Soccer Italy Serie A Prediction

Cremonese vs Atalanta - Match Preview

⚽ 1 April 2023 - 17:00 GMT +0

Not many will fault Cremonese for casting one eye on the upcoming Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Fiorentina, only their second such appearance in the club’s history. Davide Ballardini’s side still has a mountain to climb in Serie A (SA), where they spent the international break bottom of the points table and 11 points adrift of safety. Yet, five points from their last five SA games (W1, D2, L2) after just one point from eight prior games indicates that the positive effects of their cup run are perhaps trickling into their league performances.

Their lone league win this season came at home, but as it was surrounded by five other defeats in this calendar year, the positive effects of playing at Stadio Giovani Zini are yet to come to the fore. Atalanta may not be the worst opponent in that aspect though, as the hosts have lost only once in SA home H2Hs (W1, D3).

The visitors are in the midst of a tight battle for a top-four finish and went into the international break on a high, defeating Empoli 2-1 to snap a four-game winless run (D1, L3). It was also a milestone moment for manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who has now accumulated 800+ SA points, becoming the fourth manager since 1994/95 to do so. Little wonder then that Gasperini was reportedly suggested by Atlético Madrid directors as a replacement for Diego Simeone.

Atalanta may have the third-best away league points tally (24) this season, but recent road form doesn’t vouch for that. They lost four of their last five away matches in all competitions (W1) including consecutive 2-0 losses in the league, putting them at risk of losing three SA road trips in a row for the first time since November 2017.

📋 Players to watch: Charles Pickel has often left Cremonese in a pickle with his penchant for aggression, having picked up a team-high eight yellow cards this league campaign, including in the reverse fixture. This could boost Ademola Lookman’s hopes for a late impact as he has scored Atalanta’s last goal in seven of his ten league-scoring appearances.

⚡ Hot stat: Cremonese and Atalanta were levelled at half-time in ten of their 15 league H2Hs.

Inter vs Fiorentina - Match Preview

⚽ 1 April 2023 - 20:00 GMT +0

A 1-0 defeat against fierce rivals Juventus, which saw Inter Milan lose twice to the Bianconeri without scoring in a single Serie A (SA) season for the first time since 1976/77, has already been the ninth defeat for the Nerazzurri this SA season – a fate they have suffered after the opening 27 rounds just once this century.

Three defeats across their last four league matches (W1) also left Inter‘s run for the top four wide open and revived speculation about Simone Inzaghi‘s managerial future once again. However, with Inter being the only SA team yet to register a draw at home (W11, L3), they’ll be hoping to beef up the win column against Fiorentina who they beat in five of the last six H2Hs (D1).

It could turn out to be a very difficult task, for Fiorentina is travelling to Milan on a seven-game winning run across all competitions, which has seen them not only qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals but also move back to the top half of the standings for the first time since mid-January. Consequently, they started this round only four points away from the seventh spot (and the potential European place that may come with it).

That aforementioned run also consisted of the consecutive clean sheet away league victories which saw Fiorentina net five goals combined in those appearances – 38% of their total SA tally on the road. They haven’t held themselves back in the last five SA H2Hs either, netting eight times, including two 4-3 thriller defeats.

📋 Players to watch: Inter‘s Nicolò Barella scored twice in his last four meetings with Fiorentina, including the opener in the reverse fixture (W 4-3). That match also saw Fiorentina’s Arthur Cabral find the net before the break, whilst more recently he boasts an impressive run of four consecutive away goal-scoring outings (G5).

⚡ Hot stat: Inter has won a league-high eight home matches (100% win rate) after leading at half-time.

Juventus vs Verona - Match Preview

⚽ 1 April 2023 - 22:45 GMT +0

Despite posting a ball possession average of just 30.8% - their lowest since the data started being recorded in 2004 - Juventus went into the international break celebrating a standout 1-0 Serie A (SA) victory away at Inter Milan. That saw Bianconeri move a step closer to the top four, although they still trail those Champions League places by seven points coming into the round.

Without the well-publicised 15-point deduction, Juventus would be four clear in second place on 56 points. That’s been thanks to defiant form in the face of that punishment, with only league-leaders Napoli having won more than their 34 points across the last 15 rounds (W11, D1, L3). At home, Juventus have won five of their last six competitive matches, netting four goals in two of the last three, also leaving some criticism about their perceived unattractive style of play behind.

One defeat from their opening seven matches in 2023 looked to be laying the foundations for a remarkable escape at the bottom for Hellas Verona. However, the wheels have fallen off that charge in recent rounds, and their 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Sampdoria - a game in which forward Adolfo Gaich had two goals chalked off by VAR - stretched their current winless run to five (D2, L3), leaving them five points adrift of safety.

The visitors remain one of two SA sides yet to register a single league win on the road this term, with their mere five away points (D5, L8) being a league low. Verona has also lost 11 of their 13 league matches against sides starting this round ninth or higher (D2), netting just one combined goal across five such away outings (D1, L4).

📋 Players to watch: After scoring the winner against Inter, Filip Kostić has picked up a goal contribution in five of Juventus’ last eight matches (G1, A4). His compatriot Darko Lazović remains Verona’s league top-scorer with three goals and has collected three assists plus four bookings in his 14 H2Hs with Juventus (W4, D3, L7).

⚡ Hot stat: Juventus have scored 3+ goals in five of their eight home league matches against teams starting this round tenth or lower (W6, D1, L1).