Parma vs Sampdoria
Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @6:15pm
Parma’s crisis continues, both on the field and on the treatment table, but Sampdoria have won four of their last five and are flying up the standings.
Roberto D’Aversa has long given up on the day-dreams of Europa League qualification, as one point in six rounds is a dismal tally. Even the 2-2 draw at Bologna was only earned with two stoppage-time goals against all odds.
The problem is the injuries keep piling up, so there are no available strikers. Andreas Cornelius limped off early into the 3-1 defeat at Milan and is probably out of action again, with Juraj Kucka, Matteo Scozzarella and maybe even defender Bruno Alves. It means Roberto Inglese has to be rushed back into the starting XI, a risky prospect considering his nightmares over the last couple of years. Adding insult to injury, Alberto Grassi and Matteo Darmian are suspended for Parma.
Sampdoria, on the other hand, have really found their form under Claudio Ranieri since the restart. They’ve won five of their last six games, interrupted only by a narrow defeat to high-flying Atalanta, and many of those results were against teams now left behind in the relegation battle.
Fabio Quagliarella is not 100 per cent fit yet, but it doesn’t matter, as Federico Bonazzoli can’t seem to stop scoring spectacular acrobatic efforts at the moment.
A win here would allow Sampdoria to leapfrog Parma in the standings.
Genoa vs Lecce
Comunale Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @8:30pm
This game could well decide who is relegated from Serie A this season, as only one point separates Genoa and Lecce in 17th and 18th place.
Considering SPAL and Brescia are practically doomed, while Udinese, Torino and Sampdoria have broken at least seven points clear of the bottom three, it really is between Genoa and Lecce for the final relegation spot.
Neither of these sides are in great shape, although Lecce boosted their confidence with a victory over Lazio and draw away to Cagliari, they fell apart when beaten 3-1 at home by Fiorentina midweek. Genoa are arguably in worse current form, as the only team they were able to beat since the restart was rock bottom SPAL and even made heavy work of that. The 3-0 defeat to Torino showed no signs of a fightback and Davide Nicola will be getting worried.
Lecce have only ever beaten Genoa once in Serie A, 2-1 at the Stadio Via del Mare in January 1990, along with five draws and seven defeats.
Brescia vs SPAL
Stadio Mario Rigamonti, Brescia
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @8:30pm
At this stage, it’s a battle to see who avoids end up being bottom of the table, because Brescia and SPAL are both practically doomed to relegation.
SPAL are 11 points off safety and have not found the net in their last four games, while the Rondinelle are nine points away from Genoa. It’s practically impossible for either of them to claw their way out of the drop, but SPAL coach Gigi Di Biagio said the motivation now is to avoid finishing in last place.
Before Brescia and SPAL, only 19 clubs in Serie A history had lost at least 22 of the opening 33 rounds. Obviously, all of them were relegated at the end of the season.
Fiorentina vs Torino
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @8:30pm
Fiorentina and Torino had an upturn in fortunes lately to break away from the danger zone, so should be able to play each other with a little less pressure.
It has been a tough campaign for these clubs, who both expected to be aiming for much higher targets than simple survival, but star names weren’t enough, as they fired their coaches and completely revamped their tactics.
Andrea Belotti has found the net in each of his last seven Serie A games and has been linked with a possible move to Florence this summer. He should again be flanked by Simone Zaza and Simone Verdi. As for the Viola, Patrick Cutrone, Federico Chiesa and Franck Ribery are starting to find some consistency as a trident attack, although goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski is in doubt.
Torino have not won a Serie A trip to Fiorentina since October 1976, managing just 14 draws and 15 defeats.
Napoli vs Udinese
Stadio San Paolo, Naples
Sunday, 19-07-2020 @8:30pm
Napoli are coming off two consecutive stalemates and host Rodrigo De Paul’s Udinese, who might’ve done enough to escape the danger zone.
Gennaro Gattuso read his players the riot act after the 1-1 draw with Bologna, which followed on from a 2-2 result with Milan. He’ll demand a reaction here, although Giovanni Di Lorenzo is suspended, so Elseid Hysaj comes in at right-back.
As for Udinese, they’ve been a mixed bag over the last few weeks, doing just about enough to break away from the relegation zone. They seem to raise their game against the bigger clubs, beating 10-man Roma and holding Lazio 0-0, in which De Paul smacked the woodwork in stoppages. Stefano Okaka sits out a ban, so Lukasz Teodorczyk is the favourite ahead of Ilija Nestorovski to partner Kevin Lasagna upfront.
Udinese have picked up just one point from their last eight Serie A visits to the Stadio San Paolo, since a victory in April 2011.
AS Roma vs Inter Milan
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Sunday, 19-07-2020@10:45pm
There’s plenty to play for as we approach the closing weeks of the season, as Roma hang on to fifth place and Inter can close on leaders Juventus.
The Giallorossi have seemingly found their form with a three-man defence, notching up three consecutive Serie A victories and breaking away from the chasing pack in the ‘best’ Europa League spot. Chris Smalling could be back in action too after a muscular problem, which is just as well, because Federico Fazio is nursing a sore ankle.
Inter are in a curious situation, as they are criticised for some disappointing performances and the difficulties getting Christian Eriksen to fit into the system, yet they are now in second place and only six points from leaders Juventus.
The blips of a defeat to 10-man Bologna and 2-2 draw with Verona were put behind them with victories over Torino and SPAL, but Roma pose a very different kind of test.
Romelu Lukaku should be fit for at least a spot on the bench after muscular issues kept him out of the last two games, but Stefano Sensi, Matias Vecino and Nicolò Barella are still out of action. Alexis Sanchez is on spectacular form and should again partner Lautaro Martinez with support from Eriksen.
Roma and Inter have drawn their last four Serie A meetings, since the Nerazzurri’s 3-1 victory at the Stadio Olimpico in August 2017.
Serie A upcoming fixture
Monday, 20-07-2020
-Juventus vs Lazio @10:45pm
Recent Serie A results
-Hellas Verona 1-1 Atalanta
-Cagliari 1-1 Sassuolo
– AC Milan 5-1 Bologna
