Predictions for the 1st Round of Serie A, August 23-25
Genoa vs Lecce
Last season, Lecce can hardly consider a success. The team rarely delighted fans with victories, remained in the relegation zone for a long time, and only in the final round, thanks to an away victory over Lazio (1:0), managed to retain its place in the top division. Genoa, on the other hand, had a more stable championship, finishing in 13th position. In the new season, the "Griffins" have every chance to break into the top ten, especially considering the impressive results in pre-season matches (2 draws and 2 wins, including a confident victory over Villarreal with a score of 3:1). Playing at home, Genoa has excellent prospects to start the championship with a win.
Match Prediction for Genoa vs Lecce: Home Win
Sassuolo vs Napoli
Antonio Conte once again confirmed his status as one of the strongest modern coaches. Taking over Napoli, he led the team to a championship title in his debut season. In the new campaign, the "Partenopei" are quite capable of defending the title of the best team in the country: the club not only retained key players but also strengthened with star newcomers – Kevin De Bruyne and Vanja Milinković-Savić. Sassuolo also approaches the season as a champion, but of Serie B: the team dominated opponents, scoring 82 points and deservedly returning to the elite. However, at the moment, comparing the potential of Sassuolo and Napoli is difficult – the class difference is too great, and even the home field factor is unlikely to help the "Black and Greens" secure even a draw.
Match Prediction for Sassuolo vs Napoli: Away Win
Milan vs Cremonese
Milan would surely like to erase memories of last season. Despite winning the Italian Super Cup and reaching the final of the national cup, the team finished only eighth in the championship and missed out on European competitions. However, the "Rossoneri" are aiming for a "comeback": the management entrusted the head coach position to Massimiliano Allegri and invested 111 million euros in strengthening the squad. The first opponent in Serie A will be Cremonese, who returned to the elite through playoff matches after playing in Serie B. The "Gray-Reds" showed mediocre performance in the pre-season, suffering a heavy defeat to Torino (1:4), and quickly exited the Italian Cup, losing to Palermo in a penalty shootout on August 16 (0:0, pens. 4:5). Under these conditions, Milan has every chance to start the championship with a confident victory and three points.
Match Prediction for Milan vs Cremonese: Home Win with Handicap (-1.5)
Roma vs Bologna
Roma had an extremely unsuccessful start to last season: unstable results forced the club's management to dismiss two coaches. Only with the arrival of Claudio Ranieri did the team find stability and managed to gain momentum, finishing the championship in fifth position, just short of just one point away from the Champions League zone. The Romans will start the new season under the leadership of Gian Piero Gasperini, and there is every reason to believe that the team will look no worse with him. The preseason confirms this: four wins and one loss indicate the "Wolves" are in good form. Bologna, on the other hand, remains an enigma. Last season, they noticeably declined compared to the previous one, finishing only ninth, but managed to compensate with a victory in the Coppa Italia. The summer was tough: the club lost Dan Ndoye (€42 million) and Sam Beukema (€31 million) and has not found equivalent replacements. Under such conditions, it will be challenging for the "Red and Blues" to put up a fight.
Match Prediction Roma vs Bologna: Home Win with Handicap (0)
Cagliari vs Fiorentina
Fiorentina started last season quite confidently: a long unbeaten run allowed them to be considered a "dark horse" in the title race. However, the second half of the season was disastrous – the team sharply slowed down and barely finished the championship in sixth place, only securing a spot in the Conference League qualifiers. The preseason also doesn't inspire much optimism: the "Violas" defeated two lower-division Italian teams, but in other matches, they either lost or drew. Cagliari, who fought for survival last season, also failed to impress in summer matches, achieving only two victories. The last head-to-head meeting between the teams in Sardinia offered spectacular football – Fiorentina won 2-1. Considering the current form of the opponents, there are grounds to believe that they will again capitalize on each other's defensive errors.
Match Prediction Cagliari vs Fiorentina: Both Teams to Score
Como vs Lazio
In the new season, Como has every chance to surprise – the team could well compete for a top-4 finish, and with favorable circumstances, even aim for the title. Last year, as newcomers, the club performed quite admirably: they regularly took points from the leaders and ultimately finished in tenth place. Over the summer, the management continued to strengthen the squad, investing over €100 million in transfers. The preseason only reinforced confidence in the team's potential: although the 0-5 defeat to Barcelona looks painful, victories over Lille (3-2), Al-Ahli (3-1), Ajax (3-0), and last season's Conference League finalist (3-2) speak volumes. Lazio, having shown their worst result in recent years (7th place), may face even greater difficulties. Lackluster performances in preseason matches and the absence of significant transfers suggest such thoughts. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that bookmakers favor Como, albeit with a minimal edge.
Match Prediction Como vs Lazio: Home Win with Handicap (0)
Atalanta vs Pisa
Atalanta, who finished third last season, will start the championship without Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm for the first time since 2016. The team is now led by Ivan Jurić, who last season had stints at Roma and Southampton, but was dismissed both times due to lack of results. This raises serious concerns: the "Bergamaschi" might have a rough start to the season, especially since the pre-season only added to the skepticism – a defeat to Köln (0:4) and a draw with Croatian Opatija (3:3) were alarming signs. Pisa, on the other hand, having just returned to the elite, has every reason to aim for points in the opening round. The team has strengthened with experienced newcomers like Juan Cuadrado and Michel Aebischer, and against the backdrop of Atalanta's problems, their chances look quite substantial.
Match Prediction for Atalanta vs Pisa: away win with a handicap (+1.5)
Juventus vs Parma
What to expect from Juventus in the new season – a title challenge, a top-4 finish, or a disappointing performance? The answer is still unknown: the "Old Lady" remains a mystery. Igor Tudor, who took over the team at the end of last season, managed to show decent results, and the management entrusted him to continue his work. At the Club World Cup, the Turin side performed predictably: they defeated lower-class opponents but lost to more skilled teams like Manchester City (2:5) and Real Madrid (0:1). The pre-season also did not provide a clear answer: victories over Atalanta (2:1) and Borussia Dortmund (2:1) alternated with a draw against Reggiana (2:2). Nevertheless, against Parma, Juventus is expected to secure three points. The "Crusaders" barely managed to stay in the elite, showed nothing remarkable in friendly matches, and lost key players over the summer: Simon Sohm moved to Fiorentina, and Giovanni Leone transferred to Liverpool.
Match Prediction for Juventus vs Parma: home win
Udinese vs Verona
Udinese, who had a disastrous end to last season (8 losses in the last 10 rounds), has worked significantly on themselves this summer. Yes, the pre-season started with a loss to Dubai's Al-Ahli (1:3), but the team then went on a series of confident victories. Among the defeated were strong opponents – Strasbourg (2:1) and Werder Bremen (1:0; 2:1). In the Coppa Italia, the "Little Zebras" also confirmed their readiness for the new season: in the 1/32 finals, they easily overcame Carrarese (2:0). Verona, who barely avoided relegation last season, does not inspire confidence yet. Their friendly matches were lackluster, and in the Coppa Italia, the team struggled to get past Audace Cerignola (1:1, pens. 4:2). Against this backdrop, it is unsurprising that the hosts are considered the favorites for the match.
Match Prediction for Udinese vs Verona: home win
Inter vs Torino
Last season, In the season, Inter was contending for a treble, but ultimately ended up without any trophies. An additional blow was their performance at the Club World Cup, where the "Nerazzurri" were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Fluminense (0:2). In the summer, the team was taken over by Cristian Chivu, who previously worked at Parma and fought for survival with them. Nevertheless, the preseason gave fans hope: three wins out of three, including a victory over Monaco (2:1), indicate positive changes. In the opening round, the Milan club is set to play against a solid mid-table Serie A team. However, in the summer, the "Bulls" suffered a significant loss with the departure of Vanja Milinković-Savić, whose fantastic saves often earned the team precious points. He will be replaced by Franco Israel, who was content with a backup role at Sporting Lisbon. There are significant doubts whether the Uruguayan can match the level of his predecessor.
