Frosinone's best Serie A start ever: 10 points in 5

Ten points in five rounds: Frosinone have never started a Serie A season this well. The figure, reported by Calciomercato.com on 21 September, describes a team sitting sixth with three wins, one draw and a single defeat, nine goals scored and four conceded.

The latest chapter was the 2-0 win over Como on Sunday 20 September, in the 3pm kick-off. The full-time report credits the opener to Calò on 14 minutes, assisted by Schmid, and the second goal to Kvernadze in first-half stoppage time, again set up by Schmid; an earlier version from the same source had described a brace for the Georgian. Eight days earlier came a 1-1 draw away at Genoa.

The numbers are not those of a typical newly promoted side. The four goals conceded are the fourth-best defensive record in the league: only Cagliari (2), Roma and Lazio (3) have done better. Up front the load falls on two men: Antonio Raimondo has four goals, Giorgi Kvernadze three plus an assist, seven of the team's nine goals between them.

The table shows Alvini's team level on 10 points with Juventus and Como, separated only by goal difference, and above Napoli (7), Sassuolo (7), Atalanta (6), Lecce (6) and Fiorentina (4). Ahead of them are Roma, Inter and Lazio on 13, then Cagliari on 12 and Milan on 11.

The story has travelled beyond the pitch. Italy Under-21 head coach Silvio Baldini, quoted by Corriere dello Sport on 22 September, used the club to make a point about Italian youth development, arguing that Frosinone and Como represent Italian football as it really is.

The league now pauses for international duty and returns on 10 October. The restart is unforgiving: on Saturday 10 October Frosinone travel to Napoli, then host Sassuolo on 16 October. That is when it will become clear whether those ten points are a record to protect or only a starting point.