‘Juventus is so good, it even turned Sarri into a winner’. This quote from a journalist says a lot. Juventus won the Serie A last season, like everybody expected them to do, but by a very small margin. That is something not everybody expected. What does this mean for next season? Can one of the challengers like Atalanta, Inter or Lazio bite through next year? In this article we discuss form, players, transfers, odds and everything that might influence the Serie A 2020/2021 Outright Winner.
Juventus
It has been nine years since the Old Lady started dominating Italian football. But there are some ‘cracks’ in the gold of Juventus. Their most important player is still Cristiano Ronaldo, who now is reaching an age that you usually only see in Italy on the pitch. Not much older than Ronaldo is the fresh manager Andera Pirlo. As a football player, absolutely brilliant, but is it a wise decision to take your first job as a coach at the head of one of the biggest clubs in the world? It’s Pirlo, of course he can! Pirlo, as expected, is looking for creative playmakers on the transfer market. Something Juventus has been lacking. Also the crossings from the side have to improve in order to let the two brilliant strikers flourish as they should. The biggest signing thus far is Arthur.
Inter Milan
Before Juventus started their reign, it was Inter under Mourinho that dominated the italian ánd European football scene. Reaching the triple in 2010. Now, ten years later, it appears that it is again Inter who is challenging Juventus for the crown. And will so the entire season. Where Juventus is struggling with their midfield, Inter has an abundance of world class midfielders. So much so that Christian Eriksen isn’t even playing most of the games. In their will to control the pitch, they sometimes forget to dominate instead. This has resulted in draws against the weaker opponents last season, something they can’t afford and what basically cost them the title last year. Biggest Signing thus far is Sarchraf Hakimi from Real Madrid.
Atalanta
Was last year’s form of Atalanta a one day fly? Like Ajax of the year before? We certainly hope not. It is refreshing to see such a pressing and attacking team in Italy. If they succeed to keep their scoring power and solidify their defence, who knows what is the limit for this team. They have already made two good signings (Mario Pasalic, Chelsea) that hopefully secure that Atalanta can hold possession in a game.
Napoli
Napoli saw a rare collapse last year and will not appear on the European Stage as a consequence. With the signing of Victor Osimhen, this will be unlikely to repeat this season. Their attack gets more depth because of it, not relying just on Mertens, Insigne and Milik. If this team creates more chances and has a higher percentage in finishes, their midfield and defence are good enough to at least play for a toup 4 placing.
Lazio Roma
Lazio should have been last year’s champion, was it not for the COVID suspension. The team that returned from the lockdown just was not the same as the team going in. So the question is: what team will we see for the 2020/2021 season? A fit Immobile and keeping hold of Milinkovic-Savic will prove crucial for the results. They might want to find another player that can score a lot of goals to secure a place in the top 4.
