Before the Round -- Trends on Italy Serie A (08/04)

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The race for the top four is tight in Serie A. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, and Atalanta are all fighting for the final two Champions League qualification places.

A gap is forming at the bottom of the table, as 17th-place Spezia are now six points ahead of 18th-place Hellas Verona.

Udinese – Monza

Udinese and Monza will meet for a third time in all competitions on Saturday at the Stadio Friuli. The Zebrette went to Monza and won 2-1 in the league in the reverse fixture. Monza then defeated Udinese in Udine in the Coppa Italia 3-2 away from home.

Monza are comfortable in midtable. They picked up 34 points from 28 matches. Monza’s form has dipped recently, with just five points picked up from the last six games. They were outscored 9-4.

Udinese took nine points from the last six matches in Serie A. After a strong start to the campaign that saw Udinese flirt with first place, they sank into midtable and will finish the season there. Udinese are unbeaten in four straight home matches.

• Udinese Calcio's 10 most recent home Serie A matches have seen both team score.
• In their last 6 games in Serie A, Monza have recorded only 1 wins.
• In their 20 most recent matches of Serie A, Udinese Calcio have achieved just 3 wins.
• Monza haven't lost in 5 of their last 6 away matches in Serie A.
• Prediction: Over 2.5 goals

Fiorentina – Spezia

Fiorentina are unbeaten in five straight games versus Spezia. La Viola won 2-1 earlier this season versus Spezia away from home.

Fiorentina are fighting for a place in the top six. However, eight points separate La Viola from sixth-place Atalanta. Fiorentina are Serie A’s in-form team, as they took 16 points from the last 18 points on offer, scoring 10 goals and conceding twice.

Spezia took six points from the last six matches in Serie A. The Eagles failed to win their last two matches in the Italian top flight.

• Fiorentina have managed to win 5 consecutive games in Serie A.
• Spezia Calcio have achieved just 3 wins in their 21 most recent games in Serie A.
• Fiorentina have kept a clean sheet in all of their last 3 league matches.
• Spezia Calcio have been scoring 0.86 goals on average in their games in Serie A.
• Prediction: Fiorentina

Atalanta – Bologna

Atalanta went unbeaten in their last six games versus Bologna in all competitions. La Dea won 2-1 away to Bologna earlier this campaign. They are on a two-game win streak versus the Rossoblu.

Bologna are eighth in the standings and eight points off sixth-place Atalanta. A win would reel in the Bergamo club in the race for the top six. The Rossoblue took 11 points from the last six games in the league, with eight goals for and four against.

Atalanta are on a two-game win streak in Serie A, but they only took seven points from the last six matches. La Dea struggled to score goals, with just six tallied and eight conceded.

• Atalanta Bergamo's most recent record of 11 consecutive home games against Bologna FC consists of no losses (Serie A).
• In their 6 most recent matches of Serie A, Bologna FC have been undefeated 5 times.
• Atalanta Bergamo are undefeated against Bologna FC in 15 of their last 16 home league games.
• Bologna FC have lost just 2 of their last 6 away games in all competitions.
• Prediction: Both Teams to Score

Sampdoria – Cremonese

Sampdoria are 10 points off safety in Serie A. Unless they suddenly start winning, Sampdoria are destined to play in Serie B next season. There is hope, as Sampdoria defeated 20th-place Cremonese earlier this season, 1-0. Can Sampdoria win this six-point match?

Cremonese are winless in four straight Serie A games. They picked up five points from the last six matches, scoring eight goals and conceding 12.

Sampdoria took four points from the last 18 points on offer. They were outscored 11-6. The good news for coach Dejan Stankovic is the team’s recent home form. Sampdoria are unbeaten in back-to-back games at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Cremonese have not won away from home this season.

• Sampdoria have won just 3 of their last 29 league games.
• Cremonese have achieved just 1 wins in their 28 most recent games in Serie A.
• On average, Sampdoria have scored 0.57 goals in their last matches in Serie A.
• On average, Cremonese have been scoring 0.82 goals in their most recent matches in Serie A.
• Prediction: Sampdoria