Transfer news first, and with not long left in the January window we are beginning to see a few deals being finalised. We start again with Carlos Tevez. Inter have now given up on signing the Manchester City forward and in a total U-turn AC Milan are again in negotiations with City. Milan have are looking at Tevez as their main target however if a deal cannot be done they will almost certainly sign Catania stiker Maxi Lopez. Inter centre back Thiago Motta looks destined to move to big spending Paris Saint Germain after his agent told the media his client wished to leave. The next and final week of the transfer window is sure to bring about more deals and I will attempt to give you a breakdown of all the moves in next weeks blog.
This weekends action starts as usual on Saturday evening as Catania host Parma. Both sides sit in mid table occupying 13th and 12th respectively. However both are on poor runs of form with Catania winning just once in their last five and after losing 2-1 to Udinese last weekend have lost two on the bounce. Parma too have only managed one win in their last 5 and could only manage a 0-0 with Bologna last week. The last time the two met in the league, just before Christmas it ended 3-3 and expect more of the same, a high scoring draw.
The big match on Saturday evening sees league leaders Juventus take on Udinese at the Juventus Stadium. Udinese returned to form last weekend after suffering two defeats with a win over Catania, with the free scoring Antonio Di Natale again on the score sheet. Juventus however have had no such blip this season and remain unbeaten and after dismantling Roma 3-0 in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday the Old Lady will be in a buoyant mood. Juventus' last league game saw them beat Atlanta 2-0 making it 5 wins in 8 games. Despite being held to a 1-1 draw before Christmas in Udine Juventus remain impossible to oppose in their current vain.
Sunday's host of action begins with an early kickoff between Fiorentina and Siena. Both teams are desperate for points with Fiorentina's slide seeing them slip to 14th and without a win in 6 games. Siena remain poised above the relegation zone despite picking up a well earned point against Napoli last time out. The last time the two sides met in ended in a 0-0 stalemate its hard to rule out a similar outcome here. However both teams are capable of picking up all 3 points in what is set to be a fascinating encounter.
Roma will be looking to put their Coppa Italia defeat behind them as they face Bologna in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon. Luis Enrique's team have been in great form winning all four of their last league games including thrashing Cesena 5-1 last weekend. Francesco Totti's two goals in that game means that he now holds the record for the most goals scored for one club in the Serie A with 211 goals. With their talisman finding his form again the gilarossi have managed to fill the hole created by Osvaldo's injury. Bologna remain just above the relegation zone despite picking up a point against Parma last weekend. Bologna are a solid outfit but with Roma having already beaten them 2-0 this season its hard to see them getting anything to help them out of trouble here, home win.
Second from bottom Leece face a very difficult task as they host Claudio Raneri's resurgent Inter side. Inter have won their last 7 in the league including the Milan derby, and beating Lazio 2-1 last weekend. Their early season form is fast becoming forgotten as they march up the table. Leece are beginning to find their feet and earned a good point against Chievo drawing 2-2 last time out. But they were beaten 4-1 in the San Siro in December and another beating could well be on the cards such is the strength of Inter's form. Inter do have to bounce back to a Coppa Italia defeat to Napoli but this is much easier assignment.
9th placed Chievo will be looking to continue their push for European football next season when they face Lazio in Verona. Despite both teams having good starts to the season they are now models of inconsistency with both teams winning four of their last eight league games. Chievo could only manage a point against lowly Leece whereas Lazio were beaten 2-1 by Inter last weekend. The last time the two sides met in December it ended 0-0 highlighting the issue both teams have, they don't score enough goals. If Lazio can find someone to aid Miroslav Klose in goalscoring duties they should take this. Chievo would be happy with a point and expect them to play as such.
Genoa were involved in the game of the week last weekend losing 5-3 to Palermo and face an even harder task as they host Napoli. Napoli's confidence will be boosted by their Coppa Italia victory over Inter but their league form is not what is was, drawing their last two after a 1-1 result against struggling Siena. That said Cavani and co destroyed Genoa 6-1 at the Stadio San Paolo in December. Its unlikely their will be a repeat of that score line but Genoa do leak goals and Napoli have one of the best attacking lines in the league. Napoli look set to get their league campaign back on track here.
Palermo will be looking to build on their great win last weekend as they face bottom side Novara. Palermo ended their run of two straight defeats with victory last weekend and now face an easier task as they look towards the Europa league places. Their opponents Novara have only won twice all season and have lost their last 3 league games. Their last point was however against Palermo in a 2-2 draw in December. Palermo's top scorer Fabrizio Miccoli was unavailable for that game and is sure to relish this game against the worst defence in the league. Home win as Palermo steady their ship.
Another struggling team, third from bottom Cesena host Atlanta who will be keen to move away from the relegation zone after being beaten 2-0 in each of their last three games. Again we look to December for the last time Atlanta won a game and it was an emphatic 4-1 victory over Cesena. Since then Atlanta have had a torrid fixture list playing Milan, Lazio and then Juventus last weekend. This is more straightforward against a Cesena team low on confidence after losing 5-1 to Roma, their only points in their last 5 games coming at lowly Novara. Away win as Stefano Colantuono's men stop the rot.
The final game of this weekend sees second place AC Milan play Cagliari in The San Siro. Cagliari are on a 3 match unbeaten run after drawing with Fiorentina. Their last defeat came against Milan when they were beaten 2-0 in December. Milan bounced back after their derby defeat to beat Novara 3-0 last weekend with newly crowned Serie A Player of the year 2011, Zlatan Ibrahimovic amongst the scores. The Swede is now level with Di Natale as the league's top scorer. The derby defeat was Milan's only defeat in 14 league games and only their third all season. Despite a solid look to Cagliari its not hard to say that Massimiliano Allegri's men should take this and keep piling the pressure on leaders Juventus.
Selected match betting:
Juve, Inter ,Roma, Lazio, Napoli, AC Milan, Atlanta & Palermo - All to win : 98/1
Roma V Bologna - Totti to score twice : 5/1
Leece V Inter - Inter win 4-0: 20/1
Enjoy The Games!
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Friday, 20 January 2012
Serie A Matchweek 18 Preview
Much like the other major leagues in Europe the Serie A is relatively quiet in terms of transfer news. Only one big story this week, the ongoing saga of Carlos Tevez. After talks with Manchester City and AC Milan crumbled last week, Inter are now favourites to sign the Argentine. Tuesday saw a £20 bid from Inter which Man City are currently mulling over. It remains anyones guess if negotiations will be successful, even Inter manager Claudio Raneri seemed non fussed.by talk of Tevez's arrival stating "You never know, do we really need him?".
In Raneri's defence his team may not need Tevez. Last weekend saw them win the Milan derby 1-0 with Diego Milito capitalising on a defensive error. Inter have now won their last six games and look to have left their dreadful start to the season well behind them. Sunday evening sees Raneri's men host Lazio who themselves are on a decent run of form winning 2 of their last 3 after beating Atlanta in the Stadio Olimpico last Saturday. This promises to be be a very close game but it would take a brave man to bet against Inter in their current vein.
The first game of the weekend sees Roma host Cesena on Saturday evening. Roma's game at Catania last Saturday was abandoned in the second half after torrential rain hit Sicily. Putting a line through the abandoned game Roma had won their last three Serie A matches and should have too much class for third from bottom Cesena. Cesena did get a vital three points at home against bottom team, Novara last weekend. That said it was only their forth win of the season and they have only won once away from home all season. Roma remain without Osvaldo but Francesco Totti's form has improved and he, Bojan and Eric Lamela are certain to cause problems for Cesena's defence. Home win.
The only other match on Saturday concerns fifteenth placed Atlanta and unbeaten leaders Juventus. Atlanta have lost their last two but will take heart from Juventus' 1-1 draw with Cagliari last weekend. Juventus were frustrated by Cagliari but ultimately wasteful. It is unlikely they will make the same mistakes again. The old lady is set to remain unbeaten and lengthen their lead at the top of the table.
Sunday sees the usual host of games beginning with Bologna hosting Parma. Bologna currently sit in sixteenth as they continue to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. They did however hold Napoli to a 1-1 draw on Monday evening and if reproducing that they will beat Parma who took their first 3 points in 5 games last weekend, beating Siena 3-1. That though was at home, in the Stadio Ennio Tardini where Parma have picked up the majority of their points, they have only won once away from home all season.
A mid table clash sees Cagliari take on Fiorentina. Cagliari will be full of confidence after holding Juventus whereas Fiorentina are in free fall. Last weeks one nil home defeat to second bottom Leece meant that Fiorentina have only won two of their last six. The Viola could bounce back but a hard fought draw is a likely result.
Leece will look to build on their win over Fiorentina when they face Chievo. Chievo sit solid in ninth and are in good form winning 3 of their last 5 including last weekends 1-0 win over Palermo. Despite Leece's great win in Florence the stats still point to a Chievo victory with Leece still having not won at home all season.
Siena will look to move away from the releagation zone as they host Napoli. Siena have only won one of their last nine league games, that win came two weeks ago in a 4-0 win over Lazio in one of the most surprising results of the season so far. However the Tuscans could not back it up losing 3-1 away to Parma last weekend. Sixth place Napoli however have only lost once in nine games and are sure to test the Siena defence with the likes of Cavani and Hamsik. Another tricky puzzle to solve but Napoli should have the edge.
Udinese will look to continue their push for the top spot when they host Catania. Udinese were beaten 3-2 by away in Genoa last weekend, however they remain unbeaten at home and have taken more points at home than any other team in the division. Catania have only won once in their last 5 league games and remain tenth in the table. Antonio Di Natale is the highest scoring player in Serie A at the moment and the likes of him and strike partner Floro Flores in good form Udinese should be able to maintain their unbeaten home record.
Eighth place Genoa travel to Palermo looking to build on their win over Udinese and push for a Europa League spot. Another loss for Palermo last weekend means that boss Bortolo Mutti has become favourite for the next Serie A manager to lose his job. Mutti has only been in charge for six games but has side have only picked up two points in that time. Omens look good for Mutti though, Genoa do not travel well losing 4 of their last five. A valuable point for Mutti and his men could well be the most likely outcome.
An interesting contest ends this round of games as AC Milan travel to Novara. The two met in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday with Milan edging out 2-1 winners in the San Siro. In the league however the two teams could not be futher apart. Despite losing the derby last weekend Milan remain in second and have the best attack in the league scoring 37 goals this season. Novara remain routed to the bottom of the table and have the worst defence in the league conceeding 35 goals. Alexandre Pato is out for Milan along with Kevin Prince Boateng. Despite having these two key men missing the class of the Rossoneri is sure to be too strong for Novara and they can get their title charge back on track here.
Selected Match Bettting:
Roma, Juventus, Napoli, Chievo, Udinese & AC Milan all to win - 32/1
Novara V AC Milan - AC Milan win 4-0 - 16/1
Roma V Cesena - Eric Lamela to Score First - 7/1
Enjoy The Games!
In Raneri's defence his team may not need Tevez. Last weekend saw them win the Milan derby 1-0 with Diego Milito capitalising on a defensive error. Inter have now won their last six games and look to have left their dreadful start to the season well behind them. Sunday evening sees Raneri's men host Lazio who themselves are on a decent run of form winning 2 of their last 3 after beating Atlanta in the Stadio Olimpico last Saturday. This promises to be be a very close game but it would take a brave man to bet against Inter in their current vein.
The first game of the weekend sees Roma host Cesena on Saturday evening. Roma's game at Catania last Saturday was abandoned in the second half after torrential rain hit Sicily. Putting a line through the abandoned game Roma had won their last three Serie A matches and should have too much class for third from bottom Cesena. Cesena did get a vital three points at home against bottom team, Novara last weekend. That said it was only their forth win of the season and they have only won once away from home all season. Roma remain without Osvaldo but Francesco Totti's form has improved and he, Bojan and Eric Lamela are certain to cause problems for Cesena's defence. Home win.
The only other match on Saturday concerns fifteenth placed Atlanta and unbeaten leaders Juventus. Atlanta have lost their last two but will take heart from Juventus' 1-1 draw with Cagliari last weekend. Juventus were frustrated by Cagliari but ultimately wasteful. It is unlikely they will make the same mistakes again. The old lady is set to remain unbeaten and lengthen their lead at the top of the table.
Sunday sees the usual host of games beginning with Bologna hosting Parma. Bologna currently sit in sixteenth as they continue to be one of the most inconsistent teams in the league. They did however hold Napoli to a 1-1 draw on Monday evening and if reproducing that they will beat Parma who took their first 3 points in 5 games last weekend, beating Siena 3-1. That though was at home, in the Stadio Ennio Tardini where Parma have picked up the majority of their points, they have only won once away from home all season.
A mid table clash sees Cagliari take on Fiorentina. Cagliari will be full of confidence after holding Juventus whereas Fiorentina are in free fall. Last weeks one nil home defeat to second bottom Leece meant that Fiorentina have only won two of their last six. The Viola could bounce back but a hard fought draw is a likely result.
Leece will look to build on their win over Fiorentina when they face Chievo. Chievo sit solid in ninth and are in good form winning 3 of their last 5 including last weekends 1-0 win over Palermo. Despite Leece's great win in Florence the stats still point to a Chievo victory with Leece still having not won at home all season.
Siena will look to move away from the releagation zone as they host Napoli. Siena have only won one of their last nine league games, that win came two weeks ago in a 4-0 win over Lazio in one of the most surprising results of the season so far. However the Tuscans could not back it up losing 3-1 away to Parma last weekend. Sixth place Napoli however have only lost once in nine games and are sure to test the Siena defence with the likes of Cavani and Hamsik. Another tricky puzzle to solve but Napoli should have the edge.
Udinese will look to continue their push for the top spot when they host Catania. Udinese were beaten 3-2 by away in Genoa last weekend, however they remain unbeaten at home and have taken more points at home than any other team in the division. Catania have only won once in their last 5 league games and remain tenth in the table. Antonio Di Natale is the highest scoring player in Serie A at the moment and the likes of him and strike partner Floro Flores in good form Udinese should be able to maintain their unbeaten home record.
Eighth place Genoa travel to Palermo looking to build on their win over Udinese and push for a Europa League spot. Another loss for Palermo last weekend means that boss Bortolo Mutti has become favourite for the next Serie A manager to lose his job. Mutti has only been in charge for six games but has side have only picked up two points in that time. Omens look good for Mutti though, Genoa do not travel well losing 4 of their last five. A valuable point for Mutti and his men could well be the most likely outcome.
An interesting contest ends this round of games as AC Milan travel to Novara. The two met in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday with Milan edging out 2-1 winners in the San Siro. In the league however the two teams could not be futher apart. Despite losing the derby last weekend Milan remain in second and have the best attack in the league scoring 37 goals this season. Novara remain routed to the bottom of the table and have the worst defence in the league conceeding 35 goals. Alexandre Pato is out for Milan along with Kevin Prince Boateng. Despite having these two key men missing the class of the Rossoneri is sure to be too strong for Novara and they can get their title charge back on track here.
Selected Match Bettting:
Roma, Juventus, Napoli, Chievo, Udinese & AC Milan all to win - 32/1
Novara V AC Milan - AC Milan win 4-0 - 16/1
Roma V Cesena - Eric Lamela to Score First - 7/1
Enjoy The Games!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Serie A Matchweek 16 Preview - Return To Action
Serie A returns this weekend after the winter break under a cloud of uncertainty as the transfer window once again opens. Rumours are rife concentrating mainly on the future of Inter's Wesley Sneijder as the media continue to link him with Manchester United. There are other big names that could be on the move, Micon, Inter's centre back has been linked with PSG as has AC Milan's playmaker Pato. One big move that has already occurred however is that of Marco Borriello who has been loaned to Juventus from Roma for the remainder of the season.
On the field this weekends action begins with two games on Saturday evening beginning with Siena hosting Lazio. Siena continue to struggle, without a win since late November they sit just 3 points above the relegation zone. Lazio in contrast remain Serie A's surprise package this season despite drawing their last 2 games they remain in 4th place just four points off the top of the table. With the productive striking partnership of Klose and Cisse it is hard to see anything other than a Lazio win here.
Later on Saturday evening Inter face Parma in the San Siro as Inter look to continue their resurgence. After a dreadful start to the season Claudio Ranieri's men have won their last four matches. Parma in contrast have drawn their last four games. Parma are a defensive force to be reckoned with but Inter are in form and have enough class to turn over Parma.
Sunday sees at total of 8 games beginning with third place Udinese against second from bottom Cesena. Udinese's challenge for the title continues after two well earned points against Lazio and Juventus and Cesena represent a much easier challenge for Francesco Guidolin's men. Cesena have only won 3 matches all season and remain deep in trouble after getting thumped 4-1 by Atlanta before the winter break. The likes of Di Natale and Floro Flores are likely to flourish against a side low on quality defenders, expect a high scoring home win. Another team in trouble, Novara host Fiorentina as they search for just their third win of the campaign and look to move away from the relegation zone. Like their hosts Fiorentina are a team in need of a win, drawing two and losing one of their last 3 games. It would be easy to say that Fiorentina will win this game but they are a team out of form who are not great away from home, Novara might cause the upset of the weekend.
Another team in need of a win are Bologna who face Catania. Without a win since early December Bologna are fourth from bottom and face a difficult task against Catania who are sitting pretty in eighth. A very tricky game to call. Cagliari play Genoa in what is a clash of two teams with low morale. Cagliari teeter above the relegation zone struggling for a win and Genoa were torn apart by Napoli before Christmas getting beat 6-1. If able to bounce back Genoa will win, the likes of Gilardino and Rossi should be too good for Cagliari.
Bottom club Leece face a daunting task as they host Juventus who are looking to top the table. Leece remain rooted to the bottom after just two wins all season and it would take something special to get that third win against a very strong Juventus team, the likes of Vucinic, Matri, Pirlo and Pepe will be looking to gain their fourth win in six games and keep their incredible unbeaten record.
The old lady's closest challengers, AC Milan travel to Atlanta as they look to remain at the top of the table. Atlanta gained their first win in 5 beating Cesena 4-1 before the winter break but Milan are a very different proposition. Winning their last two games Massimiliano Allegri's men continue to be present themselves as favourites for the title and with the free scoring Ibrahimovic looking to becoming the leagues leading scorer it will be hard for Atlanta to get anything here.
Palermo host Napoli in a 9th V 6th clash. Palermo have failed to win in their last 7 games whereas Napoli will be high in confidence after their 6-1 demolition of Genoa. Palermo are set to struggle here with the fantastic front 3 of Hamsik, Cavani and Pandev bound to stretch a leaking Palermo defence. The only hope for Palermo maybe that every Napoli player appears to be subject of transfer speculation if this unsettles them then Bortolo Mutti's men may have a shot, but its a long one at best.
The final match of the weekend sees an inform Roma team host Chievo. The winter break couldn't of come at a worse time for the gillarossi who were beginning to play with the quality that escaped them earlier in the season. A solid draw against Juventus, followed by great wins over Napoli and Bologna showed that Luis Enrique's men may well be able to make a dash for the title or at least the top four. However they will have to do it without star striker Pablo Osvaldo who suffered a thigh strain on Friday afternoon, ruling him out for 2 months. With Borriello already loaned to Juve Roma's squad now looks alarmingly thin. That said Chievo should not pose to much of a problem if Roma can resume where they left off. Chievo are without a win in 4 and despite gaining a good point against Lazio before the winter break a similar outcome is the best they can hope for here.
Selected Bets:
Lazio, Inter, Udinese, Roma, AC Milan, Juventus & Napoli - All To Win: 39/1
Juventus to beat Leece 4-0: 16/1
Roma V Chievo - Bojan To Score 1st: 5/1
Enjoy The Games!
On the field this weekends action begins with two games on Saturday evening beginning with Siena hosting Lazio. Siena continue to struggle, without a win since late November they sit just 3 points above the relegation zone. Lazio in contrast remain Serie A's surprise package this season despite drawing their last 2 games they remain in 4th place just four points off the top of the table. With the productive striking partnership of Klose and Cisse it is hard to see anything other than a Lazio win here.
Later on Saturday evening Inter face Parma in the San Siro as Inter look to continue their resurgence. After a dreadful start to the season Claudio Ranieri's men have won their last four matches. Parma in contrast have drawn their last four games. Parma are a defensive force to be reckoned with but Inter are in form and have enough class to turn over Parma.
Sunday sees at total of 8 games beginning with third place Udinese against second from bottom Cesena. Udinese's challenge for the title continues after two well earned points against Lazio and Juventus and Cesena represent a much easier challenge for Francesco Guidolin's men. Cesena have only won 3 matches all season and remain deep in trouble after getting thumped 4-1 by Atlanta before the winter break. The likes of Di Natale and Floro Flores are likely to flourish against a side low on quality defenders, expect a high scoring home win. Another team in trouble, Novara host Fiorentina as they search for just their third win of the campaign and look to move away from the relegation zone. Like their hosts Fiorentina are a team in need of a win, drawing two and losing one of their last 3 games. It would be easy to say that Fiorentina will win this game but they are a team out of form who are not great away from home, Novara might cause the upset of the weekend.
Another team in need of a win are Bologna who face Catania. Without a win since early December Bologna are fourth from bottom and face a difficult task against Catania who are sitting pretty in eighth. A very tricky game to call. Cagliari play Genoa in what is a clash of two teams with low morale. Cagliari teeter above the relegation zone struggling for a win and Genoa were torn apart by Napoli before Christmas getting beat 6-1. If able to bounce back Genoa will win, the likes of Gilardino and Rossi should be too good for Cagliari.
Bottom club Leece face a daunting task as they host Juventus who are looking to top the table. Leece remain rooted to the bottom after just two wins all season and it would take something special to get that third win against a very strong Juventus team, the likes of Vucinic, Matri, Pirlo and Pepe will be looking to gain their fourth win in six games and keep their incredible unbeaten record.
The old lady's closest challengers, AC Milan travel to Atlanta as they look to remain at the top of the table. Atlanta gained their first win in 5 beating Cesena 4-1 before the winter break but Milan are a very different proposition. Winning their last two games Massimiliano Allegri's men continue to be present themselves as favourites for the title and with the free scoring Ibrahimovic looking to becoming the leagues leading scorer it will be hard for Atlanta to get anything here.
Palermo host Napoli in a 9th V 6th clash. Palermo have failed to win in their last 7 games whereas Napoli will be high in confidence after their 6-1 demolition of Genoa. Palermo are set to struggle here with the fantastic front 3 of Hamsik, Cavani and Pandev bound to stretch a leaking Palermo defence. The only hope for Palermo maybe that every Napoli player appears to be subject of transfer speculation if this unsettles them then Bortolo Mutti's men may have a shot, but its a long one at best.
The final match of the weekend sees an inform Roma team host Chievo. The winter break couldn't of come at a worse time for the gillarossi who were beginning to play with the quality that escaped them earlier in the season. A solid draw against Juventus, followed by great wins over Napoli and Bologna showed that Luis Enrique's men may well be able to make a dash for the title or at least the top four. However they will have to do it without star striker Pablo Osvaldo who suffered a thigh strain on Friday afternoon, ruling him out for 2 months. With Borriello already loaned to Juve Roma's squad now looks alarmingly thin. That said Chievo should not pose to much of a problem if Roma can resume where they left off. Chievo are without a win in 4 and despite gaining a good point against Lazio before the winter break a similar outcome is the best they can hope for here.
Selected Bets:
Lazio, Inter, Udinese, Roma, AC Milan, Juventus & Napoli - All To Win: 39/1
Juventus to beat Leece 4-0: 16/1
Roma V Chievo - Bojan To Score 1st: 5/1
Enjoy The Games!
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