Matchweek 22 - More comings and goings

This week saw one of Italy's longest running transfer sagas come to an end as Wesley Sneijder finally left Inter Milan to join Turkish side Galatasary for a fee believed to be around £8 million. Also this on Thursday came the news of another saga reaching its conclusion as Juventus have come to an agreement to sign Fernado Llorente from Atletico Bilboa, he will join the champions in the summer. A lesser documented transfer saw Greek international left back, Vasilis Torosidis join Roma as they look to ease their defensive woes. As always at this time of year rumours are rife with comings and goings, AC Milan are reportedly interested in Didier Drogba but are put off by his club's asking price. Milan have also been in pursuit of former player Kaka during this window but that interest appears to have ended. Also Liverpool target Philippe Coutinho has insisted that he is happy at Inter and wishes to remain at the San Siro.

Last weekend saw half of the ten matches end in draws. Fiorentina were held 1-1 at home to Napoli, Chievo and Parma played out the same score line as did Atalanta and Cagliari and Roma and Inter. Palermo gained a great result in holding Lazio to a 2-2 draw. Milan continued their revival as they beat Bologna 2-1. Catania won 2-0 in Genoa and Torino also gained an away win beating struggling Pescara 2-0. Bottom club Siena gained a much needed win as they beat Sampdoria 1-0 and champions Juve thrashed Udinese 4-0 to go 5 points clear at the top.

This Weekends Fixtures & Predictions:
Saturday 26 January -

Lazio V Chievo - 17:00 - Home Win
Both these teams drew last time out but it is the home side that are taken to get all 3 on Saturday evening. Lazio remain third, level on points with second placed Napoli and 5 behind leaders Juve. They will be disappointed with their performance last weekend, drawing with second bottom Palermo and will be determined to bounce back particularly in front of their own fans. Chievo have recovered slowly from their dreadful start but remain inconsistent. Lazio should comfortably take this.

Juventus V Genoa - 19:45 - Home Win
Juve have stumbled in recent weeks but the 4-0 beating they handed out to Udinese last weekend suggests that they may be returning to their best. They face a Genoa side in dreadful form having lost all of their last three games. Straightforward win for the champions.

Sunday 27 January -
Bologna V Roma - 11:30 - Away Win
Bologna were only narrowly beaten by Milan last weekend but expect a similar result in this game. Bologna are currently 14th and have won just one of their last 4 games, losing the other three. Roma gained a good draw against Inter and will be looking to get their league campaign back on track after being winless in 3 games. Its set to be tight but Roma should have enough, particularly when going forward.

Atalanta V AC Milan - 14:00 - Away Win
Atalanta have had a poor season by their standards and look set for another defeat here. Currently lying in 13th they have won just 7 games all season and haven't won since the start of December. Milan meanwhile have recovered from their disastrous start to move into sixth in the table. They are taken to continue their good run against a poor looking Atalanta side.

Cagliari V Palermo - 14:00 - Draw
This is a vital game for both sides with both involved in a relegation battle. Cagliari currently sit points above the relegation zone, Palermo sit second bottom and a point from safety. Cagliari have been much better at home than away and that could make the difference in this one but the safest bet is a low scoring draw between these too poor sides.

Catania V Fiorentina - 14:00 - Draw
Both these teams are enjoying good seasons but it is the home side who come into this in better form. Catania have won their last two whereas Fiorentina haven't won any of their last 4. Despite their poor run Fiorentina remain a good outfit and are sure to test Catania as much as the home side are set to test them, a tight game is forecast which will more than likely end in a draw.

Parma V Napoli - 14:00 - Away Win
Both Parma and Napoli are on good runs at the moment but it is the team from Naples who should extent their run in this one. Parma have climbed up the table into 9th after going 5 games unbeaten. Napoli are unbeaten in three and will want to keep the heat on leaders Juve with a victory here. Parma have shown that they are solid outfit this season but expect Napoli's attacking flair, led by the leagues top scorer, Cavani to be to much for them.

Sampdoria V Pescara - 14:00 - Draw
Two of the newly promoted teams meet in this one as both look to stave off the threat of relegation. Sampdoria's defeat to bottom club Siena last weekend has left them in fifteenth just four points above the relegation zone. Pescara mean while are 3 points above the drop zone and have been beaten in their last two outings. The stage is set for a very cagey affair in a game that neither team dare lose. The most likely outcome is they share the spoils.

Udinese V Siena - 14:00 - Home Win
Udinese had looked to be getting their season back on track in recent weeks before Juve thumped them 4-0 last Sunday. They face a much easier assignment against bottom of the table Siena who although winning last weekend remain six points from safety. If Udinese can put the disappointment of the Juventus game behind them they should have enough to beat Siena.

Inter V Torino - 19:45 - Home Win
Torino have been on a good run of late beating the teams around them in the table but a trip to the San Siro represents a much stiffer task. Torino are currently 11th and unbeaten in 5, however all but one of those games was against teams below them in the table. Inter are currently third and unbeaten in 3. They should have enough class to beat Torino at home, although it could be close.

Selected Match Odds:
Inter, Udinese, Napoli, Milan, Juve, Roma & Lazio - All To Win: 45/1
Juve V Genoa - Juve win 4-0: 8/1
Bologna V Roma - Osvaldo To Score First: 5/1

Enjoy The Games!

Matchweek 20 - Juve & Inter look to bounce back

The return to action last weekend after the winter break saw some bizarre results. Firstly Champions and league leaders, Juventus were beaten 2-1 by 14th placed Sampdoria which was followed by Inter losing 3-0 to Udinese, Inter have now fallen to 5th in the table after that defeat. Fourth placed Fiorentina also tasted defeat losing 2-0 at home to Pescara, who are currently 15th in the table. Elsewhere results were more expected as Catania and Torino played out a goalless draw on Saturday before Lazio beat Cagliari 2-1. Chievo overcame Atalanta by a goal to nil to move further away from trouble. Genoa beat Bologna 2-0 to move out of the relegation zone. Milan beat Siena 2-1 and Parma beat Palermo by the same score line. The final match of the weekend saw Napoli dish out a bashing to Roma as they won 4-1.

There has been little transfer movement as yet in the Serie A but a story that has again reappeared this week is that Napoli forward Edison Cavani is a target for Manchester City. It is likely however the English Champions will wait until the summer to try and sign the Uruguayan. The Wesley Sneijder transfer saga continues with the Dutchman reportedly in talks with Galatasary. Again though a move is unlikely given Sneijder's huge wage demands.

This Weekends Fixtures And Predictions:
Saturday 12 January:

Bologna V Chievo - 17:00 - Draw
Both these teams are inconsistent and although Chievo won last time out their form remains patchy. Bologna haven't won any of their last five and are dicing with being dragged into a relegation battle if results don't improve.

Inter V Pescara  - 19:45 - Draw
Pescara gained a great result in beating Fioretina last weekend but Inter may prove harder to break down. Inter were comfortably beaten by Udinese on Sunday and may well be happy to take a point from this one given they haven't won any of their last 3 league games.

Sunday 13 January:
Torino V Siena - 11:30 - Home Win
Torino have established themselves as a mid table team after a string of good results, they should have enough to overcome bottom club Siena who have won just 4 of their 19 games this season and face a massive task to avoid relegation.

Cagliari V Genoa - 14:00 - Draw
18th meets 17th in this one and it is simply to close to call between two sides who have struggled all season. Genoa may just edge it having won last weekend but Cagliari will hope home advantage is enough for them to pick up at least a point.

Catania V Roma - 14:00 - Away Win.
 Catania are on a poor run at present with just one win from their last three, they remain in tenth. Roma are almost unpredictable but they have shown heart this season to bounce back from defeats and they can do so again here given the attacking options at their disposal.

Lazio V Atalanta - 14:00 - Home Win
Second placed Lazio continued their pursuit of Juve with a good win over Cagliari, they should record back to back wins here against an Atalanta side that have had a disappointing season.

Napoli V Palermo - 14:00 - Home Win
Freescoring Napoli look set for another high scoring win when they face Palermo. Palermo are currently second bottom and have the third worst defensive record in the division. This should be straight forward for Napoli, who will be looking to keep the heat on Juve and Lazio. 

Parma V Juventus - 14:00 - Away Win
Parma are having a good campaign, working their way into eighth but the Champions are likely to take the spoils here. Despite suffering a shock defeat last weekend Juve remain the team to beat in the division and will bounce back here.

Udinese V Fiorentina - 14:00 - Home Win
The moral boosting 3-0 victory over Inter last weekend could be the catalyst to kick start Udinese's season. They have been largely disappointing all season but they remain a side with quality players and can beat a struggling Fiorentina who after a great start have suffered a little in recent weeks.

Sampdoria V AC Milan - 19:45 - Draw
Sampdoria's shock win over Juve was much needed but it may only serve to make over teams take the newly promoted side more seriously. Milan have been on a good run but they will know what to expect here and will be happy to escape with a draw.

Selected Betting:
Udinese, Juve, Napoli, Lazio, Roma & Torino - All To Win: 41/1
Napoli V Palermo - Napoli win 5-0: 22/1
Udinese V Fiorentina - Di Natale First Goalscorer: 7/2

Enjoy The Games!

 

 

  

              

Matchweek 20 - Return From The Winter Break

The Serie A returns this weekend after its winter break to a whirlwind of transfer speculation as the January transfer window opens. Some big names have already left Italy's top divisions in the last few windows and a few more are expected to go in this one. Milan's Alesandro Pato has already departed to Corinthians whilst Wesley Sniejder continues to issue come and get me pleas to Europe's elite. Other deals that have already been completed include Giuseppe Rossi returning to Italy from Villerreal to join Fiorentina in a move that is sure to bolster the Viola's push for a Champions League place. Atalanta have lost defender  Federico Peluso to Juventus who joins the Champions on a six month loan deal and Lazio forward Rocchi has joined Inter Milan in a similar loan deal.

On the pitch and there is a full fixture list this weekend split over Saturday with two games and Sunday with eight.

Catania V Torino - Draw
The inconsistencies in these two teams performances is reflected in how their is just 4 league places between them. Catania are strong at home but are struggling at present and Torino might just have enough to hold them at bay.

Lazio V Cagliari - Home Win
This should be straight forward for Lazio who despite having a little blip before the break remain in fourth place. They face a Cagliari side who have been beaten in all four of their last games.

Sunday
Udinese V Inter - Away Win
Udinese have been disappointing this campaign and may well suffer further at the hands of Inter who have been a revelation this season.

Chievo V Atalanta - Draw
Both teams have struggled for form this season and are likely to share the spoils in this one.

Fiorentina V Pescara - Home Win
Fiorentina will not have Rossi available for this one but they should still be able to beat Pescara and keep the heat on those above them.

Genoa V Bologna - Draw
Genoa are fighting their way out of trouble but Bologna appear to have got over their dreadful start and will hold them at bay.

Juventus V Sampdoria - Home Win
The Champions face what looks like an easy task at home to 15th placed Sampdoria. The home form of Juve is imperious and they should easily take this one.

AC Milan V Siena - Home Win
Despite losing to Roma before the break Milan look like they are slowly returning to the force we know. They face a much easier task here in the form of bottom club Siena, straightforward home win.

Parma V Palermo - Home Win
Palermo are struggling at present, third from bottom and with just 3 wins all season. Parma are having a great campaign residing in eighth and they look set to get another 3 points in this one.

Napoli V Roma - Home Win
The match of the weekend sees two great attacking sides go head to head. Roma will be boosted by their win over Milan and Napoli have been struggling of late, slipping to 5th in the table. It is though they who get the vote given Roma's dismal record in Naples and that defensively Roma are poor. They will ship goals and unlike against Milan they will not be able to score more than they let in.

Selected Match Betting:
Napoli, Milan, Juve, Fiorentina, Inter, Parma & Lazio - All To Win - 22/1
Juve V Sampdoria - 4-0 Juve Win - 17/2
Milan V Siena - Stephan El Shaarawy To Score First - 3/1

 Enjoy The Games!