Serie A Top Four Odds - 04/06/20

After the news of football’s imminent comeback around the world, Italy has become the latest of Europe’s top leagues to announce its return to action behind closed doors.

The Serie A will return on June 20th, with everything still to play for in the top tier of Italian football. Lazio’s captivating season has set up an enthralling title race, which sees them breathing down the necks of Juventus and very much threatening to end the dominant reign that has seen the Turin titans win eight championships in a row.

There’s also a close and fierce battle to stay in the division, with just five points separating third-from-bottom Leece and 13th placed Fiorentina as teams fight to avoid relegation to Serie B.

Another score that needs to be settled is the small matter of the top four places, which of course come with the illustrious ticket to compete in next season’s Champions League. Juventus and Lazio have pretty much already secured their spot at the summit of the league table and a place to compete on Europe’s grandest stage and, unless there is a monumental slip up in form for Inter Milan, there is easily enough daylight between themselves and fifth place to suggest that Antonio Conte’s men will finish in a coveted Champions League place also.

We’ve looked at the current odds provided by Sky Bet, to see which teams could finish in the top four.

Currently occupying the fourth spot, its no surprise that Atalanta have very low odds and are very much fancied to retain their position.

The stoppage to football would have been untimely to say the least for La Dea as they were in the midst of great run of form. Not only had they sealed a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history following a 8-4 aggregate win over Valencia, but they had also been building up some steam in the Serie A run-in.

A thumping 7-0 win away at Torino was followed by a draw at home to Genoa, then two huge 2-1 wins against Fiorentina and top-four rivals Roma. The triumph in Europe came either side of another Serie A demolition, this time 7-2 was the score away at Leece. That was Atalanta’s last domestic fixture before the break.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have been an attacking force to be reckoned with in the league this season, scoring a whopping 70 goals so far which is the most in the league – ten more than the next best, Lazio. In fact, only PSG and Bayern Munich have managed more in Europe’s top leagues.

Josip Illicic and Papu Gomez are the veterans that are at the heart of everything Atalanta do well. Centre-forward Illicic has been prolific for Gasperini’s men this season, with 21 goals and nine assists in 29 appearances across all competitions. As for Gomez, the 32-year-old captain has used his creativity to notch up ten league assists this season, bettered only by Lazio’s Luis Alberto.

The stoppage to football may have come at a time when Atalanta were on a roll, but with the football they’ve been playing all season, with the players they have as well as a three-point cushion and a game in hand on their nearest top four rivals, you wouldn’t put it past them to claim a top four spot.

Currently in fifth place, AS Roma are the nearest challengers to the current top four and are 4/1 to snatch one of those all-important positions.

Giallorossi find themselves three points off Atalanta, having played an extra game than the team above them. Paulo Fonesca’s men had got on the right tracks before the interruption, winning their last two league games, which was a needed response to the huge 2-1 loss to Atalanta prior. That defeat away at the GEWISS stadium was the result that put daylight between themselves and the Nerazzurri.

Premier League loanees Chris Smalling and Henrik Mkhitaryan have been bright sparks for Roma since their arrival, and they’ll be hoping they can push them to a place in Europe come the June 20th restart.

Arsenal loanee Mkhitaryan was arguably Roma’s best player before the break, with three goals and three assists in seven appearances for the club whilst Manchester United defender Smalling has been a rock at the heart the defence.

The form of their top players will be key if Fonesca’s side are to steal a place in the remaining fixtures. Roma’s remaining games look a difficult task, with ties away to AC Milan, Napoli and leaders Juventus as well some challenging ties at home to Inter Milan amongst others.

Napoli have fallen down the league in recent years, going from being Juventus’ nearest title challengers to having a longshot chance of Champions League qualification.

It’s been a season to forget for the Partenopei, with key players’ futures speculated, managerial change and inconsistent form throughout. However, football’s recent halt came at a time when Gennaro Gattuso’s side had enjoyed their best run all year, winning three league games in a row for the first time all season.

Italian legend Gattuso was brought in following Carlo Ancelotti’s sacking in December, and couldn’t turn fortunes around following a poor start to the season; with just one win in his first five league games in which they fell as low as 11th in the table. They did however manage a win against leaders Juventus and seemed to have recovered some kind of good form, but a Champions League spot now looks like a dream scenario.

The team from Naples are sixth in Serie A, and someway off Atalanta in fourth. There is already a nine-point gap separating the two, which could be stretched even further if La Dea win their game in hand.

Tricky fixtures against Atalanta, Roma, both Milan clubs and Lazio all await Gattuso’s men.

Royalty of Champions League football, AC Milan have fallen from grace over the past decade, and now Champions League football looks unattainable yet again.

The seven-time European champions have had another dreadful season, which sees them in seventh place. Not only are the Rossoneri three points off Napoli in a top six spot but are twelve away from Atalanta with a game more.

Stefano Poli took charge of the team after a bad start saw Marco Giampaolo lose his job, but Poli hasn’t been able to steer the ship in the right direction either.

The acquisition of legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had potential to be the lift that Milan’s season needed, but even the 39-year-old superstar couldn’t change fortunes at the San Siro. The Swede managed four goals in ten appearances for the struggling side and has since picked up an injury that could see him out for a while when Serie A action returns.

Following another dire season for the sleeping Italian giant, the high 50/1 odds represent just how far AC Milan are to a top four finish.