Last week, the Serie A delivered an exciting array of games over the weekend through to Monday. Inter are better positioned at the top of the table having avoided a loss against fierce rivals Atalanta, while their nemesis and fellow title contender, AC Milan, dropped three points to Spezia. There’s a lot of football still to be played, and this weekend brings another exciting round of fixtures, let’s get into it.
Friday 21 January
Hellas Verona 11/10
Draw 5/2
Bologna 24/10
(21:45)
Verona hosts Bologna off the back of a confidence-boosting away victory against Sassuolo where they scored four goals and conceded two. They have one of the most lethal strikers in the league in Giovani Simeone whose goals have attracted interest from the Premier League and La Liga. Bologna will travel to the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi having only managed one win in their last six games, but they emerged winners in their last fixture against Verona in September. I don’t see them getting anything on this game though. Back the hosts in this encounter.
Saturday 22 January
Genoa 23/10
Draw 23/10
Udinese 12/10
(16:00)
Both teams go into this game desperate for a win following recent results. The hosts have only won one game in 22 games this season and look destined for the drop. During that time, they have conceded 45 goals while scoring only 20. Udinese smashed relegation strugglers, Cagliari, 4-0 in December and I see them doing the same in this game. Udinese should have the edge over this one, back them to win.
Inter Milan 1/8
Draw 7/1
Venezia 17/1
(19:00)
The visitors haven’t won a match in nine games and things don’t get any easier this coming weekend with an away match at the San Siro. Inter are on a 14-match unbeaten run and are steaming through the fixtures despite their draw against Atalanta in their last game. With AC Milan only two points behind them in the race for the Scudetto, there’s little to no room for mistake for Inter and I don’t see them dropping any points in this one. Put everything on the champions.
Lazio 2/1
Draw 26/10
Atalanta 12/10
(21:45)
Two fairly-matched teams who probably feel they are underachieving this season, both sides have had great moments and this match promises to be one of the standout games this weekend. In front of goal, both teams have been scoring goals for fun and have a similar number, but where they differ is in defence with Lazio conceding 13 more goals than Atalanta in 22 games. Being the home team, Lazio will make this one a dogfight. Expect Both Teams to Score at 5/10, while a draw is not a far-off prediction.
Sunday 23 January
Cagliari 3/1
Draw 26/10
Fiorentina 17/20
(13:30)
Fiorentina will be looking for a full three points in this game having won four of their last seven ties, that included a huge 6-0 win against relegation contenders Genoa in gameweek 22. They come into this match with one of the most lethal strikers in Serie A, Dusan Vlahovic, who will look to add to his 16-goal tally. The hosts still only have three victories this season, two of which have come in their last five games. I expect the away team to win easily.
Napoli 2/11
Draw 6/1
Salernitana 13/1
(16:00)
Salernitana visits an in-form Napoli side who have only lost once in their last five matches. It should worry Napoli that the loss came against a team way below them in the standings, Spezia, and this might give the basement boys some hope for a point, but a win for them is highly unlikely. Salernitana has still only won three games this season and looks headed for the drop even though they can still survive mathematically speaking. It’s hard to imagine anything other than Over 2.5 Goals at 4/10.
Spezia 7/4
Draw 23/10
Sampdoria 31/20
(16:00)
A clash of two teams that sit just above the relegation zone. Spezia goes into this one with better form than their visitors, with three wins in their last five games. Impressively enough, one of those wins came against AC Milan. Sampdoria, on the other hand, has picked up two draws and three straight losses in their last five ties. I expect it to be a low-scoring game but back the home team for a win.
Torino 12/10
Draw 24/10
Sassuolo 9/4
(16:00)
Torino is one of the most in-form sides currently, with four wins in their last five games and it’s no wonder they sit in a respectable ninth position in the log. Looking at teams ahead of them and those beneath them, Torino will look to get closer to European positions with a win, while also distancing themselves from teams like Sassuolo who are only three points behind them. The visitors only have one win in their last five. My money is on Torino to Win & Both Teams to Score at 31/10.
Empoli 29/10
Draw 3/1
Roma 8/10
(19:00)
Empoli have had a difficult festive season, enduring a five-game winless run in the Serie A coming into this weekend’s clash against Jose Mourinho’s Roma. The visitors returned to winning ways against Cagliari after back-to-back defeats against Milan and Juventus. Roma have enjoyed fixtures against the lesser teams in the division, therefore, should claim maximum points in this tie.
AC Milan 33/20
Draw 9/4
Juventus 33/20
(21:45)
In what looks set to be the biggest clash in Italy this weekend, AC Milan welcome Juventus to the San Siro. The hosts’ three-game win-streak came to a surprise end when they suffered a 2-1 defeat on home soil to Spezia on Monday night. Juventus seem to be climbing up the table after a dismal start to the campaign and are now eight matches without defeat in the Serie A. In that spell, Juve have won six times, dropping points just twice. With form on their side, my money is on Juventus to Win or Draw & Both Teams to Score at 27/20.
TREBLE @ 7/1
Roma Win 8/10
Fiorentina Win 17/20
Juventus Win/Draw & BTTS 27/20
Written by Mcebo Mpungose