Serie A becomes a Game of Thrones | Round 34 Preview

Date: 20th April 2018 at 6:15pm
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With the potential title-deciding/reviving game in Turin, it may be easy to forget about the other exciting match-ups in Serie A this weekend.

We begin with SPAL who have only lost three of their 15 home Serie A games against opponents AS Roma (W9 D3).

The visitors from the capital are unbeaten in their last 17 league matches against newly-promoted teams (W14 D3), winning each of the last 10.

Fiorentina have only lost one of their nine Serie A matches against Sassuolo, winning five and drawing three.

The home side are unbeaten in their last seven league games – the Neroverdi have only gone eight without defeat once in a single Serie A season (December 2014).

However, Sassuolo have failed to win in each of their last seven league matches at the Mapei Stadium – their last home win was back in December against Inter.

Over at the San Siro the reverse fixture ended 2-2 thanks to Benevento’s Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli’s finish in the 95th minute; in what was Gennaro Gattuso’s debut as AC Milan coach in Serie A.

Benevento’s last six matches have seen at least three goals scored (27 in total, at an average of 4.5 per game).

Finally after 15 losses, Benevento gained their first away point in their last match against Sassuolo. I suspect it may be too little too late though.

Cagliari’s last win against Bologna in Serie A was back in October 2012 – since then they have drawn two and lost four of six games.

The visitors seem as if they are trying to emulate Benevento’s poor away record. In 2018, Bologna has earned only one point in away league games, with no top-flight side earning fewer.

In the last four Serie A meetings between Atalanta and Torino, both teams have found the net with one win for Atalanta, one win for Torino and two draws.

The last draw between these two sides in the league at the Atleti Azzurri d’Italia was back in October 2007 – since then both sides have three wins apiece.

Inter have kept clean sheets in five of their last seven Serie A meetings against Chievo: the Nerazzurri have won five games in the process (D1 L1).

In the reverse match, Inter attempted 40 shots, a record in a single domestic game since Opta began collecting shot data in 2004/05.

Home-side Chievo are unbeaten on their own turf in their last four matches (W2 D2). Also Rolando Maran will manage his 200th match in Serie A. Few managers will reach that milestone in this current climate.

Despite being a potentially even match-up, Lazio have won nine of their last 11 home league games against Sampdoria (D2): the Biancocelesti have kept seven clean sheets in the period.

Talisman Fabio Quagliarella has been directly involved in four goals (two goals, two assists) in his last two Serie A appearances against Lazio – however, Sampdoria have lost each of these two meetings.

Udinese might fancy a last-ditch relegation scramble at this rate and have now lost each of their last 10 league matches, conceding 2+ goals in every one: this is the fifth longest losing streak in a single top-flight campaign.

Their opponents Crotone might be what the doctor ordered though as they have failed to score more than one goal per game in their last six league matches (three goals): one win, one draw and four defeats in this run.

In the reverse fixture, Massimo Oddo enjoyed his very first Serie A win as manager (excluding awarded wins). If they lose this one, it would certainly heap the pressure on him.

To the stand-out fixture of the weekend, Juventus have won their last six home league games against Napoli, having kept a clean sheet in four of them (only two goals conceded in the process).

On the other hand, Napoli are unbeaten in their last 29 away Serie A matches (W23 D6): their last away defeat in the competition came back in October 2016, in Turin against Juventus.

Villain of the piece Gonzalo Higuaín who scored 71 goals in 104 Serie A appearances with Napoli – has found the net in two of his three league meetings against the Partenopei, including the winning goal in the reverse fixture.

We finish the weekend in Genoa where the hosts have won their last four home games against Verona, keeping a clean sheet three times in the process.

Verona are shaky on the road at best and have lost each of their last five away league matches, conceding 2+ goals per game and failing to score at all: the last time they lost six in a row was in January 2002

 

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