The first match of the weekend is perhaps the most exciting where the A-list match-ups keep on coming. AC Milan have lost only one home Serie A game since the start of 2018 (against Benevento), while their visitors Roma are unbeaten in all 12 matches played on the road over the same period (W8 D4).
Despite this the visitors have won only 27 per cent of their games played against AC Milan in Serie A (44 out of 166): their second-lowest win percentage – higher only than against Juventus (23%).
Next up sees Bologna host the blue and black half of Milan. The hosts’ last home win against Inter in the Italian top-flight was back in February 2002 (2-1 for the Rossoblu) – since that result, the Nerazzurri have recorded nine wins and three draws.
Only once in the 21st century have Inter failed to win any of their first three league games in a season: in 2011/12 under Gian Piero Gasperini (sacked after the third league game played).
Newly-promoted Parma’s last five Serie A home wins against Juventus have been by a 1-0 scoreline, including the most recent one in April 2015.
Only on two previous occasions has Cristiano Ronaldo failed to find the net in his first three domestic appearances of the season (Real Madrid, 2010-11 and 2017-18). Parma will be hoping this is the third. If not CR7 then perhaps Paulo Dybala will step up. He has played 99 Serie A games for Juventus: he has been involved in 73 league goals (52 goals, 21 assists) for the Bianconeri so far.
Over in Florence, Fiorentina have won each of their last 10 home games against their opponents Udinese in the Italian top-flight (3.1 goals scored on average by Fiorentina). The visitors are enjoying a revival of fortunes and are unbeaten in their last four Serie A games (W3 D1), after losing 12 of their previous 13 (D1).
Atalanta would expect to be strong favourites in this encounter but they have lost their last two top-flight games against Cagliari, as many defeats as in their previous eight games against them. If the hosts concede it is likely to involve Leonardo Pavoletti who has scored five of Cagliari’s last seven goals in the league and found the net four times in eight appearances against Atalanta in the top-flight.
In Verona, Chievo have lost their opening two games in Serie A this season, the Gialloblu have never started a top-flight campaign with three consecutive defeats. Their opponents Empoli are unlikely to sit back though, they have recorded 49 touches in the opposing box in the league this season, only three sides have managed more (Juventus, Atalanta and Roma).
Including their final game of last season, Lazio have lost their last three Serie A games: the last time they lost four consecutive league games was back in May 2009. Simone Inzaghi may be pleased to meet Frosinone who are yet to score in top-flight this season, the last newly promoted team that failed to score in their opening three Serie A games were Empoli in 2005/06.
On the blue half of Genoa, Sampdoria are winless against Napoli since May 2010, drawing three and losing 10 of the 13 games played since their last victory.
Napoli are in scintillating away form and have lost just one of their last 33 away games in Serie A (W26 D6), a 3-0 defeat to Fiorentina back in April. For the visitors Lorenzo Insigne has scored five league goals against Sampdoria only scoring more against Milan (six) – the next will be his 50th goal in the competition.
In a potential bore-draw, Sassuolo (29) and Genoa (33) are two of the three sides with the fewest goals scored in Serie A since the start of the 2017-18 season. Hoping to stop this being the case for the hosts will be in-form Domenico Berardi who has scored four goals in his last six appearances for Sassuolo in the league – as many as in his previous 34 games.
The away side will look to Genoa’s Krzysztof Piatek has scored five goals in all competitions so far this season –more than any other Serie A player.
Finally to Turin, where Torino are unbeaten in their last 10 games in the league against SPAL (W6 D4) they have kept seven clean sheets during this period. The visitors will no-doubt rely on Mirco Antenucci who has been directly involved in five goals in his last five Serie A appearances and since the start of 2018 has been involved in 50% of SPAL’s goals (eight goals and three assists).
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com