Sunday, December 22, 2024

🇮🇹 Five reasons you must watch Serie A this weekend 📺

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Every Serie A match is available to watch LIVE with Home of Serie A on OneFootball to users in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

SERIE A PASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE, with team passes priced at £79.99 and Season passes priced at £99.99, enabling you to watch every single match in the 2024/25 season. Individual matches can also be purchased for a one-off fee of £4.99. To find out more about the Serie A Pass, go here.

Here are five reasons you can’t afford to miss this weekend’s Serie A action.


Is the Rossoneri revival real?

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Milan sent out a big statement last Sunday to anyone in doubt about whether they had the stomach for the fight for Paulo Fonseca.

Their new coach’s slow start already had him under serious pressure but a brave approach against Inter ended their long wait for a derby victory as they took the game to the champions and were richly rewarded with Matteo Gabbia’s late winner.

But will it prove to be a turning point or a false dawn? Answers will be provided at San Siro on Friday night against Lecce, who have won just one of their last 25 duels with the Diavolo.

There are reasons to think the goals will flow again and they’ll shine.

Their 11 goals after five games is the second most they’ve managed at any point in the last 21 seasons, no Serie A player has more goal involvements in all competitions than Christian Pulisic (31) since the start of last season and Lecce also represent Rafael Leão’s favourite victims in Italy.


Inter captain’s concern

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Whether it be fatigue, form or another reason, there is no doubt that Inter skipper Lautaro Martínez is not at his usual ruthless best in front of goal.

The Milan derby blank, despite his good work in setting up Federico Dimarco’s goal, took his scoring tally over the last 15 games in all competitions at club level to just one goal.

In the 15 matches prior to this barren run, he had netted 11 goals in the same span, giving fuel to the fire of some detractors that the Argentine does his damage in bursts before prolonged spells of frustration.

The one goal he has managed since mid-March for the Nerazzurri was the fourth in a 5-0 rout of relegated Frosinone. Against Udinese, it is time to step up: the criticism is getting louder.


Assessing Motta’s Juventus

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Thiago Motta’s start in the Juventus dugout has already sparked serious debate, with suggestions already that there is little to differentiate them from Massimiliano Allegri’s anaemic outfit of last year.

Former Milan team-mates Alessandro Costacurta and Paolo Di Canio engaged in a very heated debate on that very topic on Italian television, the latter arguing that the same stifled attacking and lack of creativity is yet to be remedied.

It has been over 300 minutes since they last found the net in the league, having collected three successive 0-0 draws, with their saving grace being their defensive prowess – the Bianconeri are the only team who are yet to concede.

But in attack, they rank in the bottom half of the entire division so far for total shots (14th), shots on target (13th), touches in the opposing box (17th), crosses (16th) and long-range shots (15th).

Much more was expected, even if it is early, under Motta, whose Bologna outfit were a dynamic and refreshing team to watch, particularly in possession, last season. When will that start to be replicated in Turin?


Roma’s renaissance

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Ivan Jurić’s first game in charge of Roma could hardly have gone better as he watched his side do the clicking in attack that they’ve threatened all season but hadn’t done – contributing to Daniele De Rossi losing his job.

Udinese arrived in the capital top of Serie A but were clinically swept aside in the former Torino coach’s first game in charge to leave fans excited about what the future may hold with him in the dugout.

Artem Dovbyk is looking like the kind of signing De Rossi promised he’d be and has another big chance to fill his boots against a side who have found top flight defences tough work so far.

Historically, they’ve also found this fixture difficult too, with Venezia conceding at least once in each of their last 19 games against the Giallorossi.


The future is here

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Napoli goalkeeper Elia Caprile didn’t think he would get a chance to impress new coach Antonio Conte this soon.

But when first choice shot-stopper Alex Meret, who has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, exited the 0-0 draw at Juventus injured last weekend, it has thrown up a chance for Caprile to show what he can do.

The 23-year-old will get the gloves for at least a month due to Meret’s thigh issue and if evidence of his loan spell at Empoli last season is anything to go by, he is an exciting talent with sharp reflexes and great composure.

He’s had to wait patiently for his chance but do not worry about how he will react to it after taking a long journey to the top.

“I had the fortune of watching him grow,” said ex-goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino, who worked with Caprile as a teenager at Chievo. “He’s a strong, calm ‘keeper who is just getting better. For me, he can be the future goalkeeper of the national team.”


Every Serie A match is available to watch LIVE with Home of Serie A on OneFootball to users in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

SERIE A PASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE, with team passes priced at £79.99 and Season passes priced at £99.99, enabling you to watch every single match in the 2024/25 season. Individual matches can also be purchased for a one-off fee of £4.99. To find out more about the Serie A Pass, go here.

Streams will be available to watch live on mobile and desktop, simply by tapping on a match card or navigating to the Matches or TV tab and following the on-screen instructions.

All matches are also live-streamed on the OneFootball TV app, available on connected TVs from Apple TV, Google TV, Samsung, LG and Fire TV.

The stream begins 15 minutes before kick-off. Highlights from every match are also now available on OneFootball.

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