Serie A - round 15 results

Catania         2-0       Palermo     

Cesena          0-1       Inter    

Genoa           2-1       Bologna      

Juventus       2-0       Novara       

Lazio            2-2       Udinese      

Napoli           1-3       Roma         

Parma           3-3       Lecce                   

AC Milan        2-0       Siena

Chievo           2-0       Cagliari       

Fiorentina      2-2       Atalanta      

Cesena v Inter Match Prevew and Betting Tips

Sunday 18th December 2011, 2pm GMT

At the beginning of the season, some observers felt that Cesena had made one of the best signings of the Summer period in capturing Adrian Mutu from Fiorentina for free. It hasn’t worked out too smoothly so far however – though Mutu has score 4 goals, that is more than half of his team’s total tally and they currently sit third from bottom in the table. Mutu, incidentally, will be shooting for his 100th Serie A goal tomorrow.

Nagatomo: looking to make it 3 in 3 tomorrow

Inter were one of the first clubs to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages despite their poor start to the domestic season. Claudio Raneiri – their fourth manager since the departure of Jose Mourinho - seems to have steadied the ship somewhat however, and they have moved up to seventh place having won their last three games. Yuto Nagatomo has scored in Inter’s last two games, and he will be hoping to continue the trend against his old club.

Striker Diego Forlan came off the bench on Tuesday at Genoa, and his return from injury is good news for Inter fans as Giampaolo Pazzini isn’t finding the net as easily as he did last season, and Diego Milito is also struggling somewhat. 23-year-old Ricardo Alvarez is an exciting addition to the Inter attack, and overall I think they will have enough to continue their winning run at Cesena.

Prediction – Inter to win – 4pts

Match odds:            Cesena          10/3

                             Draw             9/4    

                             Inter             5/6

Serie A - round 14 results

Roma            1-1       Juventus     

Atalanta         1-1       Catania      

Bologna         2-2       AC Milan     

Cagliari          0-0       Parma        

Novara          1-1       Napoli        

Udinese         2-1       Chievo       

Inter             2-0       Fiorentina   

Lecce            2-3       Lazio

Palermo         0-1       Cesena

Siena            0-2       Genoa         

Roma v Juventus Match Preview and Betting Tips

Monday 12th December 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

Roma’s struggles so far this season have been well documented. They were at a disadvantage ahead of last week’s game against Fiorentina thanks to the stupidity of striker Pablo Osvaldo, and the Giallorossi have shot themselves in the foot once again ahead of this one.

Midfielder Fernando Gago, defender Juan and striker Bojan Kirkic, who were all sent off at Fiorentina, will be unavailable for this game due to suspension. Pablo Osvaldo returns up front, but defenders Simon Kjaer and Nicolas Burdisso are also expected to miss out through injury. Juventus have no suspension worries, and Andrea Pirlo – who missed Juve’s last game against Cesena – will return to strengthen the visitors’ midfield. Former Roma striker Marco Vucinic is likely to miss this clash with his old club however, as he suffered a thigh injury in the Cesena game.

Time may be running out for Roma coach Luis Enrique. A sizeable section of the travelling Roma support last Sunday demanded that Enrique be removed from his duties after the game. In a press conference after the same match, the coach himself indicated that he will walk away if he feels that he has lost the support of his players. The Spaniard’s puzzling decision not to field fit-again captain Francesco Totti (despite the absence of Osvaldo) certainly won’t have won him any friends in the Curva Sud. There are also rumours that out-of-work Carlo Ancelotti has held talks with the club, in a week when midfielder Danielle De Rossi has said it would be “a miracle” if Roma finished in the top three and qualified for next season’s Champions League.

Conte: attempting to bring the glory days back at Juventus

Antonio Conte’s fortunes so far in his first season as Juventus coach have been in contrast to those of Enrique at Roma. Conte’s men top the table on 29 points, and they have yet to be beaten after 13 games. New signings Pirlo, Stefan Lichtsteiner and Arturo Vidal have added much-needed steel to the Bianconeri, while Claudio Marchisio and Alessandro Matri have been finding the back of the net frequently.

Juventus were deserving winners over Lazio at this same stadium two weeks ago, and this weakened Roma side won’t provide as strong a test for the Old Lady. Considering the fragile nature of Enrique’s position, and the players he will be missing, I expect the visitors’ aggressive attacking style to overpower Roma on Monday evening.

Prediction – Juventus to win – 6pts

Match odds:   Roma             11/4

                    Draw              23/10

                    Juventus         19/20

Lecce v Lazio Match Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 10th December 2011, 5pm GMT

There were murmurs of doubt about the ability of coach Edy Reja to exceed last season’s achievements when Lazio went on a recent winless three-game run. Lazio silenced the doubters somewhat on Monday evening however when they clinically dispatched with an admittedly poor Novara side.

Reja’s first full season at Lazio saw the Romans qualify for Europa League football, which was a huge improvement from the previous season - most of which was spent flirting with relegation. There was always going to be pressure on Reja to improve on a fifth-place finish however from the moment when Lazio director Claudio Lotito loosened the purse strings during the summer, allowing his coach to bring in Miroslav Klose, Djibril Cisse, Federico Marchetti and Senad Lulic among others.

"L" is the message as Rocchi celebrates a goal against Novara

It was a Lazio veteran who drove his team to a much-needed win on Monday – club captain Tomasso Rocchi, who is closing in on 300 Serie A appearances, scored twice during the 3-0 win. Rocchi missed most of last season through injury, but he has impressed upon his return – so much so that he has earned a starting place and consigned frustrated Frenchman Cisse to the bench.

There’s not much to say about Lecce. Having collected just 8 points from 13 games, they are rooted to the bottom of the table and are guaranteed a place in the relegation battle for the rest of the season. As this game will be coach Serse Cosmi's first at Lecce (he was given the job of replacing the sacked Eusebio Di Francesco), his players may be more fired up than they have been in recent games. Lazio really need to be collecting maximum points from games like this however, and considering their strong form on the road they should do so with ease.

Prediction – Lazio to win – 4pts

Match odds:   Lecce              16/5

                    Draw               23/10

                    Lazio               5/6

Serie A - round 13 results

Lazio            3-0       Novara       

Bologna        1-0       Siena

Catania         0-1       Cagliari

Chievo          0-0       Atalanta

Fiorentina      3-0       Roma         

Juventus       2-0       Cesena       

Parma           0-0       Palermo     

Inter             0-1       Udinese      

Napoli           4-2       Lecce                   

Genoa           0-2       AC Milan      

Fiorentina v Roma Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 4th December 2011, 2pm GMT

Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo will miss this visit to his old employers, having been suspended by his new employers - apparently for punching team-mate Eric Lamela in the face after Roma’s 2-0 defeat at Udinese last Friday. The absence of Osvaldo – who was also fined the maximum possible amount by his club (€50,000) – will obviously decrease the attacking threat posed by the Giallorossi on Sunday.

Though Fiorentina have picked up just two points on the road so far this season, they are a much sterner prospect at home, and coach Delio Rossi will be hoping to make home advantage pay as he looks for his first win. He will have to plan without Cesare Natali, who was sent off during the Viola’s defeat at Palermo last week, but the dangerous Stefan Jovetic is likely to return from injury.

Jovetic: back for the Viola?

Roma’s worries up front will be eased slightly by Francesco Totti, if he returns to the line-up as is expected. Totti will have fond memories of the Stadio Artemio Franchi, as he scored a brace here against Fiorentina last season. Midfielder Danielle De Rossi may have to deputise at centre-half on Sunday, following the hamstring injury suffered by Simon Kjaer at Udinese.

The injuries and suspensions currently faced by Roma pose fresh problems for coach Luis Enqique, who is already under pressure after the erratic beginning to his career in Italy. His side were picked apart on the counter-attack when they tried to assert themselves at Udinese last week, and I think they will struggle again on Sunday. This is a great opportunity for Delio Rossi to claim his first win as Fiorentina coach.

Prediction – Fiorentina to win – 3pts 

Match odds:   Fiorentina             7/5

                    Draw                  21/10

                    Roma                 19/10

Genoa v AC Milan Match Preview and Betting Tips

Friday 2nd December 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on Setanta IRL)

Milan travel to Genoa this evening in the knowledge that goalkeeper Christian Abbiati will be sidelined for two more weeks. The champions’ first-choice ‘keeper suffered a shoulder injury during Milan’s recent Champions League clash with Barcelona, and his replacement Marco Amelia managed to keep a clean sheet last week when Milan thrashed Chievo 4-0.

Zlatan: reached his century last weekend

While Milan enter this game on the back of a 4-0 win (during which Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 100th and 101st goals in Serie A), Genoa suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat at Cesena last time out. Although they are unbeaten at home so far this campaign, and they will be eager to return to winning ways, the Rossoblu haven’t yet hosted visitors boasting the quality of this Milan side.

Veteran defender Alessandro Nesta has also joined the injury list at Milan, and is expected to return early in the new year. Gennaro Gattuso and Mathieu Flamini are also expected to return in the new year, while Antonio Cassano is likely to miss the rest of the season – which is why Milan have been heavily linked with rebel Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez of late.

Genoa have failed to score in two of their last three games, and their top scorer Rodrigo Palacio is suspended for this game. Absent through injury are Luca Antonelli, Ze Eduardo and Cesare Bovo. Milan have not conceded in their last three league games, and they have scored more than any other Serie A team. The champions return to the top of the table should they win this evening, and I think they will.

Prediction – AC Milan to win – 5pts 

Match odds:   Genoa           3/1

                    Draw             9/4

                    AC Milan       10/11

Serie A - round 12 results

AC Milan 4-0    Chievo 

Cagliari 1-1  Bologna 

Cesena 2-0     Genoa  

Palermo 2-0     Fiorentina

Siena 0-1     Inter  

Atalanta 1-1     Napoli

Lazio 0-1     Juventus  

Lecce 0-1     Catania

Novara 2-1     Parma

Udinese 2-0     Roma

Palermo v Fiorentina Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 27th November 2011, 2pm GMT

Following a 0-0 home draw against AC Milan last week, coach Delio Rossi’s second game in charge at Fiorentina is this visit to Palermo on Sunday. Palermo’s form has been reasonably straightforward so far this season – 5 wins out of 5 games at home, and 5 defeats out of 6 away from home (Lazio are the only team who have failed to win their home game against the Sicilians so far this term).

Considering this run of form, I like the odds on a home win at the Stadio Renzo Barbera on Sunday afternoon. Genoa and Inter have been among those who have been defeated in Palermo so far, and I feel that Fiorentina are likely to continue the trend. The visitors were involved in the 4th round of the Coppa Italia on Thursday, and their legs will be wearier than those of the Palermo players, following the long journey south.

Alessio Cerci scored twice for Fiorentina yesterday in the Coppa Italia

My advice would be to approach this one with caution however, for two reasons. Firstly, Delio Rossi is a good coach, and he knows the Palermo team quite well having brought them to the cup final last season. Secondly, Fiorentina have had more success at the Stadio Renzo Barbera than any other Italian team, with 10 wins out of 24 visits. So while I expect Palermo to prevail, I won’t be betting my house on it!

Prediction – Palermo to win – 3pts

Match odds:   Palermo          5/4

                    Draw            21/10

                    Fiorentina      11/5

Lazio v Juventus Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 26th November 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

This meeting of first and second in the table is the pick of this weekend’s Serie A fixtures. Both teams have earned 22 points so far, but Juventus have the superior goal difference and have played a game less. If these two are still level on points when the end of the season approaches, the head-to-head record between the sides will determine who comes out on top.

The historical advantage here lies with the visitors. Lazio have conceded a total of 239 goals against Juventus, more than any other Serie A team. Juve are unbeaten in their last 13 games against Lazio, with nine wins and four draws. The last time they met in the Stadio Olimpico, it was a cagey affair which was eventually decided by a late goal from Pepe.

Klose, the focal point of the Lazio attack

I have a feeling that there will be more than one goal scored tomorrow - Juventus have shown improvement in their attack following the addition of playmaker Andrea Pirlo, while Claudio Marchisio and Alessandro Matri have been on fire so far this season. Lazio have also strengthened their attack as a result of having signed Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse during the summer. Klose – Lazio’s top scorer with six goals – returns from injury tomorrow, having missed last week’s 0-0 draw in Napoli. The Biancoceleste defence has looked less solid than they did last season however, a fact which must be of concern to coach Edy Reja.

I rarely predict the draw here, as readers may have noticed, because drawing a game is rarely the objective for either side in a game of football. Considering the importance of the head-to-head record in Italy however, I have a feeling that Juve might be happy with a draw tomorrow, and therefore I think it’s worth a small bet.

Prediction – Lazio to draw with Juventus – 3pts

Match odds:   Lazio             13/8

                    Draw             11/5

                    Juventus         8/5

Serie A - round 11 results

Bologna         0-1      Cesena         

Catania         1-2      Chievo

Genoa           1-0      Novara         

Juventus        3-0      Palermo       

Parma           2-0      Udinese        

Roma            2-1      Lecce 

Siena            2-2      Atalanta       

Fiorentina      0-0      AC Milan       

Inter             2-1      Cagliari         

Napoli           0-0      Lazio

Bologna v Cesena Match Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 20th November 2011, 11.30am GMT

Sunday’s early fixture is Cesena’s visit to Bologna. Cesena have got off to a horrific start in the league this season, despite the excitement among their fans when they signed Adrian Mutu from Fiorentina during the summer. With just three points from ten games, they occupy the bottom spot in Serie A. Coach Marco Giampaolo was sacked following a 2-0 defeat at Parma during the ninth round of fixtures, but his replacement Daniele Arrigoni could only manage a 1-0 home loss to Lecce in his debut.

Will Bologna striker Marco Di Vaio be smiling on Sunday?

Bologna Coach Stefano Pioli was also appointed since the beginning of this season. His record so far at Bologna is three wins and two defeats from five games, and he will be targeting another win on Sunday. Cesena have been struggling in front of goal - they have scored just three times in ten games – and the fact that they couldn’t score at home against a poor Lecce side hardly inspires confidence, especially when you consider the fact that Lecce were reduced to ten men before the hour mark.

Bologna are reasonably reliable at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, and I like the odds on them winning while keeping a clean sheet here.

Prediction - Bologna to win to nil – 3pts

Match odds:            Bologna                            10/11    

                             Draw                                 9/4

                             AC Milan                            3/1

                             Bologna to win to nil           21/10

Fiorentina v AC Milan Match Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 19th November 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

Arguably the most exciting match-up in Serie A this weekend is the meeting of Fiorentina and champions AC Milan. Saturday’s game marks the debut of former Lazio and Palermo boss Delio Rossi as Fiorentina coach after his predecessor Sinisa Mihajlovic stepped down.

Delio Rossi salutes the Palermo fans last season

Milan have been in fine form lately, and they will be hoping to continue a five-match winning streak, though Massimiliano Allegri has been preaching caution to his players ahead of this one. Fiorentina boast some quality players who will be eager to impress their new boss. Alessio Cerci has looked dangerous on the wing, and Riccardo Montolivo is an established creative force in midfield – not to mention Juan Manuel Vargas and Alberto Gilardino, who can always conjure up a match-winner out of nothing. Stevan Jovetić, who has scored some impressive goals for the Viola this season, is expected to start despite carrying a muscle strain.

Fiorentina have punched below their weight this season (wining just three of their first ten games), and Milan will be expecting to collect the points on Saturday and continue to climb the table. The visitors welcome striker Alexandre Pato back from a two-month absence due to injury. While Milan have the momentum, Fiorentina will put up a fight in front of their own fans, and I expect to see the ball hit the net a few times here.

Prediction - Over 2.5 goals – 4pts

Match odds:            Fiorentina                12/5   

                             Draw                      11/5

                             AC Milan                  11/10

                             Over 2.5 goals         11/10

Serie A - round 10 results

AC Milan         4-0        Catania     

Atalanta         1-0        Cagliari      

Cesena          0-1        Lecce        

Chievo           1-0        Fiorentina  

Lazio             1-0        Parma       

Udinese          2-1        Siena                  

Novara           0-2        Roma        

Palermo          3-1        Bologna      
Napoli            P-P        Juventus
Genoa            P-P        Inter

Udinese v Siena Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 6th November 2011, 2pm GMT

Udinese’s 4-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid yesterday was one of the more eye-catching results of this week’s Europa League fixtures. Francesco Guidolin’s men haven’t conceded very often this season, and although the coach effectively picked a second-string team to line out in Madrid, it was still a surprisingly heavy defeat.

There will be quite a different look to the team which faces Siena on Sunday, as Guidolin attempts to cope with the demands of competing in Europe as well as at home. Like many of the clubs in the Europa League, Udinese’s primary focus is on their domestic campaign. Neither captain Antonio Di Natale nor midfielder Giampiero Pinzi travelled to Madrid, while Kwadwo Asamoah, Mauricio Isla, Dušan Basta and Pablo Armero all started on the bench. All of the above can be expected to start on Sunday.

Asamoah has been linked with Manchester United this week

Siena scored four themselves last weekend, capitalising on Chievo’s poor form by beating the Verona side 4-1. They will visit Udinese having made a decent impression so far on their return to Serie A, collecting 13 points from 9 games. Udinese are an experienced top division team however, and they have shown no mercy to the lesser teams they have faced so far this season (their only defeat was to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo). I expect the Friuli team to win comfortably here, and to maintain their 100% record at home.

Prediction – Udinese to win -1 (handicap betting) – 2pts

Match odds:  Udinese          8/13 

                   Draw              5/2 

                   Siena              9/2
                   Udinese -1      15/8

Novara v Roma Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 5th November 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on Setanta IRL)

Siena have managed just a single win from nine games since they returned to the top flight this season. The game in question was a memorable 3-1 defeat of Inter on the occasion of their first home game.

Their visitors tomorrow have lost three of their last four games, and Roma will be desperate to get back to winning ways at Novara. Luis Enrique’s side occupy 13th place in the table, five places above their opponents. Captain Francesco Totti is still unavailable due to injury, but playmaker Miralem Pjanic recovered ahead of last week’s defeat against Milan, and he will accompany Bojan and Daniel Osvaldo in Roma’s three-pronged attack tomorrow. Novara welcome defender Massimo Paci back from injury.

Bojan - one of Enrique's hopefuls at new-look Roma

As mentioned last week, Roma’s Spanish coach is still struggling to impress his style of play upon his team on a consistent basis. The Giallorossi have started to score goals, but they have also conceded five in their last two games. Novara play on an artificial surface, which can be a hindrance to visiting sides, but despite this advantage I like the odds on an away win tomorrow. The quality of players available to the Roma coach is simply far superior to that in the Novara squad, and I expect Enrique’s men to prevail.

Prediction – Roma to win – 4pts

Match odds:  Novara        13/5 

                   Draw          23/10 

                   Roma          evens

Serie A - round 9 results

Bologna         3-1       Atalanta     

Cagliari          0-3       Lazio

Fiorentina      1-0       Genoa        

Lecce            1-1       Novara       

Parma           2-0       Cesena       

Siena            4-1       Chievo       

Udinese         1-0       Palermo     

Catania         2-1       Napoli        

Inter Milan     1-2       Juventus     

Roma            2-3       AC Milan

Roma v AC Milan Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 29th October 2011, 5pm GMT

Milan make the trip to the capital on the back of three successive league wins, a run which has put an end to the defending champions’ rocky start to the season. Roma on the other hand have lost three of their first eight games, and new coach Luis Enrique will be feeling the pressure soon unless he can show some consistency.

Milan’s Philippe Mexes is likely to miss this game against his old team-mates having sustained an injury in training. Also injured for the visitors are Alexandre Pato, Gennaro Gattuso and Mathieu Flamini. Midfielder Clarence Seedorf is doubtful. Roma’s injury casualties are captain Francesco Totti and midfielder Miralem Pjanic. New signing Pjanic has been the driving force behind Roma’s attack so far this season, and he is likely to be missed by the home team.

Nocerino celebrates after putting three past Parma

Recent games between these two sides have been tight affairs (they have managed only one goal between them in their last three meetings), but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a couple of goals tomorrow. Luis Enrique is trying to mould a Barcelona-esqe attacking side out of the Roma team, and Milan have scored eleven times in their last three games. In-form midfielder Antonio Nocerino, who scored a hat-trick for the Rossoneri in midweek against Parma, will start again tomorrow.

Overall I feel that the momentum is with Milan at the moment, while Roma are still finding their feet under Enrique. A cautious bet on an away win is my tip of the weekend in Serie A.

Prediction – AC Milan to win – 3pts


Match odds:  Roma             7/4
                   Draw              21/10
                   AC Milan          8/5

Serie A - round 8 results

Palermo         2-0      Lecce           

AC Milan        4-1      Parma

Atalanta        1-1      Inter Milan

Cesena          1-1      Cagliari         

Chievo           0-1      Bologna        

Genoa           2-1      Roma 

Lazio             1-1      Catania        

Napoli           2-0      Udinese        

Novara          1-1      Siena 

Juventus        2-1      Fiorentina

Serie A - round 7 results

Bologna 0-2      Lazio
Cagliari 0-0      Napoli
Inter         1-0      Chievo
Lecce         3-4      AC Milan
Parma 1-2      Atalanta
Roma         1-0      Palermo
Siena         2-0      Cesena
Udinese 3-0      Novara
Fiorentina    2-2      Catania
Juventus     2-2      Genoa

Bologna v Lazio Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 23rd October 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)

New Bologna Coach Stefano Pioli got off to a perfect start last week when his side won 2-0 at Novara. Pioli was appointed following the sacking of Pierpaolo Bisoli, who had managed to take just a single point from Bologna’s first five games. Their visitors Lazio have also had to consider the possibility of changing coach this season – Edy Reja offered his resignation after a rocky start – but all is now rosy in the Biancoceleste garden after their dramatic win in the Derby della Capitale last Sunday.

Miro Klose, the new "King of Rome"

One factor which may well have an influence on the outcome of this game is the availability of Lazio striker Miroslav Klose. The German has scored a late winner in both of his side’s last two league games, and as Lazio assistant coach Giovanni Lopez said "he is a reference point in our attack and we missed him on Thursday (Lazio drew 1-1 at Zurich in the Europa League on Thursday)." The in-form striker is struggling with a muscle injury and will face a late fitness test tomorrow. Bologna will have to make do without injured striker Alessandro Diamanti.

It is impossible to over-estimate the value of a derby win for either of the Roman teams, and I expect that last Sunday’s win – their first derby victory since 2009 – will have a galvanising effect on Lazio. Bologna are in the bottom three in Serie A, and I expect a Lazio win tomorrow with or without Klose, but I will be more confident if the in-form striker starts.

Prediction – Lazio to win – 3pts

Match odds:  Bologna         12/5 

                   Draw             11/5 

                   Lazio            11/10

Udinese v Novara Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 23rd October 2011, 2pm GMT

Udinese sit in second place in the table after six games, level with Juventus on points and goal difference but having scored two less. Unbeaten so far this season, they missed a chance to pull clear at the top last week when they instead decided to participate in the nil-nil-fest which gripped Serie A on Sunday.

Novara are one of the new arrivals to the top flight, and they have settled reasonably well. Their last result was a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home against Bologna, but they have also beaten Inter 3-1 at home and drawn away at Chievo.

Antonio Floro Flores celebrates after scoring against Atletico Madrid

Udinese are well known for their attacking threat, but the most impressive aspect of their performances so far has been their water-tight defence. The Friuli side have conceded just once in their six league games so far – the best defensive record in the league. Their 2-0 home win over Atletico Madrid on Thursday in the Europa League was no mean feat either. Captain Antonio Di Natale returns to the line-up against Novara after being rested on Thursday.

The odds on a Udinese win tomorrow are too short to consider, but there is value in backing them to win while keeping another clean sheet.

Prediction – Udinese to win to nil – 4pts

Match odds:  Udinese                               4/9 

                   Draw                                   3/1 

                   Novara                                6/1

                   Udinese to win to nil             7/5

Serie A - round 6 results

Atalanta         0-0       Udinese        

Cagliari           0-0       Siena

Cesena           0-0       Fiorentina     

Chievo            0-0       Juventus      

Genoa            0-0       Lecce 

Lazio              2-1       Roma  

Novara           0-2       Bologna        

AC Milan         3-0       Palermo        

Catania          2-1       Inter  

Napoli            1-2       Parma

Napoli v Parma Preview and Betting Tips

Saturday 15th October 2011, 7.45pm GMT

Napoli were given a boost in the lead-up to this game by the return to fitness of striker Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan missed his team’s 3-0 win at Inter two weeks ago due to an ankle injury, but he recovered in time to line out for his country during the week.

Visitors Parma were impressive in their last game, a 3-1 home win over Genoa. “Atomic Ant” Sebastian Giovinco has started the season well, and is the driving force behind the Parma attack. His side have shown fragility away from home however, and, Giovinco aside, they don’t pose much of a threat.

Edinson Cavani's 3 league goals this season were all scored against Milan

I like the swagger Napoli have shown so far this season. Their front three of Hamsik, Lavezzi and Cavani are terrorising defences, while they also have quality behind them in players like Zuniga, Cannavaro and new signing Inler. Napoli beat Parma with a two-goal cushion twice last season, and I expect them to win by at least two again at the Stadio San Paolo on Saturday.

Prediction – Napoli -1 (handicap betting) – 5pts

Match odds:  Napoli         1/2 

                   Draw         14/5 

                   Parma        11/2

                   Napoli -1     8/5

Atalanta v Udinese Preview and Betting Tips

Sunday 16th October 2011, 2pm GMT

Udinese are one of only two teams who are still unbeaten in the league this season (Juventus being the other one). Their hosts on Sunday, Atalanta, were undefeated until they lost 3-1 at Roma in the last series of games.

Atalanta had made a bright start upon their return to the top flight, but their defeat at Roma poses questions about their ability to compete with the better Serie A teams. Wins over Novara and Lecce are one thing (and in fairness their win over Palermo was impressive), but make no mistake - they will be facing one of the top teams in the division on Sunday.

Guidolin shows how he plans to sweep aside the challenge of Atalanta

Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin has coped well with the demands of participation in both European and league football so far this season. He has rotated his squad, and has already been able to rest top goalscorer Antonio Di Natale (already on 4 league goals for this season), who stayed at home while his team travelled to Scotland to face Celtic. Guidolin’s men will be targeting all three points when they visit Bergamo on Sunday, and I think they will be successful.

Prediction – Udinese to win – 2pts

Match odds:  Atalanta      6/4 

                   Draw          21/10 

                   Udinese       9/5