With six or seven games to go in hopes of finishing as high as possible, the Serie A returns with another exciting round of fixtures. AC Milan and Napoli will be looking to get back to winning ways having dropped points in their last respective fixtures, while Inter Milan seem to be channeling last season’s experience to keep up in the title race. We kick off the long weekend action on Friday!
Friday 15 April
8/1 Spezia | Draw 44/10 | Inter Milan 3/10 (19:00)
After cementing their place at the top of the Serie A table, Inter Milan take a trip to the north of Italy where they face a Spezia team not short of confidence after picking up four points in their last two games. Inter are in an entirely different battle for the Scudetto. Their 2-1 victory against Verona last time out was an important one, considering both Napoli and AC Milan dropped points.
From now until the last game of the season every game will be like a cup final for the defending Champions. I’m backing an away team victory.
1/3 AC Milan | Draw 4/1 | Genoa 8/1 (21:00)
The home side unexpectedly dropped points against Torino last time out and that has left them vulnerable at the top of Serie A. What will worry Stefano Pioli, even more, is the fact that this was a consecutive draw, while Inter Milan is hot on their heels only two points behind.
AC Milan is hosting a Genoa team that has only won two games all season, so I expect the home side to stop this recent slump and get back to winning ways. I’m tipping AC Milan and over 2.5 at 11/10.
Saturday 16 April
37/20 Cagliari | Draw 51/20 | Sassuolo 27/20 (12:30)
Cagliari head into this encounter still dangerously close to the relegation zone and they are quickly running out of games to separate them from relegation candidates.
Sassuolo on the hand seems comfortable in mid-table having picked up ten points in their last five games. Their last victory, against Atalanta, was impressive considering they managed to score in both halves. I’m backing a double chance here Sassuolo on the Win/Draw at 7/20.
17/20 Sampdoria | Draw 26/10 | Salernitana 32/10 (14:30)
After looking likely to finish anywhere around mid-table, Sampdoria now finds themselves meddling in the murky waters of relegation. They still have a seven-point cushion between them and position 18 but with seven games to go, they need to turn things around quickly. After getting back-to-back draws in January and February, Salernitana is back to catching losses game after game.
They’ve only managed a single point in their last five fixtures. This is the type of match Sampdoria should use to show some pride and you can back the home side to win both halves at 7/4.
8/10 Udinese | Draw 26/10 | Empoli 31/10 (14:30)
Udinese is a team that is sitting mid-table, comfortably occupying 12th spot. They haven’t always been there though and required their last two victories to move them up and away from any relegation whispers.
Empoli, who have spent a long time amidst mid-table company have failed to register a win in their last five games, picking up just three points. This recent form has led them to the low 14th position and probably there’s a feeling of ‘nothing to play for’ creeping in since they can be considered safe from relegation. I’m tipping a home side victory and they should be able to do it with a clean sheet too at 22/10.
7/20 Juventus | Draw 38/10 | Bologna 7/1 (18:30)
Juve’s loss to Inter two weeks back dented any chances of them having a real shot at the Scudetto this season, but they swiftly returned to winning ways last time out.
The Old Lady swept aside Cagliari from a goal down to win 2-1. They face Bologna, who are winless in their last five fixtures. Juventus managed to beat Bologna 2-0 in December. Another win for Juventus is very likely.
6/10 Lazio | Draw 29/10 | Torino 42/10 (20:45)
Lazio has been silently going about their business creeping up the Seria A table. They now occupy sixth position, only two points behind Roma in fifth. The form they are in, four wins and one loss in their last five, shows they want to have a strong finish, and are aiming to get qualification for a European competition spot. They host a tough team to crack in Torino though who hardly let in more than a goal when they concede in recent weeks. Get behind Lazio to edge this encounter
Monday 18 April
9/10 Napoli | Draw 26/10 | Roma 29/10 (19:00)
Napoli suffered a huge setback last Sunday when losing 3-2 to Fiorentina at home. The loss left the hosts third on the log two points behind log leaders AC Milan, a win would’ve taken them to the summit. Prior to last Sunday’s defeat, Napoli was on a great run with three successive wins, each of which saw them bag at least two goals. They are out of all cup competitions and will fully focus on the title race in the remaining six rounds.
Next up for Spalletti and his men are AS Roma who will travel to Naples with an impressive record of four wins in the last five which includes three consecutive victories. Tough game to call here between two teams that know how to find the back of the net, so I suggest backing Both Teams to Score (Yes) on this one at 7/10.
13/20 Atalanta | Draw 31/10 | Verona (39/10) (21:00)
We conclude the weekend fixture with an interesting match-up between mid-table rivals Atalanta and Hellas Verona. Only six points separate these sides between eighth and 10th, with Atalanta on 51 points and their opponents on 45 points. The hosts come into this match fresh from a disappointing 2-1 loss against Sassuolo while Verona suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Inter Milan.
Both these sides have won once in their last five matches, and both can’t be trusted on current form. I won’t be backing any of these sides, so I suggest getting on the Under 2.5 Goals market at a valuable 12/10.
Treble @ 3/1
Inter Win 3/10
Sampdoria Win 17/20
Lazio Win 6/10
