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The new campaign kicks off on the afternoon of Saturday, August 23rd, as Napoli travel to Sassuolo and Genoa host Lecce. There's a double-header late on, with Roma and Bologna clashing in the Italian capital whilst Milan and Cremonese face off further north. The action continues on Sunday with four more ties, with the highlight arguably being the meeting between Como and Lazio in Lombardy. The final instalment of the opening day weekend takes place in Milan, as Inter take on Torino at the San Siro.
Which teams are ready to impose themselves right from the start? Where should you bet and which odds offer the best value? We analyse this weekend's key Serie A battles, highlighting the favourites, potential surprise packages, and betting markets not to be underestimated.
Sassuolo v Napoli, Saturday, August 23rd, 17:30 (BST)
Its the clash of the champions in Emilia-Romagna, as newly-promoted Sassuolo entertain Serie A titleholders Napoli at the Mapei Stadium. The Neroverdi endured a challenging summer, suffering some heavy friendly defeats including a sobering 4-0 loss to Villarreal. Furthermore, head coach Fabio Grosso must also integrate several new faces into his side, as Sassuolo aim to avoid returning to Italy's second-tier at the first time of asking.
Napoli, on the other hand, will be extremely encouraged by their pre-season performance. Antonio Conte's men impressively overcame Galatasaray (3-1) and Sporting Lisbon (2-0), showcasing their attacking qualities and defensive solidity in both fixtures.
Moreover, the historical head-to-head record is clearly in favour of the Azzurri; in the last 23 meetings between these two sides, Napoli have won 14 times (a sequence that includes an emphatic 6-1 away victory in February 2024), with seven draws and only two successes for Sassuolo. Consequently, the bookmakers expect a comfortable Neapolitan victory.
Betting tip: Napoli to win - bet365 (8/15)
Explanation: This bet lands if Napoli win the match by any scoreline.
Roma v Bologna, Saturday, August 23rd, 19:45 (BST)
Another keenly anticipated opening day fixture, Roma v Bologna is scheduled for Saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico. The Giallorossi start as favourites, having been strengthened by several marquee summer arrivals. The 'Roma winning without conceding a goal' option has a solid basis, given that the team has shown defensive solidity in recent seasons, especially at home. The pair's recent head-to-head record serves to further endorse this notion; Roma are unbeaten in their last three home fixtures against this opponent. Moreover, Bologna failed to score in any of these clashes, losing 1-0 on two occasions and securing a goalless draw back in May 2022.
Bologna are a well-organised outfit who are typically tough to break down, but struggle to show the level of intensity away from home as they do at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Betting tip: Roma to win without conceding a goal - bet365 (5/2)
Explanation: This bet will land if Roma win without conceding a goal, regardless of the margin of victory.
AC Milan v Cremonese, Saturday, August 23rd, 19:45 (BST)
AC Milan undoubtedly possesses more quality than Cremonese, but the Rossoneri also come into the fixture on the back of an extremely positive summer. Cremonese progressed through the Serie B play-offs to regain a seat at the top table of Italian football, and are therefore unsurprisingly favourites for the drop. The Grigiorossi will undoubtedly have their work cut out at the San Siro....
Nevertheless, Saturday's opponents drew twice during the 2022/23 season, the last campaign in which Cremonese competed in the Serie A. However, given the sheer gap in technical expertise and experience, we shouldn't expect anything other than a convincing home win.
Betting tip: Milan to win without conceding a goal - bet365 (6/5)
Explanation: This bet lands if Milan win without conceding a goal, regardless of the margin of victory.
Como v Lazio, Sunday, August 24th, 17:30 (BST)
Como head into this fixture with plenty of confidence and enthusiasm, having developed at a rapid rate of knots under the stewardship of head coach Cesc Fàbregas. After returning to Serie A following a 21-year absence, Como impressively concluded the 2024/25 campaign in tenth position.
Lazio were inconsistent last season, delivering several exceptional performances but also suffering some unexpected mishaps. Although the Romans finished slightly higher up the Serie A table, Como's current momentum has resulted in them being billed as favourites ahead of the clash in Lombardy.
Last season's contests between these two outfits produced extremely different outcomes. Lazio thumped five past the hosts in a thumping victory at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, but the Lariani secured a hard-earned point in Rome in the return fixture. As both teams tend to create lots of chances, we'll hopefully see plenty of goalmouth action on Sunday evening...
Betting tip: Over 2.5 goals - bet365 (1/1)
Explanation: This bet will land if there are more than two goals in the match, regardless of which team(s) score
Juventus v Parma, Sunday, August 24th, 19:45 (BST)
Juventus come into the opening weekend hoping to put their recent woes behind them, after only just sneaking into the Champions League positions on the final day of the 2024/25 Serie A campaign. The Bianconeri have shown good form in pre-season, looking like a team who are steadily regaining their confidence. Parma will have been happy to preserve their top-flight status following promotion from Serie B, but will be hoping to kick on this term.
Last season's meetings were both tight affairs, with the Ducali claiming an impressive point in Turin before edging Juventus at the Tardini. These results will remind Juve not to underestimate the strength of the visitors, but the Allianz Arena faithful will expect their team to get over the line on Sunday night. The bookies share this view, offering short odds on a home win.
Betting tip: Juventus to win - bet365 (4/9)
Explanation: This bet will land if Juventus win the match, regardless of the margin of victory.
Inter v Torino, Monday, August 25th, 19:45 (BST)
Inter head into the new season having concluded the 2024/25 Serie A campaign as runners-up. No defence in Italy's top-flight shipped fewer goals than the Nerazzurri's backline, who conceded on just 28 occasions throughout the entire season. Inter also packed a punch at the top of the end of the pitch, with striking duo Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram offering a constant threat. Torino landed just outside the top half last term, but would have finished higher had they shown a more clinical edge in front of goal. The Granata were also strong defensively, conceding fewer goals than any other team that finished outside of the European places.
Inter got the better of Torino in both of last season's contests. After emerging triumphant in a five-goal thriller at the San Siro, the 2025 Champions League finalists secured all three points in Turin as the season entered its final stages. Considering the defensive qualities of these two teams and Inter's superior record in the head-to-head, a narrow home victory is arguably the most likely outcome.
Betting tip: Inter 1-0 Torino - bet365 (6/1)
Explanation: This bet will land if the final score is Inter 1-0 Torino
Odds courtesy of bet365, Sisal and GoldBet. Correct at time of publication and subject to change.
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