Roma, who led before the international break, drew 0-0 at Cesc Fàbregas' Como and slipped off the top.
• Lazio's ultras continue their home-game boycott amid their ongoing dispute with president Claudio Lotito.

Nuno Tavares scores a stunner as Lazio take early control

The Portuguese full-back needed just three minutes to put Lazio ahead. Nuno Tavares collected the ball on the left, opened his body and unleashed a fierce left-footed drive from outside the area that flew into the top corner, leaving the Monza goalkeeper with no chance. It was a goal that summed up the confidence running through a player who has shown real flashes of quality since pulling on the biancocelesti shirt.

Lazio underlined their superiority in the opening spell with a second goal. Gustav Isaksen struck in the 23rd minute to complete a well-worked team move and make it 2-0. With that cushion, the home side looked as though they had settled the contest, but the match took an unexpected turn before the interval.

Monza fight back after Lorenzo Lucchesi's red card

Monza were reduced to ten men in the 35th minute when Lorenzo Lucchesi was sent off for grabbing Tijjani Noslin as the striker raced clear towards goal. Yet despite the numerical disadvantage, Ivan Juric's side rallied after the break and pulled a goal back in the first minute of the second half through Saba Goglichidze.

That made it 2-1 and gave life to a Monza side who came close to equalising on several occasions. Lazio, who had looked so comfortable earlier, found themselves under pressure against a team sitting 16th in the table with four points. Gattuso turned to his bench for fresh legs, and the introduction of Alfonso Pedraza would prove vital.

Pinamonti wraps it up late as Lazio reach 16 points

Just as Monza were pushing hardest for an equaliser, Andrea Pinamonti popped up in the 89th minute to settle the contest. The Italian striker converted a precise assist from Spanish wing-back Alfonso Pedraza and finally took the tension out of the Olimpico. With that goal, Lazio sealed their fifth win in the first six matchdays and preserved their unbeaten record.

The numbers behind Lazio's start are striking: 16 points from 18 available and the best opening to a campaign in the club's history. Gattuso, back in management after his spell as Italy head coach, has given the team a clear identity and Lazio are now daring to dream of challenging at the very top.

Inter lead on goal difference as Roma slip up at Como

Lazio's victory leaves the Roman club level on 16 points with Inter, who beat Parma 3-0 on Saturday. The reigning champions sit first on goal difference and look every bit the title favourites many expected them to be this season. Lazio, meanwhile, are the surprise package in the race for the top spot.

Roma, the leaders heading into the international break, wasted the chance to stay in first place after drawing 0-0 away to Cesc Fàbregas' Como. That slip allowed both Inter and Lazio to leapfrog the Giallorossi and left the Serie A table tighter than ever at this stage of the campaign.

Ultras boycott leaves the Olimpico short on atmosphere despite Lazio's form

For all the success on the pitch, the stands at the Stadio Olimpico continue to paint a far less encouraging picture. Lazio's ultras have been boycotting home matches since last season amid a long-running dispute with president Claudio Lotito, and the atmosphere remains muted even as the team produce the best start in their history.

The disconnect between the club's ownership and its most vocal supporters is one of the few shadows hanging over a sporting project that keeps growing on the field. Gattuso and his players have built a genuine title bid on results, but the mood inside the Olimpico is still a long way from what might be expected of a Scudetto contender.