Serie A - week 22 round-up

This site has caused quite a stir in Egypt: so much so, authorities have seen fit to cut off almost all access to the internet in their country just hours before this weekend’s match previews were posted. For better or worse, we have decided to struggle on regardless.

Sanchez bagged another three points for form team Udinese

Udinese broke into the top six in Serie A by coming from behind for the second week in a row to beat Juventus 2-1 on their own turf. Back-to-back wins over Inter and Juve signal the Bianconeri’s intentions of qualifying for Europe this campaign. 

Alexis Sanchez scored the winner five minutes from time, but he will be unavailable for Udinese’s next game against Bologna as a result of the red card he received three minutes after his winning goal. Juventus centre-half Leonardo Bonucci had also received his marching orders just a minute before Sanchez.

Snow in Bologna forced the only postponement of the weekend, therefore Roma will be forced to revisit the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara at a later date.

The most exciting game of the weekend was in Milan, where Inter came from 2-0 down to beat Palermo 3-2. Samuel Eto'o scored the winning goal, while new signing (from Sampdoria) Giampaolo Pazzini contributed the other two Inter goals.

Edinson Cavani netted a hat-trick for Napoli as they eased to a 4-0 win over Sampdoria at the Stadio San Paolo. Cavani now becomes top goalscorer in Serie A, with 17 goals to his name so far this season.

Ten-man AC Milan kept second-placed Napoli at arm’s length thanks to a 2-0 win over Catania on Saturday. Mark Van Bommel was sent off in his Serie A debut for the Rossoneri, but goals from Robinho and Ibrahimović ensured that they returned from Sicily with all three points regardless.

Kozak made his mark on his first start for Lazio

Libor Kozak scored twice on his full debut to ensure a return to winning ways for Lazio. Their clash with Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico was a flat affair until the Czech striker sparked a suddenly cheerful atmosphere with his second-half brace.

Finally, Brescia have sacked coach Mario Beretta and replaced him with his predecessor Giuseppe Iachini. The bizarre move was announced after Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Chievo, which was Brescia’s fifth defeat in six league games. Iachini was out of work for less than two months, and is now once again faced with the tough task of saving the newly-promoted side from an instant return to Serie B.

Iachini: back to business at Brescia

The 23rd round of Serie A fixtures take place in midweek this week, so selected match previews and betting tips will be posted on Tuesday. Til then…

Serie A – week 22 results

Brescia           0-3          Chievo

Cagliari           2-1          Bari       

Genoa            3-1          Parma    

Inter Milan      3-2          Palermo                

Juventus         1-2          Udinese                

Lecce             1-1          Cesena                  

Napoli            4-0          Sampdoria           

Catania          0-2          AC Milan

Lazio             2-0          Fiorentina

Serie A – week 22 betting tips

We return to Serie A action in Italy this weekend, following a week of Coppa Italia quarter finals. Sides who are no longer involved in this stage of the cup will obviously be more refreshed going into the weekend’s league fixtures. Napoli, Inter, Parma and Palermo will be the most tired of the cup contestants, as they were forced to play out extra time and penalties during the week.

The cup semi-finals are two-legged affairs, but these won’t be played until mid-April. AC Milan will face Palermo, while Inter take on Roma. 

Juventus v Udinese Preview and Betting Tips

January 30th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on Setanta Ireland)

Juventus cruised to a 4-0 win when these sides met last September in Udine. Udinese are a different prospect these days however, and this game is likely to follow a different script.

I mentioned in my round-up of last week’s action that Udinese look set to finish this season without winning any trophies following their exit from the Coppa Italia last week. I believe that Juventus will also fail to win anything this term having watched their listless departure from the same competition on Thursday.

Out of Europe, and nine points behind Milan in Serie A, one would have expected Juventus to treat the cup as a priority. No such luck for their fans however, who watched them wave the white flag to Roma, and suffer a 2-0 quarter-final defeat at their home ground. Their defence looked particularly weak, and they will hope that their latest signing from Wolfsburg, centre-back Andrea Barzagli, can improve this department. Barzagli is likely to make his debut against Udinese.

Barzagli: Can he stop the Udinese strikeforce?

Udinese, as we know, are a counter-attacking machine these days. While rumours of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United surround their Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez, the Bianconeri continue to surpass expectations. Their 3-1 defeat of Inter last week proved that they are confident enough in their attacking system to stick with it regardless of the opposition.

Juventus will naturally be favourites for this game, and they may well be eager to impress their home fans following such a disappointing cup exit, but I am backing Udinese to pull off another upset on Sunday evening.

Prediction – Udinese to win – 3pts

Match odds:      Juventus      19/20

                       Draw           12/5

                       Udinese       13/5

Juventus: Last 5 Serie A Results

23.01.2011 – Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus

16.01.2011 – Juventus 2-1 Bari

09.01.2011 – Napoli 3-0 Juventus

06.01.2011 – Juventus 1-4 Parma

19.12.2010 - Chievo 1-1 Juventus

Udinese: Last 5 Serie A Results

23.01.2011 – Udinese 3-1 Inter

16.01.2011 – Genoa 2-4 Udinese

09.01.2011 – AC Milan 4-4 Udinese

06.01.2011 – Udinese 2-0 Chievo

19.12.2010 - Lazio 3-2 Udinese

*****

Catania v AC Milan Preview and Betting Tips

January 29th 2011, 7.45pm GMT 

As mentioned in our round-up of week 21 in Serie A, Milan’s all-new front three of Ibrahimović, Cassano and Robinho are clicking into gear nicely, and appear to have been playing together a lot longer than they actually have. The return to fitness of Pato, whose brace against Sampdoria on Wednesday ensured their progress in the cup, will also be a welcome development.

Catania are normally solid at home, but they have only won once in their last three games at the Stadio Angelo Massimino, and their recent form will be of concern to their supporters. They currently sit in sixteenth place in Serie A, two points above Lecce. Former coach Marco Giampaolo was sacked following a recent 1-1 draw with Chievo, and he was swiftly replaced by Diego Simeone. The Argentinian’s first game in charge was the 2-0 defeat at Parma last week, and this visit of the league leaders will be his introduction to Catania’s home fans.

34-year-old Van Bommel: hoping to win the Scudetto with AC Milan

New signings Mark Van Bommel and Urby Emanuelson played a part in Milan’s cup win at Sampdoria, and they are expected to make their league debuts for Milan in this game. I think this challenge will prove too big for Catania, and that they will suffer their fourth defeat in five games.

Prediction – AC Milan to win – 3pts

Match odds:      Catania       10/3

                       Draw           9/4

                       AC Milan      5/6

Catania: Last 5 Serie A Results

22.01.2011 – Parma 2-0 Catania

16.01.2011 – Catania 1-1 Chievo

09.01.2011 – Catania 1-2 Inter

06.01.2011 – Roma 4-2 Catania

19.12.2011 – Catania 1-0 Brescia

AC Milan: Last 5 Serie A Results

23.01.2011 – AC Milan 2-0 Cesena

16.01.2011 – Lecce 1-1 AC Milan

09.01.2011 – AC Milan 4-4 Udinese

06.01.2011 – Cagliari 0-1 AC Milan

18.12.2011 – AC Milan 0-1 Roma

*****

Cagliari v Bari Preview and Betting Tips

January 30th 2011, 2.00pm GMT 

Though Cagliari lost at home in their first game of 2011, their last defeat before that at the Stadio Sant'Elia was in November, when Genoa beat them 1-0. The Sardinians have a reliable strike-force in Matri and Acquafresca, and they currently sit in a comfortable mid-table position. 

Bari, on the other hand, are four points adrift at the foot of Serie A, and nothing is going right for them at the moment. I expect Cagliari to emerge victorious from a low-scoring affair on Sunday.

Prediction – Cagliari to win – 3pts

Match odds:      Cagliari        4/6

                       Draw           5/2

                       Bari             4/1

Cagliari: Last 5 Serie A Results

22.01.2011 – Roma 3-0 Cagliari

16.01.2011 – Cagliari 3-1 Palermo

09.01.2011 – Parma 1-2 Cagliari

06.01.2011 – Cagliari 0-1 AC Milan

18.12.2010 - Cesena 1-0 Cagliari

Bari: Last 5 Serie A Results

23.01.2011 – Bari 0-2 Napoli

16.01.2011 – Juventus 2-1 Bari

09.01.2011 – Bari 0-2 Bologna

06.01.2011 – Lecce 0-1 Bari

19.12.2011 – Bari 1-1 Palermo

Good luck!

Serie A - week 21 round-up

As with previous outside bets, last week’s unfortunately failed to produce a win, but our two main tips ensured that the intended return to winning ways was achieved.

Lazio looked set to cruise to their first away win of 2011 when Sergio Floccari gave the Romans a fifth-minute lead at Bologna, but they collapsed in spectacular style with former Lazio youth player Marco Di Vaio scoring two impressive goals against his old club. Erratic Argentinian striker Mauro Zarate will miss the next three Lazio fixtures after striking one of the referee’s assistants after the final whistle, while key defender Andre Dias’ red card means he will also miss the game against Fiorentina on Saturday.

Mauro Zarate clashes with Bologna players on Sunday

Eddy Reja’s sides often fade during the second half of the season following a strong start, and this will most likely be the case this season unless Lazio can bring in some reinforcements before the transfer window closes.

As expected, Inter’s visit to Udinese proved to be the game of the weekend. Francesco Guidolin’s men became the first team to defeat the Milan side since Leonardo took charge, coming from behind to win 3-1. Udinese are making a lot of friends by virtue of the open, attacking style which they are currently employing and it’s a shame they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia last week, as it would have been fitting to see them rewarded with some silverware this campaign.

Leonardo will also have to contend with some suspension headaches for the visit of Palermo on Sunday, as bookings from the Udinese game ensure the unavailability of Chivu, Stankovic and Cordoba.

Roma overtook city rivals Lazio, moving into third place thanks to a 3-0 win over Cagliari. This was an important win against a side they have had problems with in the past. Second-placed Napoli also kept the pressure on leaders Milan by beating likely relegation candidates Bari 2-0.

AC Milan responded well on Sunday evening, maintaining their four-point lead with a 2-0 win over Cesena. New signing Antonio Cassano appears to have settled in well at Milan, and he is linking well with Ibrahimović and Robinho up front – an ominous sign for their title rivals perhaps?

Cassano and Ibrahimović celebrate the final goal in Milan's 4-4 thriller against Udinese

See you back here for this weekend’s tips, which will be posted on Friday.

Serie A - Week 21 results

Udinese          3-1       Inter       

Bari               0-2       Napoli    

Bologna          3-1       Lazio      

Chievo           0-0       Genoa    

Fiorentina       1-1       Lecce

Sampdoria      0-0       Juventus

AC Milan         2-0       Cesena

Palermo          1-0       Brescia

Parma            2-0       Catania

Roma             3-0       Cagliari   

Serie A – week 21 betting tips

Bari v Napoli Preview and Betting Tips

January 23rd 2011, 2pm GMT

Napoli missed an opportunity to gain ground on leaders AC Milan last week, when they played out a scoreless draw with Fiorentina at home. They will be hoping to pile further misery on fellow southerners Bari tomorrow, and their confidence will have been restored by their 2-1 cup win over Bologna during the week.

Bari are another side who exited the Coppa Italia this week, via a 3-0 defeat at AC Milan. “This was not the most important game for a team that is fighting to defend its Serie A status,” insisted coach Giampiero Ventura. Meanwhile Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri wishes to “hand our fans great joy this campaign.”

Mazzarri, when asked exactly how much joy Napoli fans can expect to be handed

I think tomorrow’s game at the San Nicola Stadium will help him move closer to achieving this aim, against opponents who have managed just 1 win in 15 games. Bari have struggled to score goals, and their form has consigned them to bottom of the table (5 points adrift). Donati has been one of their more consistent performers, and considering the fact that he is suspended for this game I expect Bari to suffer their thirteenth loss of the campaign tomorrow.

Prediction – Napoli to win – 6pts

Match odds:      Napoli     21/20

                       Draw      21/10

                       Bari         3/1

Bari: Last 5 Serie A Results

16.01.2011 – Juventus 2-1 Bari

09.01.2011 – Bari 0-2 Bologna

06.01.2011 – Lecce 0-1 Bari

19.12.2010 – Bari 1-1 Palermo

12.12.2010 - Roma 1-0 Bari

Napoli: Last 5 Serie A Results

15.01.2011 – Napoli 0-0 Fiorentina

09.01.2011 – Napoli 3-0 Juventus

06.01.2011 – Inter 3-1 Napoli

19.12.2010 – Napoli 1-0 Lecce

11.12.2010 - Genoa 0-1 Napoli

*****

Udinese v Inter Preview and Betting Tips

January 23rd 2011, 11.30am GMT (live on ESPN)

This intriguing clash is the most exciting match-up of the weekend in Serie A. As is the case in all three games previewed this week, both of these sides were in action during the week. Udinese will be feeling the pace a little more, as they were forced to partake in extra time and a penalty shoot-out which proved ultimately fruitless against Sampdoria in the cup. Inter, meanwhile, were 3-2 winners over Cesena in a league fixture.

The Milan side will be full of confidence going to the Friuli stadium – they have won five out of five since former AC Milan boss Leonardo was appointed coach. This is a resounding vote of approval for Leanardo, from the same group of players whose form was mediocre for almost half of this season. They now lie in a very threatening fourth position in the table, just six points behind leaders AC Milan with a game in hand.

Udinese have proven to be formidable at home however, and they won’t fear any challenge at the Friuli. They have also shown an improvement on the road, by virtue of a thrilling 4-4 draw with the league leaders and a 4-2 away win at Genoa. With DiNatale and Sanchez leading the line, Udinese are lethal on the counter-attack. I expect to see some goals when these two meet tomorrow.

DiNatale: can he put a stop to Inter's winning run?

Prediction: Over 3.5 goals – 2.5pts

Match odds:      Udinese             11/5

                       Draw                 11/5

                       Inter                  6/5

                       Over 3.5 goals     2/1 

Udinese: Last 5 Serie A Results

16.01.2011 – Genoa 2-4 Udinese

09.01.2011 – AC Milan 4-4 Udinese

06.01.2011 – Udinese 2-0 Chievo

19.12.2010 - Lazio 3-2 Udinese

11.12.2010 - Udinese 2-1 Fiorentina

Inter: Last 5 Serie A Results

19.01.2011 – Inter 3-2 Cesena

15.01.2011 – Inter 4–1 Bologna

12.01.2011 - Inter 3-2 Genoa

09.01.2011 - Catania 1-2 Inter

06.01.2011 - Inter 3-1 Napoli

***** 

The Outside Bet:

Bologna v Lazio Preview and Betting Tips

January 23rd 2011, 2pm GMT

Lazio currently lie third in the table, level on points with second-placed Napoli, and 4 points behind leaders AC Milan. Bologna’s target for the season will be to avoid the drop, and they sit 5th from bottom as things stand.

Due to their recent good form, last year’s champions Inter are now just 2 points behind Lazio with a game in hand. Coach Eddy Reja flagged January as a crucial month for Lazio’s season, and the Biancoceleste have not been coping very comfortably with the pressure their lofty league position brings.

Both sides’ chances of securing silverware were reduced this week as they exited the Coppa Italia. Lazio’s defeat will sting more than Bologna’s however, as it was their fourth consecutive loss to bitter city rivals Roma. Reja’s men didn’t respond well to their last derby defeat in November, and they may well struggle to regain form at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

The unavailability of Matuzalem, Rocchi, Sculli, Garrido, Meghni (injuries) and Lichtsteiner (suspension) will not help Lazio’s cause, especially considering the fact that Bologna have a full squad to choose from.

Bologna may have been comprehensively beaten by Inter last week, but this was their first loss in four league games, and I favour them to avoid defeat tomorrow.

Prediction: Draw – 1.5pts 

Match odds:      Bologna     21/20

                       Draw         21/10

                       Lazio          3/1

Bologna: Last 5 Serie A Results

15.01.2011 – Inter 4-1 Bologna

09.01.2011 – Bari 0-2 Bologna

06.01.2011 – Bologna 1-1 Fiorentina

19.12.2010 – Parma 0-0 Bologna

12.12.2010 - Bologna 0-3 AC Milan

Lazio: Last 5 Serie A Results

16.01.2011 – Lazio 1-0 Sampdoria

09.01.2011 – Lazio 1-2 Lecce

06.01.2011 – Genoa 0-0 Lazio

19.12.2010 - Lazio 3-2 Udinese

12.12.2010 - Juventus 2-1 Lazio

Good luck!

Serie A - week 21 tips online tomorrow

The plan for this week is to return to winning ways after last week’s disappointing results. Week 21 match previews and tips will be online tomorrow (22nd Jan.), and they will focus on games to be played on Sunday (23rd Jan). 

In the meantime, here’s the full list of results from last week in Serie A.

Serie A: Week 20 results

Cagliari        3 - 1        Palermo                              

Brescia        2 - 0        Parma                  

Catania       1 - 1        Chievo

Cesena        0 - 1        AS Roma                             

Genoa          2 - 4        Udinese                              

Juventus      2 - 1        Bari                       

Lazio          1 - 0         Sampdoria                         

Lecce         1 - 1        AC Milan

Napoli         0 - 0        Fiorentina                          

Inter          4 - 1        Bologna

(previously postponed game, played on Wed. Jan. 19th: Inter 3 - 2 Cesena)