Serie A Preview: Main Rivals Continue To Play Catch Up To Juventus

Elvis Iwuamadi

4 months ago

Turin club remain favourites for domestic crown, but title contenders are closing the gap

Italy’s Serie A campaign gets underway on 18 August with the same cat and mouse tale continuing to dominate the competitive theme at the top end of the table. Defending champions Juventus have had it all their own way for over half a decade now, but the previous campaign gave indications that the tide may well be about to turn.

Last season was not the procession to the title that many envisaged, and with other clubs being bold in the transfer market over the summer window, we may well see some stuff competition over the coming months. The Juventus party could be over, however briefly that may turn out to be.

Before you go any further, head on over to the Oddsshark website, find your favourite betting agency and get your own account up and running using your credit card. As a brand new customer and with the Serie A season preparing for the big kick off, there should be several promotions and offers for you to take advantage of ahead of the action starting.

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Despite that caveat, it is still Juventus who come into the new season as the overwhelming favourites to retain their crown. You can back the Old Lady at a price of just 1.40 to retain their domestic dominance, for another season at least.

Boss Massimilliano Allegri has developed a fine side, capable of going far in the UEFA champions League as well as performing strongly on the domestic front. The team remain undefeated in pre-season, and comfortably beat German giants Bayern Munich 2-0 last week before playing out a 1-1 draw with Benfica.

In addition, Allegri is looking to add top quality players to an already star studded squad. The club are being linked with a move for former midfielder Paul Pogba, but even more excitingly, they have already announced the arrival of World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, from Real Madrid.

And the 33 year old goes right to the top of the favourites list to finish this Serie A campaign as leading goal scorer. You can back the Portuguese ace to do so at just 1.61, and given his record over the last decade or so it would be a brave soul who would bet against him.

Indeed, with their new arrival, such is the expected dominance of Juventus in this upcoming season, you can bet on a league table that does not include them. A trio of clubs – Napoli, Roma and Inter Milan – are all priced identically at 3.50 to finish up as “best of the rest”, with AC Milan at 6.50 to achieve that feat, according to Oddsshark.

And Napoli might feel more than most that they have a chance of toppling the champions. It was the Neapolitan outfit that finished as runners up last season, just four points behind Juventus after pushing them for nine tough months.

Veteran boss Carlo Ancelotti has replaced the departed Maurizio Sarri, who left for Chelsea, and the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich coach certainly has the wherewithal to make Napoli title contenders once again. Ancelotti starts his reign at his new club away to Lazio, and the visitors are the favourites, at 2.37, to take all three points.

Another club with title aspirations will be AS Roma, who finished a distant third last season but have one major weapon in their armoury: the firepower of Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian forward has been one of the most consistent goal scorers in Italy over the past two season and is renowned for hitting the ground running – he needs little time to find his feet at the start of a season.

Dzeko is at 17.00 to finish the season as top scorer, odds that seem exceptionally high given his record of 45 goals in his last 73 league games. Roma have lost Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, but they have a forward capable of firing them to the title.

Inter Milan find themselves in a similar situation to Roma. Argentine striker Mauro Icardi is the Nerazzurri’s big hope for this season, and he is at just 7.00 to finish the season as the league’s top scorer – only Cristiano Ronaldo is at a shorter price than Icardi.

Like Napoli and Roma, Inter are at 8.00 to win their first league crown of the decade, and with esteemed coach Luciano Spalletti in the dugout, not to mention the exciting arrival of Lautaro Martinez from Argentine club Racing, they may well pull a few surprises this season. Inter start the campaign away to Sassuolo and are at just 1.72 to pick up all three points.