Serie A Betting - Week 1 Preview

21th Aug 2007, 21:08

New Italian Football Season Begins Saturday

Though the Italian league season doesn’t kick-off until Saturday, the first silverware has already been decided. Roma repeated their Coppa Italia victory over current Serie A champions, Inter Milan, by winning the Italian Super Cup last Sunday. The two teams dominated the domestic scene last season in the wake of the match fixing penalties, but how will they fair on a level points playing field, and with the return of the Old Lady – Juventus? However the season unfolds, be sure of up to 60% better Serie A odds at PinnacleSports.com.

Juve May Need Time to Recover

After a year in the wilderness, Juventus return to Serie A looking to re-establish themselves as the top club in Italy. La Vecchia Signoria bounced straight back from forced demotion to Serie B, but dispensed with the services of coach, Didier Deschamps, replacing the Frenchman with Claudio Ranieri. Nicknamed ‘the Tinkerman’ during his time in charge of Chelsea, Ranieri is a surprising choice, given his lack of success with a number of high profile clubs.

PinnacleSports.com have Juventus as 7.560 third favourites in their Serie A betting market, but President Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has admitted that Biaconeri’s chances of winning the Scudetto are slim, with their aspirations realistically limited to Champions League qualification. “Our objective for the season is to get an automatic Champions League spot,” Gigli admitted in the wake of indifferent pre-season form, and low key transfer activity. Juve begin their campaign at home to Livorno on Saturday evening, at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino, while the Stadio delle Alpi is renovated. PinnacleSports.com price last term’s Serie B winners 1.855 (-1 & -1.5) anticipating a triumphant return to the top flight. Livorno were poor on the road last season winning just two of their 19 away games.

Inter Out to Prove a Point

As they begin the defence of their Serie A title, Inter Milan will be desperate to prove that their wide margin success wasn’t simply because of the Calciopoli punishments. The Nerazzuri finished 22 points ahead of their nearest rival, but their form tailed off toward the end of the season, culminating with defeat by Roma in the Coppa Italia. Inter have now lost three of the last four meetings with the Giallorossi, who raised their game to compete alongside Inter, and all other teams can be expected to do the same against the reigning Scudetto holders. Roberto Mancini has made few significant squad additions, so has the same successful unit to face Udinese on Sunday, priced 2.140 (-1.5) with PinnacleSports.com, who also have them as favourites for the title.

Napoli Back in the Big Time

The atmosphere on Sunday at the Stadio San Paolo in Naples for Napoli’s first home game back in the Serie A should be electric. Back in the top flight after an absence of six years, via the Italian third division, Southern Italy’s biggest side will looking to emulate past glories. Napoli twice won Serie A in the 1980’s as well as the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia, but the realistic hope for coach, Edoardo ‘Edi’ Reja, would simply be survival. The squad is lacking in real talent, and after a considerable time out of the big time could lack the necessary experience. Napoli face Sardinian side, Cagliari, in their opening fixture. The Islanders finished 16th last term, flirting with relegation, and continued their alarming turnover of managers. PinnacleSports.com have Napoli 1.935 (-0.5) and Cagliari 1.990 (+0.5).

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