Italy Italian Football 2025/26 - Serie A, Serie B & lower leagues

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All of the Italian Football talk for the season goes here.

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Inter vs Como Preview (Saturday) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Inter:
Sommer; Akanji, Acerbi, Bastoni; Augusto, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Como:
Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Carlos, Moreno; Perrone, Caqueret; Addai, Paz, Rodriguez; Douvikas

Inter are sharing the third place with Roma. Both teams have 27 points, but the Nerazzurri have superior goal-difference. Of course, the fans are not satisfied as they want only the first place. Everything else is not good enough. The finish of the last season was a real catastrophe. Inter, who were inches away from the triplet, failed to win any of the possible three trophies. Napoli won the Scudetto, Milan were better in Copa Italia, while PSG demolished them in the Champions League final. As a result, Simone Inzaghi was replaced with Romanian coach Cristian Chivu. It is clear he need some time to implement his ideas. Five victories on the last seven matches in Serie A is not a bad result, though the defeats to Napoli and Milan were painful. Finding consistency will be the biggest challenge for Chivu. The Nerazzurri are excellent in the Champions League and national cup. Despite resting some of his key players, Inter have eliminated Venezia in Coppa Italia to face either Roma or Torino in the cup quarter-finals. Chivu has the majority of his players available, only Denzel Dumfries and Matteo Darmian are sidelined due to injury.

Como are definitely the most pleasant surprise in Serie A. They are fifth on the table, just four points away from first-placed duo of Milan and Napoli. Some of the fans start dreaming about the Champions League football for the next season. And why not, the Lariani are in excellent form. They have scored seven goals on the last two matches, meaning their confidence is very high. Scoring two against Sassuolo isn't something special, but scoring five at Torino have to be respected. Nico Paz is the key name in the squad. He has already registered five goals and five assists. But the man standing behind the success is coach Cesc Fabregas. Despite his inexperience, the Spaniard is excellent tactician, in line with Conte, Alegri, Gasperini and other top coaches in Italy. About the team news, Sergi Roberto and Edoardo Goldaniga are out injured. On the positive note, Assane Diao could complete his recovery from a thigh injury, while Ivan Smolcic is back from suspension.

Inter vs Como Prediction:

Inter have won each of the last 13 mutual games with Como. Usually it was something like "cat and mouse" game. But lot have been changed in the recent years. With Fabregas as head coach, Como are tough opponents in Serie A. They are improving every season and it is not a surprise they sit fifth on the table, just four points away from the top. Inter players could be re-focused on the upcoming match with Liverpool in the Champions League, so I think Como could upset the favorites. They have scored seven goals on the last two matches, meaning their confidence is very high. Scoring at Meazza is just a continuation of their good form.

Inter vs Como Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.91 with Bet365

 

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Lazio vs Cremonese Preview (Saturday, 20.12.2025) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Lazio:
Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Cataldi, Vecino; Cancellieri, Castellanos, Noslin

Cremonese:
Audero; Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti; Barbieri, Zerbin, Bondo, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy

Lazio will welcome Cremonese to Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. The Biancocelesti are 8th on the table with 22 points, while Cremonese have 20. Lazio are in mixed form, one win, one draw and one defeat on the last three matches in Serie A. They lost 1:0 to Milan at San Siro, drew 1:1 with Bologna, while won 1:0 against Parma at Tardini in the previous round. It was a memorable victory, first in Serie A history that 9-men team won a match since February 2017. Zaccagni was sent off for a high-footed tackle in the finish of first half. To be worse, Basic was red carded in the 78th minute. Despite being left with nine players, Lazio managed to win as Noslin scored the decisive goal of the match in the 82nd minute. The atmosphere in the squad is much better now, but coach Maurizui Sarri has lot of players unavailable due to various reasons. Basic and Zaccagni are both suspended, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia are on Africa Cup of Nations. Finally, Gustav Isaksen, Samuel Gigot and Nicolo Rovella are sidelined by injury.

As I wrote above, Cremonese have 20 points and they sit 11th on the table. The fans are happy with the situation as their club sit outside the drop zone, but there are many of them with bigger expectations. It is no secret, many fans are dreaming about Europe. The reason is Jamie Vardy, the former Leicester City striker who also played for English national team. It was a big surprise why he decided to choose le Tigri, a small Italian outfit that have just been promoted after a dazzling campaign. They are relative minnows in Europe and unknown for the majority of Premier League players. But maybe that's the main reason. Vardy loves to be the underdog and loves to be a part of an 'ambitious project'. Finally, Vardy's wish of playing in Top-5 European Leagues was granted. However, Cremonese are 11th with 20 points and their actual form could be evaluate as solid. They have 20 points and they are 8 points away from the drop zone. At the same time, Cremonese are 5 points away from the European spots and the next period will be crucial for their ambitions. Coach Davide Nicola is well aware of the importance of this match, particularly after last week’s narrow defeat to Torino. Despite that defeat, Cremonese away record remains impressive for a newly promoted side. Four players are sidelined - Martin Payero is suspended, while Jeremy Sarmiento, Alberto Grassi and Michele Collocolo are out injured.

Lazio vs Cremonese Prediction:

Lazio won 1:0 against Parma at Tardini last weekend. Usually the victory have a positive impact, but not every time. Lazio won, but paid a high price. Zaccagni and Basic were sent off and now must serve suspension. But that's not all - Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia are on international duty, while Gustav Isaksen, Samuel Gigot and Nicolo Rovella are out injured. Sarri is handicapped with so many absentees and I think Cremonese could remain unbeaten here. They are in solid form, collecting six from the possible nine points on the last three Serie A matches. With Vardy in the team, Cremonese have a Champions League experienced player, ready to fight on every match. Cremonese also have some missing players (Martin Payero is suspended, while Jeremy Sarmiento, Alberto Grassi and Michele Collocolo are out injured), but I think Lazio handicap is bigger.

Lazio vs Cremonese Pick: Cremonese +0.5 AH @ 2.34 with Pinnacle

 

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Roma vs Genoa Preview (Monday, 29.12.2025) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Roma:
Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Hermoso; Rensch, Kone, Cristante, Wesley; Soule, Baldanzi; Dybala

Genoa:
Sommariva; Marcandalli, Ostigard, Vazquez; Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Malinovskyi, Ellertsson, Martin; Vitinha, Colombo

Roma will welcome Genoa to Stadio Olimpico on Monday night. There will be lot of emotions as Daniele de Rossi is the actual Genoa coach. The fans like De Rossi and he will receive a warm welcome. De Rossi have 616 Roma appearances - only second to Francesco Totti in the all-time list. He is a genuine Roma legend. Of course, everything will be different when the match start. The fans will strongly support their club as three points from this match are very important. The actual form is poor, three defeats on the last four matches in Serie A. Some of the opponents were top teams like Napoli and Juventus, but that shouldn't be an excuse. Roma have big ambitions and the current results are not at desired level. Having collected only three from the possible 12 points, Roma have started to slip down the table. At the moment they are fifth with 30 points, but Mr Gassperini's men remain within touching distance of Champions League spot. But there is a problem - key defender Evan Ndicka is at the Africa Cup of Nations. His absence is a huge handicap. Neil El Aynaoui is also on international duty, while Lorenzo Pellegrini and Leon Bailey are injured.

Bologna have 14 points and they sit just outside the drop zone, on the 17th position. The Rossoblu are deeply involved into the relegation battle and they situation is very complicate. The former coach Patrick Vieira paid the price for bad results. Genoa failed to record a single victory in Serie A, with six defeats in their first nine league fixtures. The only successes came in the Coppa Italia, but that wasn't enough for Vieira to keep the job. Soon after, the club officials have confirmed the appointment of Daniele de Rossi as new head coach. Now lets evaluate the current form - two wins and two defeats on the last four matches in Serie A. Genoa managed to beat Verona and Udinese, while suffered defeats to Inter and Atalanta. According to me, that's a solid result. De Rossi will try to impress at Stadio Olimpico, against his childhood club. But he has some injury and suspension issues ahead of this match. Goalkeeper Leali is banned, Benjamin Siegrist is out injured, so third-choice keeper Daniele Sommariva is expect to start. Junior Messias, Morten Thorsby, Hugo Cuenca, Arthur Gronbaek and Maxwel Cornet are all sidelined through injuries, while Jean Onana is away with Cameroon at AFCON.

Roma vs Genoa Prediction:

Roma are big favorites here. The quality is on their side, the home advantage too. Roma have the best defense with just 10 conceded goals. Of course, the absence of key defender Evan Ndicka is a big handicap, but I believe Mr Gassperini will find adequate replacement. After all, Genoa are not Napoli. The guests are deeply involved into the relegation battle and the players confidence is low. Genoa lost the last two league fixtures and the atmosphere in the squad isn't at desired level. Plus, they will be without first two goalkeepers. The third-choice stopper Daniele Sommariva is maybe a good keeper, but he is inexperienced, despite the fact he is 28 years old.

Roma vs Genoa Pick: Roma to win @ 1.69 with 1xBet

 

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Lecce vs Roma Preview (Tue, 06.01.2026) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Lecce:
Falcone; Veiga, Gaspar, Gabriel, Gallo; Kaba, Ramadani; Pierotti, Helgason, Banda; Stulic

Roma:
Svilar; Celik, Ziolkowski, Ghilardi; Rensch, Kone, Cristante, Wesley; Soule, Dybala; Ferguson

Lecce will welcome Roma to Stadio Via del Mare on Tuesday evening. The points from this match are very important for both teams. Lecce are 16th on the table with 17 points and I think the club officials are satisfied. Their ambitions are not high, only to avoid the relegation. At the moment Lecce are five points clear of bottom three. However, there is no space for relaxation, few poor results and things could change easily. The actual form is mixed, one win, one draw and one defeat on the last three matches in Serie A. The victory against Pisa brought three points and values the most, but the last round's draw at Juventus proved they are competitive even with the top teams. Coach Eusebio Di Francesco’s men were outplayed in Turin, reduced to only 28% possession and just one shot on target. At the end, goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone was the hero after the last-minute penalty save. I believe the atmosphere in the squad is now better, though Di Francesco has some unavailable players. Mergim Berisha, Riccardo Sottil and Tete Morente are all struggling with injury. Mali midfielder Lassana Coulibaly is still at Africa Cup of Nations, but two players have returned from Morocco. Banda and Kialonda Gaspar both featured against Juventus after their respective national teams were eliminated from the tournament.

The last period was difficult for Roma fans. Many of them started dreaming about the Scudetto, but four defeats in the last six matches in Serie A show something different. The Giallorossi lost to Napoli, Cagliari, Juventus and Atalanta on Saturday. All four defeats were narrow and due to individual mistakes. Goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who's usually the best figure in the team, made a rare error in the last match and Roma were unable to fight back. After the match, coach Giam Piero Gasperini spoke about the situation and blamed his strikers for the bad results. Indeed, Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk have scored two goals each and it seems they are not compatible with Gasperini's way of playing. Most probably Roma officials will try to sign new striker during the winter transfer window. Giacomo Raspadori from Atletico Madrid was the first option, though the player has different plans. Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United is another name on the wish-list, but everything depends who will replace Ruben Amorim. However, Gasperini currently has headache with defenders. Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso are both suspended due to accumulate yellow cards, while Evan Ndicka is still at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Ivory Coast. That's not all as Morocco midfielder Neil El Aynaoui is also at AFCON and Lorenzo Pellegrini is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Lecce vs Roma Prediction:

Both Lecce and Roma have been short of goals this term. Di Francesco was expecting more from Nikola Stulic and AC Milan loanee Francesco Camarda, but both failed to impress. Each of them have scored just one goal after 17 rounds and there is the problem. However, the atmosphere in the squad is good after the heroic draw at Juventus. I think Lecce could remain unbeaten again. There are three reasons for my pick. First, the home advantage. I am sure the Lecce fans will come in large number and they will be the club "12th player". The second reason is connect with the last results of both teams. While Lecce remained unbeaten at Juventus, Roma lost to Atalanta. The players confidence is on Lecce side. And the third reason is connect with the absentees. Mr Gasperini is without three key defenders as Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso are suspended, while Evan Ndicka is at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Lecce vs Roma Pick: Lecce +0.5 AH @ 2.13 with Pinnacle

 

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Roma vs Sassuolo Preview (Saturday, 10.01.2026) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Roma:
Svilar; Mancini, Ziolkowski, Hermoso; Celik, Kone, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, Dybala; Ferguson

Sassuolo
Muric; Walukiewicz, Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig; Thorstvedt, Matic, Kone; Fadera, Pinamonti, Lauriente

Roma are currently fifth in Serie A with 36 points from 19 matches. To be more clinical, they are sharing the fourth place with Juventus. Both teams have 36 points, but the Old Lady have superior goal difference. New coach Giam Piero Gasperini, who replaced Ranieri this summer, is experienced tactician. He made a "miracle" with Atalanta in the last decade and he will try to replicate the success at Roma. The fans want to see Champions League football next season and everything less will be a failure. Gasperini is well aware about the fans expectations, but "It's easier said than done". There is one big problems, the outcome of the matches against "Big Clubs" are catastrophic. Roma suffered defeats to Milan, Inter, Napoli and Juventus. So far the Giallorossi are beating the "smaller teams" and somehow stay close to the fourth place. Three points from this match are obligated and Gasperini will ask the maximum from his players. But some important names are unavailable. Neil El Aynaoui and Evan Ndicka are still at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Bryan Cristante must serve a suspension. Finally, Dovbyk and Lorenzo Pellegrini are out injured.

Sassuolo are on the 11th place with 23 points. They are 10 points away from the relegation zone and also 10 points away from the European spots. The Neroverdi are in poor form, they have no win on the last five matches in Serie A. They lost two of them, from Torino and Juventus, while shared the points with Milan, Bologna and Parma. The atmosphere in the squad is poor, while the players confidence isn't at desired level. If something could be rated as positive, that's the fact they are able to upset the favorites even as guests. For example, Sassuolo drew 2:2 with Milan at San Siro and won 3:0 against Atalanta in Bergamo. Coach Fabio Grosso will try to impress at Stadio Olimpico, but it won't be easy. He has big issues ahead of the trip to the Capital City. Woyo Coulibaly is away with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations. Key player Domenico Berardi is out injured, alongside Yeferson Paz, Daniel Boloca, Filippo Romagna and Cristian Volpato. Andrea Pinamonti should lead the line in attempt to score his sixth league goal against Roma.

Roma vs Sassuolo Prediction:

Roma play "Hot and Cold" this season and Gasperini must find a way to improve the performances. But right now the confidence is high. On Wednesday the Giallorossi won 2:0 in Lecce thanks to goals from their strikers Evan Ferguson and Artem Dovbyk. The latter suffered injury and left the game in the finish. However, it is not a secret that Gasperini is not satisfy with both strikers. He is looking for new names up front and there are rumors about Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United and Giacomo Raspadori from Atletico Madrid. Sassuolo are in poor form, they have no win on the last five matches in Serie A, losing two of them. With some important players unavailable, I expect another defeat for Sassuolo.

Roma vs Sassuolo Pick: Roma to win @ 1.60 with 1xBet

 

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Fiorentina vs Milan Preview (Sunday, 11.01.2026) Serie A:

Possible starting lineups:

Fiorentina:
De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Pongracic, Gosens; Mandragora, Fagioli; Parisi, Brescianini, Gudmundsson; Kean

Milan:
Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

Fiorentina will welcome Milan to Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon. According to me, this is the most interesting clash in Serie A this weekend, despite the fact Napoli will face Inter few hours later. Both Fiorentina and Milan are in situation where they need points. The Viola are the biggest surprise this season. Nineteen games played, ten losses, seven draws, and just two victories. This is their worst ever start to a campaign. It is hard to swallow they are second from the bottom, deeply involved into the relegation zone. Fiorentina are club with rich history and loyal fans ready to support, but also to put players under heavy pressure. However, the last results are better. The Tuscan outfit have two wins and one draw on the last four matches in Serie A, losing only to Parma. Fiorentina managed to beat Udinese and Cremonese, while shared the points with Lazio at Stadio Olympico. Coach Paolo Vanoli could finally be satisfied with the form, but there is no space for any relaxation. He has almost all players available, only the long-term victim Tariq Lamptey remain sidelined. Edin Dzeko is expected to leave the club and probably won't play.

Milan are second on the table with 39 points, three less than leaders Inter. They ended 2025 with a 3:0 win against Hellas Verona, while started 2026 with a narrow 1:0 away victory over Cagliari. And just when everybody were expecting a "hat-trick" against relegation-candidates Genoa at San Siro, the Rossoneri failed. The match finished 1:1, but Milan should be happy with one point. First, because they equalized in the stoppage time and second, because Genoa missed a penalty later during the same stoppage time. Now they are traveling to Florence, but it's not a big problem as they are the only team yet to lose away from home in Serie A. Alegri has some injury and suspension worries ahead of this match. Centre-back Fikayo Tomori, is out suspended and his absence is a handicap. Tomori has played 16 from possible 18 matches in Serie A and You realized how important he is. However, this is positive for my pick. New acquisition Niclas Fullkrug, who came from West Ham on loan deal, with an option to buy at the end of the season, will probably be rested as he lacks match fitness. Finally, Santiago Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku continue to struggle with injuries.

Fiorentina vs Milan Prediction:

Fiorentina are in the drop zone, deeply involved into the relegation battle. How has one of the most recognizable clubs in Serie A ended up here? It is not easy to find the answer, but at the end it's not important at the moment. What is important, is to avoid relegation to Serie B. The players, the coaches and the fans are well aware about the situation. But Milan also need three points from this match. The Rossoneri are second, three points adrift of leaders Inter. Considering the fact Inter have to play against Napoli, it is a big opportunity for Milan to cut the difference. Alegri's men are the only team yet to lose on the road in Serie A. Milan have a record of five wins and three draws away from home. The players confidence is high and I expect Milan to attack from the first minute. Fiorentina, meanwhile, will look to create something from transition and set-pieces. The recent mutual games were efficient. Milan won 2:1 in the reverse fixture played in October, while last season Fiorentina won 2:1 at home (06.10.2024). There were goals on both sides on each of the last four matches between these two sides. I think the series will continue.

Fiorentina vs Milan Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 1.80 with Bet365