Initially, Italy was one of the worst-hit countries due to COVID-19. Life in Italy came to a standstill as all sports, travel, socializing, etc., were banned earlier in 2020. Thus, meaning a delay to the end of the 2019-2020 Italy Serie A season and also a delay to the beginning of the 2020-2021 Italy Serie A season. Football has resumed in Italy with new restrictions in place. However, fans don’t have access to matches in-person because of social distancing rules. It’s been a few weeks since Juventus lifted the trophy for the previous season. We’re already a handful of matches underway in the current season.
2020 / 2021 Serie A
With the new Serie A season underway, we take a look at some of the potential winners, top-4, relegation, domestic titles, and Champions League. We use past performance, current form, player ratings, window signings, injuries, etc., to bring you the best previews from Serie A.
1. Italy Serie A 2019 Winners
Last season, Juventus lifted the Serie A trophy after marginally defeating Inter Milan by only 1 point and Atlanta by 5 points. In the past decade, Juventus won the Serie A trophy more than any other Italian club and usually, by some margin. However, Antonio Conte’s Inter is a strong contender and favorites to win this season. Inter has one of the best defenses in Italy and conceded only 36 goals last season. The two head-to-head matches between Inter and Juventus will determine who between the two has the edge. Ronaldo isn’t getting any younger, and Juventus is trying to reduce their wage bill by getting rid of older and more expensive players.
2. Champions League Qualifications
The top 4 teams in Serie A secure Champions League qualification at the end of the season. Last season, Juventus, Inter Milan, Atlanta, and Lazio finished in the top 4 and played in the Champions League this season. The teams expected to make up the top four for 2020-2021 include Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, and Atalanta. Atalanta scored the most goals last season in the league with a grand total of 98. Atalanta also had the best goal difference in the league at 50. Napoli, Roma, and Lazio are expected to vie for a top 4 position and may have to contend with a Europa League or Europa League qualification spot.
3. Italy Serie A 2019 Relegation
Lecce, Brescia, and SPAL were relegated at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Last season didn’t have a relegation battle as these teams were relegated before the last day of the season. This season, Crotone, Benevento, and Spezia qualified to Serie A. However, they’re also the punters and experts relegation favorites. Moreover, Spezia has never played in Serie A before. While everyone loves an underdog, history shows us that it can be hard to get promoted for the first time and stay up the following season. Genoa, Torino, and Sampdoria aren’t relegation favorites. However, if things progress as they did last season, they will find themselves in a relegation battle to stay in Serie A. Last season, Genoa conceded the most goals apart from the relegated teams. Torino is the unusual suspects in this list, considering they’ve usually finished much higher with the likes of Belotti, Zaza, Sirigu, and more.
4. Domestic Titles
Italy has two domestic titles – Coppa Italia and the Supercopa. The Coppa Italia is one of Italy’s oldest Cup competitions. The Supercopa is a match between the winners of Serie A and the winners of the Coppa Italia. This makes winning Serie A the most important, followed by winning the Coppa Italia, followed by winning the Supercopa. Napoli is the current title holder for the Coppa Italia. However, pundits feel that Napoli is going to have a hard time retaining the title. Juventus are not favorites to win Serie A, putting them in a better position to win the Supercopa. Juventus has also won the tournament the most number of times.
Fun Fact: Inter Milan is the only club in Italy to have never been relegated. Inter is yet to be relegated in Italian football. Sign up with Rescuebet and stay up to date with the latest football updates in Italy, Europe, and across the globe. Punters never miss a beat by staying on top of the latest analysis, predictions, news, and more.
