Battle for Serie A top spot will be on the card in the matchday 23 round of fixtures when Inter Milan battles Juventus in a mouth-watering clash for the ages. Meanwhile, bottom-of-the-log Salernitana’s woes continue as they have failed to secure a win in their past four matches, they suffered four back-to-back losses. Let’s dive into this week’s round of 23 fixtures.
Friday February 2
26/10 Lecce | Draw 22/10 | Fiorentina 21/20 21:45
The home side is currently on a downward spiral, they have played a single draw and lost five of their last six fixtures. They face the daunting task of defeating Fiorentina who are fighting to end the season in a position where they qualify for continental competition.
Viola will be looking to recover from a three-match winless run, they recently lost 1-0 to log-leaders Inter and another loss will see them dropping further down on the table. Back Fiorentina to win.
Saturday February 3
19/10 Empoli | Draw 2/1 | Genoa 31/20 16:00
Relegation-threatened Empoli seem to have been turning things around, they have avoided defeat in their past two matches including a resounding 3-0 win against Monza as well as a 1-1 draw against the high-flying Juventus who are currently second on the log. It will be interesting to see if they can continue collecting points and move away from the relegation zone.
Genoa will be aiming to extend their seven-match unbeaten run to eight. They are currently eleventh on the log and a win here will see them climbing to the top half of the log. The past three meetings between the two ended in draws and this is an important clash for both sides. I see it ending in a draw.
13/10 Udinese | Draw 23/10 | Monza 2/1 16:00
Udinese will host 12th place Monza who are fresh off a 1-0 win over Sassuolo. Coach Gabriel Cioffi needs to pay especial attention towards strengthening his defence as his side has failed to keep a clean sheet in their past four matches. They have scored 23 goals and conceded 37.
Monza on the other hand have suffered eight losses, won seven and seven of their opening 22 matches ended in a draw. This is expected to be a highly contested match with several goals. My money is on Monza to win.
34/10 Frosinone | Draw 3/1 | AC Milan 7/10 19:00
Frosinone have a mountain of a task ahead of them of beating the Italian giant’s AC Milan who are currently third on the log. Giallazzurri will be looking to build from the 3-1 win against Cagliari which was followed by a 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona. A win against Milan will be a huge confidence booster in their efforts to move up the table.
The Rossoneri on the other hand are on a mission to tighten the gap between them and their Milan rivals Inter who are currently at the helm of Serie A. Milan is currently eight points behind the leaders. They are expected to come out strong in this clash to secure a win to continue breathing down Inter’s neck. Milan to win comfortably.
15/20 Bologna | Draw 26/10 | Sassuolo 7/2 21:45
Bologna is heading to this match at the back of a 2-2 draw against Milan. They have proven to be a difficult team to beat having lost only four of their 21 opening matches. They have scored 25 goals and conceded 20 which is impressive for a team that is eighth on the log. They are desperate to turn things around as they have not secured a win in their past four matches.
Sassuolo have suffered 12 defeats which is the third highest number of losses in the league this season. They have managed to collect 19 points in the opening 21 games that they have played. Their top scorer Domenico Berardi is expected to continue with his impressive showing and score goals that will secure the much-needed victory for Sassuolo. My money is on Bologna
Sunday, February 4
5/10 Torino | Draw 3/1 | Salernitana 58/10 13:30
Torino will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to four matches at the expense of the relegation-threatened Salernitana. They got back to their winning ways by dispatching Napoli 3-0, this was followed by a goalless draw against Genoa and on their last clash they defeated Cagliari 2-1 in their backyard.
Coach Fillipo Inzaghi is desperate to turn things around and start collecting points to move away from the bottom of the log. A win in this clash would be a great start for his side to break the four-match losing streak. His side has won only two out of the 22 league matches that they have played this season. Back Torino to win
9/20 Napoli | Draw 34/10 | Hellas Verona 58/10 16:00
The defending champions have had a rocky start to the season having suffered seven losses, five draws and 9 wins. They are currently ninth on the log and the chances of them defending their title are slowly decreasing. With their top striker Victor Osimhen who has scored seven goals in 13 matches this season currently on international duty with Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations not being part of this clash Gli Azzurri will have their work cut out for them.
Sixteenth-placed Verona will be looking to get back to their winning ways. They were recently held to a 1-1 draw by Frosinone and that was before they were defeated by Roma 2-1. Napoli will be too strong for Verona, I see them winning this clash.
1/1 Atalanta | Draw 23/10 | Lazio 26/10 19:00
Atalanta has had a good start to the season, they are currently fourth on the log and stand a chance of qualifying for continental competition as well as challenging for the league title. They are heading to this match brimming with confidence having convincingly won their past two fixtures. They demolished Frosinone 5-0 and that was followed by a resounding 2-0 win against Udinese.
Lazio will be aiming for back-to-back wins, they stunned Atalanta 3-2 in their last meeting. They have not tasted defeat in their past five league matches and a win in this match will put them back in the title race. They are currently sixth on the log and are separated by two points from their rivals. This match will end in a draw.
Written by @siphesihlesoni.