Following a resolution of the issues which necessitated a player's strike, the Italian league kicks off tomorrow evening as reigning champions AC Milan welcome Lazio to the San Siro. Napoli visit Cesena on Saturday, while the other 16 top flight clubs begin their campaigns on Sunday.
I won't attempt to predict any results until at least the first week or two of the new season have passed, and we get an idea of what to expect. The only game which catches the eye from this first round of fixtures is Cagliari's visit to Roma on Sunday afternoon. While Roma are deserved favourites, the odds are very short at 1/2. The hosts have a new manager (Luis Enrique) - and some quality attacking signings in Bojan and Eric Lamela - but they have also lost some important players, and their Europa League defeat at the hands of Slovan Bratislava suggests that the team may take some time to gel. As I said, Roma really should open their campaign with a home win on Sunday, but Cagliari +1 may be worth a tiny 'fun' bet at 6/4.
Happy new season!
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