Things are getting tighter and tighter as we go forward in the Italian Serie A. We enter the 26th matchday with Napoli’s lead reduced to only two points, and with Inter losing matches lately, things at the top are close.
Besides the two teams on the Top, Atalanta is just 3 points under Inter, so a good day for them could make them catch up. They have a 5 points lead over Juventus and Lazio. Fiorentina follows behind at the 6th spot with 42 points, trying to keep the Europa Conference League spot for themselves.
Parma is currently trying to crawl its way out of the relegation zone, but the teams from the 16 spot to the 19th are all on losing streaks and having issues getting into the win column. However, it seems like it’s Venezia at the 19th spot and Monza at the 20th who are buried in relegation right now.
With this, we hit the final third of the Italian Serie A. We are expecting the teams to bring in all their gunpowder and showcase what they can do before the season ends, so get ready to dive into some of the matches we believe will be the most interesting during this 26th matchday.
| Inter 1.297 | Genoa 12.1 | Draw Offs: 6.18 |
| Como 3.765 | Napoli 2.215 | Draw Offs: 3.35 |
| Empoli 6.05 | Atalanta 1.605 | Draw Offs: 4.4 |
| Cagliari 4.3 | Juventus 1.927 | Draw Offs: 3.79 |
Serie A Matchday 26:Â Inter vs. Genoa
| When? | Saturday, February 22 at 2:45 PM ET, 1:45 PM CST, 12:45 PM MT, and 11:45 AM PT |
| Where? | San Siro |
| Where can I watch it? | ESPN |
Things are looking pretty good for Inter when they play at home, as the Nerazzurri are on a three-game winning run at home in all competitions, but they will have to showcase their worth on the field, as they have lost a few matches lately.
It has to be noted that Inter have defeated Genoa in each of their last ten meetings at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, and head coach Simone Inzaghi should have a full squad to choose from for Saturday’s encounter.
The Rossoblu picked up vital three points from the Venezia clash, but they will have a mountain to climb in Milano. Given Genoa’s negative record at “Meazza,” anything but a routine home win would be a big surprise.
Inter vs. Genoa Betting Pick: Inter
Serie A Matchday 26: Como vs. Napoli
| When? | Sunday, February 23 at 6:30 AM ET, 5:30 AM CST, 4:30 AM MT, and 3:30 AM PT |
| Where? | Stadio Giuseppe Sinnigaglia |
| Where can I watch it? | ESPN |
The hosts will be confident when this match begins, as Cesc Fabregas’ men did well to put an end to their three-game losing run, but they should not stop now.
The good news for the hosts is that Alieu Fadera, first-team regular, is back from suspension, but all Gabrielloni, Vojvoda, Azon, Sergi, and Van der Brempt remain in the recovery room.
The league leaders have drawn each of their last three league matches, meaning that they are desperate to return to winning ways. Como are tough to beat at their Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, and that’s the main reason why we are going to bet on a draw. The likes of David Neres, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Mathias Olivera miss out with injuries for the away team.
Como vs. Napoli Betting Pick: Draw
Serie A Matchday 26: Empoli vs. Atalanta
| When? | Sunday, February 23 at noon ET, 11:00 AM CST, 10:00 AM MT, and 9:00 AM PT |
| Where? | Stadio Carlo Castellani |
| Where can I watch it? | ESPN |
Things are not looking so good for the 17th-placed hosts, as the Azzurri are on a three-game losing run, and they face yet another uphill task in Sunday’s encounter.
Empoli experienced all sorts of problems at the back in a 3-0 loss to Udinese, so we are to believe that a home win here should not be considered. Defender Luca Marianucci has yet to serve his ban, while Empoli’s injury list remains pretty long.
The Orobici are desperate to recover from the Champions League loss to Club Brugge. With Empoli heading into the match with a severely weakened squad, Atalanta will not have a better chance than this to get back on course.
Empoli vs. Atalanta Betting Pick: Atalanta
Serie A Matchday 26: Cagliari vs. Juventus
| When? | Sunday, February 23 at 2:45 PM ET, 1:45 PM CST, 12:45 PM MT, and 11:45 AM PT |
| Where? | Juventus Stadium. |
| Where can I watch it? | ESPN |
Juventus is back to the winning ways, and they are going strong on a 3-match winning streak in the league, closing in on the top squads and still sporting only one defeat in the whole season.
If they keep this pace and rack up the wins, we expect them to get back to the top of the board pretty soon, while the other teams continue to fight with inconsistency as of late.
Cagliari is placed 14 on the board, and even though they have a split of two wins, two losses, and a draw in their last five, we don’t think they will be able to handle the smoke of a Juventus squad at full speed, so we are expecting the visitors to increase their streak to four when the two sides meet on Sunday.
Cagliari vs. Juventus Betting Pick: Juventus
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