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Serie A Matchday 22 Preview

Another ten games, another round of Serie A action completed. Matchday 21 provided plenty of intriguing clashes with young star Paulo Dybala again being the x-factor, and a shock result at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. This weekend’s games will feature one of Italy’s oldest derbies as AC Milan and Inter face off in the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday evening, and after the dust settles, we could see some movement in all parts of the league table.

Saturday

15:00 CET Carpi vs Palermo

As they prepare to welcome Palermo to the Stadio Alberto Braglia, Carpi will be coming into this game full of confidence. The Biancorossi managed to pull off a shock draw against Inter last weekend, and what made it more impressive is that the Serie A debutants had to play with a man down for the last ten or so minutes of the match. Fabrizio Castori’s side are currently unbeaten in their last four games and will be hoping to maintain this as they battle for survival. Meanwhile, Palermo’s coaching saga continues, with Rosanero eccentric president Maurizio Zamparini appointing their fourth coach already this season. They have been quite inconsistent and new tactician Giovanni Tedesco may face a tough task to break down Carpi, who have picked up eight of their 18 points in just four matches.

18:00 CET Atalanta vs Sassuolo

After a four game losing streak, Atalanta were desperate to stop the downward slide. La Dea have managed to improve – but only slightly – as they were unable to find a way past Serie A’s other debutant, Frosinone, and had to settle for a dour 0-0 draw. It is also worth noting that they have not scored a goal themselves since losing 2-1 to Udinese on January 6th (this is not counting the auto-goal they were given against Inter). Their visitors Sassuolo will be desperate to get back to winning ways after losing their last match against Bologna. After a bright start, Neroverdi fans are concerned about their team’s stuttering form and Eusebio Di Francesco’s squad will hope to rebound against the Nerazzurri. A draw is likely from this fixture.

20:45 CET Roma vs Frosinone

Sunday

12:30 CET Chievo vs Juventus

15:00 CET Bologna vs Sampdoria

Bologna have been a team of two tales this season. Under Delio Rossi, they lost eight out of their ten matches, including four in a row. Not surprisingly, Rossi was sacked in lieu of Roberto Donadoni, and the Rossoblu have lost just three out of their past 11 matches. This has seen them slowly climb from the relegation zone towards mid-table safety and they will be hoping to build on a two-match unbeaten streak. On the other hand, Sampdoria have fallen into a downward spiral with no end in sight. Vincenzo Montella’s side have lost three in a row and now sit just five points away from the drop zone. As such, the hosts – despite not winning a home game so far in 2016 – may be able to edge out their visitors to continue their mini-renaissance.

15:00 CET Genoa vs Fiorentina

A two-match losing streak had Viola fans concerned about their team’s form, but Fiorentina appear to have shaken that off. Paulo Sousa’s men will head to Genoa having earned a hard-fought win over Torino. With Inter stumbling, they will be keen to pick up another three points to try to keep up with Napoli and Juventus. Genoa, on the other hand, will not make things easy. After a five-match losing streak, the Grifone have bounced back and have picked up seven points from their last three games. They will not make things easy for Fiorentina, but the visitors are expected to get the job done as they have only failed to score a goal in one league match this season.

15:00 CET Napoli vs Empoli

Napoli continue to impress as Maurizio Sarri’s side sit on stop of the table. Although Juventus have been hot on their tails, the Partenopei have still managed to keep the Bianconeri and any other Scudetto challenger at bay by winning their last five consecutive games, outscoring their opponents by 17 to 6. Meanwhile, Empoli have also been impressive, with just one loss in their past eight games. However, Napoli’s firepower, spearheaded by the in-form Gonzalo Higuain will be too much for the Azzurri and the hosts will be expected to pick up another three points in this round.

15:00 CET Torino vs Hellas Verona

After losing 2-0 to Fiorentina, the Granata have a good opportunity to rebound as they welcome Hellas Verona to the Stadio Olimpico. The visitors are still the only side yet to win a game this season, and although they will be coming into this game having recorded two draws, it looks likely that a victory will likely elude them yet again this weekend.

15:00 CET Udinese vs Lazio

Having lost their past three games, including a 4-1 mauling by Palermo and a 4-0 humiliation by Juventus, Udinese will be battered, bruised, and frustrated as they welcome Lazio to their newly refurbished stadium. Stefano Colantuono’s men will be keen on avoiding a fourth straight defeat as yet another loss could see them slip dangerously closer to the relegation zone. Meanwhile, the Aquile are unbeaten in their last six games, and have beaten the Zebrette twice this season. However, the Biancocelesti have been inconsistent and have alternated between a win and a draw for those last six matches. If one believes in patterns, then Lazio will be expected to draw this fixture in Udine.

20:45 CET AC Milan vs Inter

About Michelle Bonsu

As a proud Ghanaian-American, Pele vs. Maradona was debated in my family as much as who should be the next president. Whilst many of my neighbors were all about the World Series and Super Bowl, for us it was all about the World Cup, AFCON, and EURO tournaments, and any major game across Europe. Whilst I grew up supporting the EPL, a visit to Italy and chance to see Paolo Maldini in action with AC Milan soon saw Serie A added to an area of interest. I also tune in to Ligue 1 thanks to the presence of players like Vincent Enyeama and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and watch the Bundesliga & La Liga on a casual basis. Since graduating from uni, I have long had the desire to make writing about the world's most popular sport a full-time business; however for now, I currently write on a part-time/freelance basis. Hopefully in the near future, this ambition will become a reality and in the meantime, my work can be found at a host of sites, including LiveSoccerTV, Proven Quality, Top Soccer, Football Italia, IST, and more. You can check out samples of my work by visiting those sites or following me on Twitter to see some of my musings - occasionally with a touch of snark and sarcasm - on the happenings in world football.
@@MichelleB289

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