Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Apr 2011
- Posts
- 5,455
With less than 16 days to go for the start of the league, I feel it is necessary to do the yearly Serie A thread. This season has all the requirements to be an exciting and highly competitive season. Can Milan dethrone Juve from being King of Italy or will Juve once again finish the campaign unbeaten?
Fixtures:
Juventus:
Juventus start the campaign as favorites. After an unbeaten season, Juve aim to re-affirm themselves as Champions of Italy. Juve bought a lot of players who undoubtedly make their team stronger. These signings include Giovinco, Asamoah and Isla. For the first time in many years, Juve start the campaign without their talismanic captain, Alessandro Del Piero, who left the club on a free transfer. Juve may also be hit with the calcioscomesse scandal, as their coach Antonio Conte is at risk of receiving a 10 month sentence (away from football) while Bonucci and Pepe might be acquitted of all charges.
Milan:
Milan will once again hope to challange Juve for the title, but when you look at their transfer activity, you can't neglect the fact that they seem much weaker. Zapata, Acerbi and Montolivo are the key signings for Milan, who had to see top players Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva leave along with the 'golden oldies' such as Nesta, Gattuso, Van Bommel and Seedorf. Pre-season has shown that Milan still have a lot of work to do, and its hard to predict how well they will do.
Udinese:
Udinese will once again push for a Champions League spot after two successive qualifications. This time around, the task looks harder after the departures of key men such as Handonovic, Isla, Asamoah and Floro Flores. The purchases have brought no big names, so Udinese remains a question mark until we see it in action.
Lazio:
Summer has brought nothing but uncertainty to the Lazio fans. With Ederson being the only signing, Lazio feel they are a step behind against their direct competitors. Pre-season shows signs of confusion in the Lazio camp after loses against Torino and Siena, and struggles against Salernitana. The desicion to bring Vladimir Petkovic as coach is also not a decision the Lazio fans are enthusiastic about.
Napoli:
Napoli will aim to better their 2011/2012 finish and aim for the Champions League spots. With only Lavezzi being their major departure, Napoli brought in Gamberini and Behrami, along with striker Insigne, who scored 18 goals last season in Serie B with Pescara. Napoli seem to be a team who have remained equal.
Inter:
Inter will undoubtedly want to improve on last season's performance and push for the Champions League spots once again. The transfer season has brought Inter great players such as Palacio, Handanovic and Silvestre, with Lucio being their only major departure. Inter seems stronger than last season, and if things go their way, they can be up there come the end of the season.
Roma:
Roma will once again start this campaign as one of the question marks of this season. The arrival of Zdenek Zeman has contributed to the enthusiasm among the Roma fans. The transfer season has gifted Roma some great players such as Destro, Balzaretti and Bradley along with youngsters such as Piris, Dodo and Tachtsidis. The only departure worth noticing is Fabio Borini, who left to Liverpool. Pre-season has shown good signs, with 7 wins out of 7 games, including a 2-1 win against Liverpool. Roma has all the credentials to be a major contender this season, but some may argue that Zeman's history of lack of trophies means that Roma won't be able to compete for the Scudetto. The only thing Roma can definitely expect is amazing football by coach Zeman.
Other teams:
Fiorentina have enforced their team with signings including Aquilani, Borja Valero and El Hamdaoui. They also have a new coach, Vincenzo Montella. Palermo have no big name signings to boast about, and they have parted ways with Balzaretti, Silvestre and Viviano. Much will be asked from Palermo to improve last year's performance, but personally, i doubt they will be able to pull it off. Genoa have lost Acerbi, Palacio and Miguel Veloso and youngsters Markel, Immobile and Piscitella are called to take their place. Genoa need to work hard to improve last year's campaign, where they finished a disappointing 17th. Parma may be one of the outsiders for a place in Europe. After an 8th place finish, Parma have signed great players including Ninis, Belfodil and Rosi, who will undoubtedly increase their side's strength. Needless to say, the departure of Giovinco will not be easy to fill, and it will hurt Parma dearly.
Predictions:
I feel that Juve are still the best team in Italy, with the competition being one step behind. I feel Milan, Lazio and Udinese are weaker than last year, and Europa League is the best they can achieve. Surprises can be struck by both Inter an Roma, who had a great transfer campaign, and look roaring to go.
1. Juventus
2. Inter
3. Roma
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5. Napoli
6. Milan
7. Udinese
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8. Fiorentina
9. Lazio
10. Parma
Would have preferred if it could be all in the center of the post
Sorry if there are some mistakes, I rushed it a bit.
