When it comes to the top football leagues in Europe, Serie A in Italy is up there with the best of them. Italy’s national team may not have had a great deal of success in recent years, but their domestic league captures the attention of football fans from around the globe.
The past eight seasons have seen one bet always be a winner. Juventus to win the title has come up every season since the 2011/12. They had won it for seven years in a row before shocking their rivals by signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. Not surprisingly, they were convincing winners by 11 points and that was after taking their foot off the pedal after winning the title and not winning any of their final five games.
This season has seen them face a much tougher challenge because Inter Milan have strengthened their squad. The permanent signing of Romelu Lukaku and loan deal for Alexis Sanchez hasn’t done much good for Manchester United but it’s working well for Inter. They were top after six straight wins until losing at home to Juventus. The champions are again top of the table and look a good bet to win another title.
Napoli have finished second in the league for the past two seasons and three of the last four. They keep trying to dethrone Juventus but it’s not working. Napoli haven’t made a great start to the new season with two defeats already and they are six points behind the league leaders.
Atalanta finished third last season and are again doing well, though the poor home form is hindering their progress. Backing them in away games (four wins out of four so far) looks a good bet this season. Betting on them in the over 2.5 goals and both teams to score markets is also suggested.
Betting on Serie A isn’t just about who will win the title. You can also bet on whether clubs will finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League. Then there’s who will be relegated to Serie B. Placing a bet on Lecce to make a swift return to the second tier looks a good one.
It’s also possible of course to back Italian teams in the Champions League and Europa League. The Champions League is the competition that Juventus want to win but haven’t done so since the 1995/96 season. Not since the 2009/10 season has an Italian side won the Champions League. That was Inter Milan, but they are already struggling this season as are Atalanta. Juventus and Napoli have made good starts though and could be challengers for the title this season.
No Italian side has won the Europa League/UEFA Cup this century. Betting on Lazio or Roma to win this season doesn’t look the greatest of bets but they have made decent starts to their groups. Whichever market you choose, betting on Italian clubs is an exciting experience.