Five rounds are not enough to settle a Serie A season, but they can change the hierarchy of expectation. At Frosinone, Monza and Sassuolo, early performances have brought players from the margins of pre-season discussion into the centre of their clubs’ first chapter.
The decision
Frosinone’s start has been shaped by a goalkeeper who has made a fast case for attention. Lorenzo Palmisani, valued at 17 credits, has kept two clean sheets and conceded only four goals for the newly promoted side. His defining afternoon came against Como, when he received a rating of 9 and was named man of the match after denying both Douvikas and Nico Paz to protect Frosinone’s win.
Mandas remains the leading goalkeeper by fantasy average, but Palmisani’s numbers have made him one of the early surprises of the campaign. For a promoted team, his contribution has offered a measure of stability during a demanding opening spell.
Monza, also newly promoted, have found an immediate contributor in Ricardo Mangas. The Portuguese wide player arrived from Sporting Lisbon with questions still surrounding how quickly he would adapt to Serie A. Five rated appearances later, he has a goal and two assists.
Mangas has supplied consistently positive displays since a 5.5 rating on his league debut against Inter. His crossing and forward running have given Monza a useful outlet, while his early returns have placed him among the defensive players making an unexpected impact.
At Sassuolo, Vasilije Adzic has gone beyond the modest expectations that accompanied his summer. The Montenegro midfielder has produced more bonus contributions than any other midfielder so far, with three goals and an assist. One of those goals carried particular weight: it decided Sassuolo’s victory over Juventus, his former club.
There had been a reasonable prospect of Adzic receiving more minutes this season. His ability to influence matches so regularly, however, has been a more significant development. Sassuolo have been handed an early source of goals from midfield at a stage when every point begins to shape the league’s wider mood.
Frosinone’s other standout has been Giorgi Kvernadze. Raimondo had been regarded as a player capable of attracting interest, but Kvernadze began the season as a less familiar figure. The Georgian left winger has rapidly altered that picture, recording three goals and one assist in five matches.
His progression has been clear in the ratings as well. After a 6.5 performance against Juventus, Kvernadze’s level has risen steadily, culminating in a 7.5 against Como and a third consecutive goal. He has already troubled several Serie A defences, and Frosinone now have more than one unexpected figure carrying their early momentum.
These are still only the first five matchdays, with no final conclusions available to anyone. Yet Palmisani, Mangas, Adzic and Kvernadze have each turned an opening opportunity into a meaningful place in the season’s developing story.
