Early Bird Tips for Serie A: New Manager Bounce and Negative Records

Serie A returns this weekend for Matchday 9 and the big game on Sunday will see leaders AC Milan hosting Juventus.

Meanwhile, Daniele Fisichella has prepared some tips on other three key games in Italy, as runners-up Inter visit Torino, Salernitana, who replaced manager Paulo Sousa with Filippo Inzaghi, host fellow strugglers Cagliari and Lecce, are winless in the last three games, face Udinese, another side also in deep crisis, on Monday evening.

• Torino vs Inter: Under 2.5 Goals
• Salernitana vs Cagliari: Fist Team To Score: Salernitana
• Udinese vs Lecce: Lecce +0.25 Asian Handicap

Acca odds: 7.13

Odds via bet365 as at 10.15am, Monday, 16th October, 2023.

Torino vs Inter: inability to manage games might cost the Nerazzurri

Italy, Serie A, Saturday October 21st, 17:00 (UK)

Inter squandered two points against Bologna as they failed to win a home game after having taken the lead for the second time in a row.

Many consider Simone Inzaghi’s team the best in Serie A, but Inter, under the former Lazio manager, has often suffered from lapses of concentration. The Neroazzurri tend to take their foot off the gas as if they believe they’d win certain ‘easy’ games by default. The Milanese side can create chances and score goals aplenty (Lautaro Martinez is already in double figures in Serie A). Still, they need to manage games that everyone comfortably expects them to win much better.

They’re unbeaten away from home, but apart from the 4-0 win in Salerno, they haven’t scored more than two goals each time.

Torino are scoreless in the last three games and have lost yet another derby. Ivan Juric’s men’s record against top-six teams in Italy is not great: in the previous three seasons, they’ve only beaten AC Milan and Lazio.

They’re a pugnacious side, but, at times, lack cutting edge. They’ll still be in an emergency in defence, as both Buongiorno and Sazonov are injured.

The Granata only won one of the last 11 home matches, and since January 2022, they’ve drawn 13 out of 32 games played at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

• Selection: Under 2.5 Goals
• Best Odds: 1.85
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 9/10

Salernitana vs Cagliari: Super-Pippo to the rescue?

Italy, Serie A, Sunday October 22nd, 14:00 (UK)

After no wins in eight games, Salernitana chairman Danilo Iervolino decided to pull the plug on manager Paulo Sousa. In comes three-time Scudetto winner and World Cup champion Filippo Inzaghi, whose last experience in Serie A culminated with the relegation of Benevento.

Can Super-Pippo re-energize the Amaranto and help them out of the relegation zone?
The good news for the former AC Milan striker (and manager) is that all the most important players are fit again, but now it’s time for the likes of Dia (14 goals last season) and Candreva to deliver.

Salernitana currently have the worst defence in Serie A (17 goals conceded), and have only kept one clean sheet in the last five games played at the Arechi.
Newly promoted Cagliari are no better at the moment, having scored just three goals (two with Luvumbo, who’s fit again).

Two points in the first eight games represent the worst top-flight start in their history. They’ve conceded seven goals in the last three away games.

Salernitana haven’t taken the lead this season, but Cagliari have conceded first in five out of eight games.

• Selection: First Team To Score: Salernitana (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Ladbrokes
• Stakes: 8/10

Udinese vs Lecce: Goal-shy hosts are under pressure

Italy, Serie A, Monday October 23nd, 17.30 (UK)

The hosts are unbeaten in two games but have recorded their worst start of a Serie A campaign since 1994/1995. They take a lot of shots (110 so far, they’re 5th in the table alongside Juventus) but lack a cool finisher that can convert the chances they create: only Monza (+6.72) should have scored more, based on xG statistics, than the Friulani (+6.67). The home side have improved recently against Genoa and Empoli but have drawn five of their opening eight games, as they did only in 1985/1986.

Lecce have slowed down after their blistering start: the Salentini are without a win in the last three matches and have scored only once.

But, unlike Udinese, they always transmit the feeling that they can dig themselves out of a hole: they’re top for points rescued in Serie A (five so far) as they conceded the first goal on six occasions. But having a goalscorer like the Montenegrin Nikola Krstović (already four goals in his debut season in Italy) is proving decisive.

Last season, Lecce achieved salvation thanks to their away form: in fact, they collected more points (19, winning five games) on their travels than at the Via Del Mare (17 points).

• Selection: Lecce Asian Handicap +0.25 (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.02
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

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