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!