Lazio vs Juventus
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @2:30pm
Juventus and Lazio meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday with the two clubs that are only divided by two points in the Serie A table.
Simone Inzaghi has to deal with several absences as eight of his players are out of action, including the likes of Ciro Immobile, Lucas Leiva and Thomas Strakosha who have tested positive for COVID-19. Luis Alberto has had a negative swab test and is eligible to play.
Aaron Ramsey and Alex Sandro will return after the international break for Juventus whereas Matthijs de Ligt hopes to get the first call-up of his campaign. If the Dutch will travel with the team he would start from the bench.
The last draw in Serie A between Juventus and Lazio is dated back to January 2014. Juve have won 10 games since then, Lazio two.
Atalanta vs Inter Milan
Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @5pm
Only one-point separates Atalanta and Inter in Serie A and both sides need a big response after heavy defeats in the Champions League during the week.
The Inter setback against Real Madrid was mostly heavy due to the importance of the big game, as inspiring performances from Nicolò Barella and Lautaro Martinez seemed to have turned the game for the Nerazzurri.
It ended in a 3-2 defeat and the defensive woes continue for coach Antonio Conte, who seems set to cope without Romelu Lukaku for the third consecutive match.
Atalanta have picked up 12 points from six Serie A games and sit one point above the Beneamata in the League, but are without key players like Marten de Roon and Robin Gosens and Josip Ilicic has not returned to the form he showed last term.
The home side were smashed 5-0 by English champions Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday and Gian Piero Gasperini’s men must quickly get back on their feet, as Inter are desperate to turn a winless run of three straight games.
Both teams suffer from important absentees, but the tie at the Gewiss Stadium could be a massive confidence boost for either side.
Inter won last season’s match in Bergamo by 2-0 and can win back-to-back away games against Atalanta for the first time since 2001.
Genoa vs AS Roma
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @5pm
Roma face Genoa on Sunday without their star striker Edin Dzeko who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Grifone have no more cases of Coronavirus but Rolando Maran must do without three players: Stefano Sturaro, Davide Zappacosta and Francesco Cassata who have all suffered muscular injuries.
Paulo Fonseca will replace Dzeko with Borja Mayoral who scored the first two goals for Roma in a Europa League clash against Cluj earlier this week. Chris Smalling will return to action while Amadou Diawara can’t be included in the team as he still tests positive for COVID.
Genoa won the last Serie A game against Roma in May 2014, when Gian Piero Gasperini was in charge of the team. Three draws and nine Roma wins since then.
Torino vs Crotone
Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, Torino
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @5pm
Pressure mounts on both coaches when Torino host bottom-placed Crotone in their last match before the international break.
Reports in Italy have suggested the match at the Grande Torino this weekend could go a long way in deciding which coach loses his job first in Serie A this term.
Sorry Crotone have picked up one point in seven games so far, but midfielder Luca Cigarini stressed the Rossoblu are confident to turn things around.
Torino have played two good games in recent weeks but are still conceding too many goals. Something that robbed them from an important win against Lazio last weekend, but Giampaolo eventually picked up his first three points against Genoa during the week.
Four points from six games are not where President Urbano Cairo expected to be when he secured the former Milan coach ahead of the season and another defeat ahead of the break could give them time to evaluate the situation in Turin.
The newly promoted guests are stuck in a rut and can’t seem to find a way out, as Giovanni Stroppa’s men have scored in all bar one game – a 2-0 defeat to Milan – this term and the point gained came against reigning champions Juventus.
Torino, on the other hand, are unbeaten against Crotone in Serie A, having won two and drawn two.
Torino have only won two of their last eight Serie A games against a newly promoted opponent – both of them were against Brescia last term.
Bologna vs Napoli
Stadio Renato Dell’Ara, Bologna
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @8pm
Napoli are looking to bounce back from the defeat to Sassuolo last week, but Bologna have gained confidence from back-to-back wins.
The hosts won 3-2 over Cagliari last time, following up a 2-0 win against Reggina in the Coppa Italia last week, and Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men could climb further up the table with a win against the Partenopei.
The home side are expected to side the exact same XI on Sunday, except for Aaron Hickey, who could be replaced by Stefano Denswil at left-back.
Napoli responded with a 2-1 win against HNK Rijeka in the Europa League, but the Azzurri rotated heavily and are expected to change back at the Renato Dall’Ara.
Tiemoue Bakayoko and Fabian Ruiz are expected to be back in the middle, with Lorenzo Insigne and Hirving Lozano in the attacking trident with Dries Mertens in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Victor Osimhen should be back in the starting line-up, as Andrea Petagna starred in Europe this week.
Napoli currently sit fifth in a jammed Serie A table and a win could help them into top four should the other results go their way.
Bologna are 13th with six points from six games and are closer to the bottom three than the top 10 in Italy.
Napoli have scored in 14 consecutive games against Bologna and one more would equal their record in Serie A (15 straight games with a goal against Lazio).
AC Milan vs Hellas Verona
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
Sunday, 08-11-2020 @10:45pm
All eyes are on Stefano Pioli’s Milan ahead of this weekend’s match against Hellas Verona, as they must respond to their first setback of the campaign.
The Rossoneri have been flying high since the resumption of football in June and an unbeaten run of 24 games was broken by LOSC Lille in the Europa League.
Hellas Verona have set the standard early on in the season too, establishing themselves in the top half among the European candidates, as Ivan Juric’s men continue to impress despite a host of absentees.
The League leaders are expected to play the normal 4-2-3-1 formation of Pioli, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the line.
Alexis Saelemaekers could be back in the side after having sat out against the Ligue 1 side, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Rafael Leao completing the attacking trident.
Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie are tipped to play in the middle of the park against Tameze and Ilic, as Verona should come in a 3-4-2-1.
Juric’s men are usually aggressive and intense in their style of play, stressing the opponents off the ball, but the coach admitted it’s difficult to keep up the same pace of last season in such a packed programme.
Nikola Kalinic should spearhead the Gialloblu at San Siro, and he should have Antonin Barak and Mattia Zaccagni in support against Simon Kjaer and Alessio Romagnoli.
Milan face a stern test and must raise their game to show Serie A they have matured and are ready to bounce back at the first time asking.
After seven meetings in Serie A since 2015, they have won two apiece and drawn three times.
Recent Serie A results
Friday, 06-11-2020
-Sassuolo 0-0 Udinese
Saturday, 07-11-2020
-Cagliari 2-0 Sampdoria
-Benevento 0-3 Spezia
-Parma 0-0 Fiorentina
