Italy’s Serie A is the last of the big five European leagues to return for the 2022/23 season. The action kicks off on Saturday, August 13. We cover all the key talking points ahead of the new campaign.
Can Milan fend off Inter and Juventus to defend the scudetto? Will plucky newcomers Monza live up to the hype? How will Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba fare in their second Serie A stints?
1⃣3⃣ days left till #SerieA is 🔙Where would @Nesta rank among our all-time best defenders? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ygVI4gJz7M— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) July 31, 2022
1⃣3⃣ days left till #SerieA is 🔙Where would @Nesta rank among our all-time best defenders? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ygVI4gJz7M
We answer all those question – and more – in our 2022/23 Serie A preview.
Last season, Milan claimed their first top-flight title since 2010/11. The Rossoneri lost just four of their 38 games to finish two points clear of second-place Inter, who pushed their cross-city rivals all the way.
Juventus won nine straight scudetti between 2011/12 and 2019/20 before Inter ended the Old Lady’s hegemony in 2020/21. With Max Allegri back at Juve, the 36-time champions are ready to compete for the title once again.
The Bianconeri enjoyed a mammoth 16-game unbeaten streak last term. After winning seven of their final 11 games, they will be confident of returning to the summit of Italian football in 2022/23.
Having finished third last season – five points behind Inter and nine points ahead of Juventus – Napoli are expected to mount another serious challenge for Champions League football.
Roma are also among the European hopefuls, following last season’s UEFA Europa Nations League triumph. Can Jose Mourinho’s men compete for a top-four berth this time around?
Atalanta, Lazio and Fiorentina are in the European mix, too. Atalanta have been Champions League regulars in recent seasons, while Lazio and Fiorentina have consistently challenged for European football.
Lecce won the Serie B title last season, finishing two points clear of Cremonese. Lecce return to Serie A after a two-year absence, while Cremonese are back in the top tier for the first time since 1995/96.
Meanwhile, Monza secured promotion to Serie A for the very first time via the play-offs. The Lombardy outfit only gained promotion to Serie B in 2019/20, but they are now ready to mix it with the top teams in the country.
Monza have made a number of notable signings during the off-season, including Inter trio Michele Di Gregorio, Andrea Ranocchia and Stefano Sensi. Could they be the surprise package in Serie A this season?
Lukaku and Pogba are undoubtedly the highest-profile arrivals in Serie A this summer. Lukaku returns to Inter after just one year away with Chelsea, while Pogba is back at Juventus after leaving the club in 2016.
There have also been plenty of transfers between Serie A clubs. Juventus have signed Bremer from Torino, Paulo Dybala has swapped Juventus for Roma and Inter have snapped up Joaquin Correa from Lazio.
Are you ready for the return of Serie A? Be sure to take advantage of Forbet’s Serie A predictions throughout the 2022/23 season.