Juventus lead the xGA table, but Roma have the best goals-against record
The first seven rounds of Serie A 2026/27 have produced two different answers to the same question: which team has the strongest defence? Juventus have allowed the lowest expected goals against (xGA) per match in the available data. Roma, however, have conceded the fewest actual goals and kept the most clean sheets.
Juventus have recorded 2.96 xGA across six matches with full-quality data, an average of just 0.49 per game. Roma have allowed 7.39 xGA across seven games, or 1.06 per match. Yet Roma have conceded only three goals, compared with Juventus' seven.
Both figures matter. xGA estimates the quality of chances a team allows. Goals conceded show what happened on the scoreboard. Comparing them helps explain why a strong defensive record can have more than one story behind it.
Serie A defensive statistics: xGA, goals conceded and clean sheets
Among the teams with at least six matches of full-quality xGA data, Juventus have the lowest xGA average. Roma follow at 1.06, ahead of Inter (1.15), Napoli (1.24), Lazio (1.25) and Milan (1.26).
The goals-against table looks different. Roma have conceded just three goals in seven league matches and kept five clean sheets. Lazio have conceded four and kept four clean sheets. Juventus have conceded seven and kept four clean sheets, while Inter have conceded nine.
This is not a contradiction. A team can limit opponents to low-quality chances and still concede goals. Another team can allow more dangerous shots but see fewer of them become goals. Goalkeeping, finishing and short-term variation can all affect the difference.
Juventus restrict chances, despite seven goals conceded
Juventus' xGA figures are the most striking in this early sample. Across six matches with complete data, opponents have created chances worth only 2.96 expected goals. That works out to 0.49 xGA per game.
Their results show why the final score alone can be misleading. Juventus lost 3-2 away to Sassuolo despite allowing 1.02 xGA. They also lost 3-0 at home to Lazio, a match in which the visitors recorded only 0.57 xG. Those two results account for six of the seven goals Juventus have conceded this season.
Juventus have also kept four clean sheets in seven games. Their 0-0 draw away to Cagliari on 11 October is the one match without full-quality xG in their current sample. The defensive xGA average therefore covers six games, while the goals-conceded and clean-sheet totals cover seven.
The figures suggest Juventus have been effective at limiting the quality of chances. They do not prove that the team will continue to concede fewer chances at the same rate over a full season.
Roma's clean sheets tell a different story
Roma have made an unbeaten start with five wins and two draws. Their defensive record is impressive: three goals conceded and five clean sheets in seven matches.
The xGA total is less extreme. Roma have allowed 7.39 xGA, or 1.06 per match. That is a solid early figure, but it is more than double Juventus' average. Roma's opponents have created chances worth more goals than they have actually scored.
Roma's 2-2 draw with Inter stands out. Inter created 2.86 xG in that match, which makes up a large share of Roma's total xGA. In other games, Roma have been harder to break down. They allowed just 0.35 xGA against Fiorentina, 0.80 against Lecce and 0.47 against Genoa.
Roma's record is strong by both measures, but the gap between three goals conceded and 7.39 xGA deserves attention. It could narrow as the season develops. Seven games are not enough to know whether the difference will last.
Lazio and Inter show why defensive rankings need context
Lazio have conceded only four goals and kept four clean sheets. They have also taken six wins and one draw from seven league matches. Their 8.73 xGA, however, is higher than Roma's and Juventus' totals in the available sample.
A few matches help explain the difference. Lazio allowed 1.78 xGA in a 1-0 win away to Bologna and 1.92 in a 2-0 win away to Venezia. Both were clean sheets, but the opponents still created chances. Lazio's defence and goalkeeping delivered the result even when the chance-quality numbers were less comfortable.
Inter offer another contrast. They have conceded nine goals, more than Juventus, Roma or Lazio, but their 8.02 xGA across seven games is the third-lowest average among the selected teams. They have kept only two clean sheets. A 3-2 win against Napoli and a 5-3 win against Udinese contributed five of those goals conceded.
Inter's underlying defensive numbers are better than their goals-against total might suggest. But they are not a reason to ignore the actual goals conceded. Both views belong in a balanced analysis.
Home and away results add another layer
The early home-away split is useful, but the sample is small. Juventus have played four home games with full-quality xGA data and allowed 1.53 xGA in total. Their two qualifying away games produced 1.43 xGA.
Roma have played four home games and three away. They allowed 4.38 xGA at home and 3.01 away. One home match, the 2-2 draw with Inter, accounts for 2.86 of Roma's home xGA.
These figures should not be treated as proof that either team is stronger at one venue. They describe only a few matches, and opponent quality differs. As more fixtures are played, home and away defensive trends will become easier to assess.
So who has the best defence in Serie A?
It depends on what we measure. Juventus have allowed the lowest estimated chance quality per match in the current full-quality xGA sample. Roma have conceded the fewest actual goals and kept the most clean sheets. Lazio have also limited goals effectively, while Inter's xGA suggests a better defensive picture than their nine goals conceded might imply.
There is no need to force one winner from those different measures. The more useful conclusion is that defensive quality has several parts: restricting chances, preventing goals and maintaining those standards over time.
For updated standings and team records, explore the Serie A statistics page. Our Serie A 2025/26 xG analysis offers a full-season comparison, while xG vs xGA Explained explains how these metrics work. You can also compare recent results in the team directory.
Data and methodology
This article uses SmartMatchData's Serie A 2026/27 dataset through 19 October 2026. There are 70 completed matches, with full-quality xG and xGA for both teams in 66. xGA averages include only full-quality matches. Goals conceded and clean sheets cover all seven completed matches for each club unless otherwise stated. Juventus have six qualifying xGA matches; Roma, Lazio, Inter, Napoli and Milan have seven. Figures are rounded to two decimals. xGA estimates chance quality allowed, not guaranteed goals, and may differ between providers. This is a descriptive early-season analysis, not a prediction of future results.