Another eventful week in the Serie A this week which began with another managerial sacking as Ciro Ferrera was sacked as manager of Sampdoria. Despite a great start to the season Sampdoria have now slipped to fourteenth in the table. His replacement is the controversial Delio Rossi who managed Fiorentina last season but was sacked after punching his own player in the dugout.
Cagliari's stadium fiasco continues as authorities announced that their game on Friday against Juventus would be played in Parma after authorities decided the Is stadium in Cagliari was deemed unfit to host the game. This long running battle between Cagliari and the authorities continues to be an embarrassment for Italian football.
Also this week the authorities established that 3 Napoli players were involved in a match fixing scandal in 2010. The result of the investigation has seen Napoli fined and deducted 2 points. Two players, Paulo Cannervaro and Gianluca Grava have been banned for 6 months and former Goalkeeper Matteo Gianello has been banned for 3 years. It is understood that before Napoli played Sampdoria in 2010 Gianello suggested to Cannervaro and Grava that they should attempt to fix the game, the duo refused but did not report the offer to the authorities. The result has left Napoli ten points behind leaders Juventus and they are certain to appeal against their punishment.
On the pitch last weekend saw Napoli beaten 3-2 by Bologna in a shock result. Leaders Juve cruised past Atalanta 3-0. Genoa drew 1-1 with Torino and Udinese and Palermo shared the same score line. Sunday also saw 3 games finish 4-1, with AC Milan continuing their good run against Pescara, Parma thump Cagliari and Fiorentina bounce back against Siena. Catania beat Sampdoria 3-1 and Inter missed a chance to close on Juve as they were beaten 1-0 by Lazio. Chievo overcame Roma 1-0 with an 87th minute strike from Pellissier which gained the team from Verona a much needed win.
Fixtures & Predictions To This Weekend's Games:
Friday 21st December:
Pescara V Catania - 17:00 - Away Win
Third from bottom Pescara are really struggling at the moment, having let in 15 goals in their last 4 games its easy to see were their problems lie. They face a Catania side who lie eighth after a good win against Sampdoria last weekend, they continue to score goals at a decent rate and that only means bad news for Pescara. Catania should take this one comfortably.
Cagliari V Juventus - 19:45 - Away Win
The return of Conte to the dugout certainly boosted Juve last weekend as they cruised past Atalanta to go seven points clear. They face a Cagliari side who have lost all their last three and two of them have been by 3 goal margins. Only one outcome in this one.
Saturday 22nd December:
Inter Milan V Genoa - 11:30 - Home Win
Second place Inter should keep the heat on Juventus with victory over Genoa. Despite losing to Lazio last weekend Inter have proven themselves a good outfit this season and they should easily overcome second bottom Genoa who have lost two of their last three.
Atalanta V Udinese - 14:00 - Draw
A very tricky mid table clash sees Atalanta host Udinese with both teams experiencing poor seasons by their standards. Atalanta are currently 12th and Udinese 9th, both sides will feel they can get something from this and that sets up a cagey affair which will more than likely produce few goals. A draw is the safest bet.
Bologna V Parma - 14:00 - Draw
Another mid table clash that sees two teams in good form battle it out. Bologna's great victory over Napoli last weekend was the highlight of their season so far and they will enter this full of confidence. The same however can be said for Parma who demolished Cagliari last time out. Parma may well prove harder to break down than Napoli and they will frustrate the home side into a low scoring draw.
Palermo V Fiorentina - 14:00 - Away Win
Palermo are currently sitting just above the relegation zone and suffered another defeat last weekend. They face a high flying Fiorentina side that bounced back from defeat in Rome in some style beating Siena 4-1 in their last game. Despite changing manager Palermo's fortunes remain unchanged that they look set for another defeat here against a strong Fiorentina.
Sampdoria V Lazio - 14:00 - Away Win
Sampdoria fans may have to be patient with new manager Rossi who faces a daunting task in his first game in charge against third placed Lazio. Lazio gained a great win over Inter last time out and will want to build on that momentum before the winter break. Sampdoria are desperate to stop the rot that has seen them free fall down the table but Lazio are likely to be too strong for them.
Siena V Napoli - 14:00 - Away Win
Both these teams were beaten last time out but it is fifth placed Napoli who are taken to bounce back against bottom club Siena. The amount of goals Siena have been shipping is concern enough to say Napoli will take this one given their attacking force. This should be comfortable for Napoli.
Torino V Chievo - 14:00 - Away Win
Torino have been tumbling down the table but managed to stop the rot with a draw against Genoa. Chievo had a disastrous start but are now climbing into mid table safety after 3 straight wins, including a great win against Roma last time. Chievo are the better team out of these two and they are taken to show it here especially considering the form they are in. It may be a cagey affair but Chievo should edge it.
Roma V AC Milan - 19:45 - Home Win
Two of the most unpredictable sides meet in the match of the weekend which sees sixth placed Roma play seventh placed Milan. Milan have been on a great run after their horror start and now look like the side they were last season, Roma meanwhile have been brilliant one week and then dire the next throughout the campaign. It is Zeman's men who get the vote however given home advantage. Roma were fantastic against Fiorentina a fortnight ago and a repeat performance will see them beat Milan comfortably. Milan will of course prove a test but I suspect this will be a goal fest and at the moment Roma just edge it in both defence and attack.
The next round of games in on the 5th of January. The next blog post will be a few days before. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Selected Match Betting:
Roma, Chievo, Napoli, Lazio, Fiorentina, Inter, Juve & Catania - All To Win : 292/1
Roma V AC Milan - Roma Win 4-3: 50/1
Siena V Napoli - Cavani Brace : 100/30
Enjoy The Games!
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