Inter Favourites to Retain Title as Serie A Resumes
1276
The Italian Serie A resumes this week and we could have an exciting finish to the season at both ends of the table. In terms of the title, Inter Milan are the defending champions and the team to beat as they sit top of the league at the halfway stage.
Having lost their manager and star striker in the summer, Inter Milan faced an uphill task to retain their title and despite a slow start, they now sit 4 points clear of second place AC Milan.
In fact, Inter Milan are the overwhelming favourites in many peoples eyes to win the Scudetto in successive seasons. They have replaced Romelu Lukaku with Edin Dzeko and the Bosnian international has combined with Lautaro Martínez to score 19 goals for Inter Milan in Serie A to date this season.
They must face Atalanta, Napoli, and Juventus away before the end of the campaign but Inter Milan ended the first half of the season in great form and if they pick up where they left off, will be difficult to stop.
AC Milan’s 4-2 win over Empoli on the 22nd of December saw them reach the second highest total of away Serie A victories in a calendar year. The 17th win on the road in 2021 was just one behind that of Napoli in 2017 and their away form has propelled them up the table this season to become a genuine contender for the title.
AC Milan stuttered a bit towards the end of 2021 but Napoli are the only other title rivals they have to face away in the second half of the campaign, with the derby against Inter being played at the San Siro. AC Milan have plenty of experience in their squad and could go close.
Napoli, who looked so good for much of the first half of the season dropped off towards the end of 2021. They need to improve quickly at the beginning of 2022 or could see themselves fall too far adrift of Inter Milan.
Atalanta and Juventus will be hoping to challenge but at the time of writing, Inter Milan look well placed to win Serie A.
In terms of the relegation battle, all three of the teams currently in the bottom three, Salernitana, Cagliari, and Genoa all face an uphill struggle to avoid the drop this season. Of the teams above them in the table, Spezia and Venezia are the two they will be targeting as possible relegation candidates.
However, the three currently occupying the relegation zone have won only 4 games between them this season, the same number as both Spezia and Venezia have won on their own.
That does not bode well for the second half of the campaign and Salernitana have to be considered favourites for the drop this season, with Cagliari not far behind. Genoa may be able to claim enough points to make it interesting between themselves and Spezia.
Home
Football 
Basketball
Hockey
American Football
Baseball
Rugby
Volleyball
Handball
Esoccer
