Saturday Serie A

Udinese – Palermo Over 2,5 @2.02 Betfair 6/10

First round for Italian Serie A. The first match will be Udinese against Palermo.
Udinese is called to confirm the last year result and, if it is possible to improve it. The most important players have been confirmed for the new season, so Di Natale and Quagliarella will play again in the attack line but in this season they will have a new support like Langella.

Langella is, in fact, one of the new players joined during the last transfer campaign with Tissone. It is probable that the coach Marino will play with a 4-3-3 tactic or a more offensive 4-2-3-1.

As regarding Palermo in the last season they did a not exciting championship and their main problem was the huge number of goal conceded 57. For this reason the defensive line has been completely changed, in fact, Rinaudo, Zaccardo, Biava and Barzagli left the club while the goalkeeper Amelia and the defenders Carrozieri, Kiiaer, Della Fiore and Raggi joined the club. During the last transfer campaign Palermo lost some other important players like Amauri. As it is simple to understand the Palermo defensive line is completely new and this is the main problem for this team above all in this first part of the championship. Udinese in the pre seasonal matches didn’t express great football in the defensive line ( lost 3-1 against Paok and 4-1 against Panseraikos) where, for the first match will miss Zapata and Felipe the two most experienced players. Considering the good moment for Di Natale and Quagliarella and at the same time the not great performance for both defensive line I consider that an Over could be a good bet here.


Sampdoria Inter Over 2.5 @ 2.22 Betfair 4/10
C. S 1-1 @ 7 Betfair 1/10

The Italian Champion will start one day before the other the new season and their beginning match won’t be easy, in fact they will go to Genova and to play against Sampdoria.

Sampdoria worked well during the summer transfer campaign building a very interesting team, the new players Fornaroli, Dessena and Stankevicius seem to be able to substitute the important players left during the summer (I’m thinking to Maggio, Volpi and Montella). Last year Sampdoria finished just behind of the strongest serie A team, in the sixty place keeping a very good place in the Uefa Cup. In my eyes it is improbable to do better than last year considering also that the Blucerchiati have to play also in the European competition and their bench don’t seem to have the enough technical strength to support all field. The defensive line is the same of the last year with Accardi, Lucchini and Campagnaro, in the midfield the new Stankevicius and Dessena will be two key players while in the attack line there will be a very interesting duo composed by Cassano and Bellucci.

As regarding Inter, it is finished the Mancini time and now Mourinho will seat on the nerazzurri bench. The first impression is that this year the Inter defence will be strongest that the recent year, only 1 goal conceded during all the pre seasonal matches is a clear signal.
It is useful to speak about the players in the Inter team, in every position there are at least players that could be in the initial XI of the other Italian serie A club. To a huge quality team during the summer have been added Adriano (he is go back from Brasil) Muntari and Mancini. Mourinho is famous for his offensive tactic, he likes the 4-3-3 but during the pre seasonal matches I see more then one that in the defensive phase the line up has became an 4-5-1, the external forward, in fact came back in the midfield sector. As regarding the initial XI I think that the only Ibrahimovic and J. Cesar will be always in the initial XI while for the other there will be a continuous turn over. The most probable line up for the next match will see Chivu, Cordoba, Samuel and Maicon in the defensive line while Cambiasso, Zanetti and Viera in the midfield. The attack line is, in my mind, still an open question in fact the two players near Ibrahimovic could be ancini and Stankeviciuos but Balotelli is in great moment and his presence could be probable.

For the match I am temped to bet an Over in fact I see a draw for 2-2