Safe bets for Friday’s Italian matches

There will be matches on Friday and Saturday, and we will briefly cover 3-3 matches from both days.

Fiorentina-Torino

Two in-form teams meet in the opening match of the round at the Artemio Franchi, as Fiorentina come into the game on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run and Torino are coming off four matches unbeaten in the league, although three of those matches were played at home. The defence is particularly outstanding for the Bulls, as they are -2 on goal difference in the top flight with just 17 goals conceded. Italiano will still be without Nico González, while Bonaventura will be available as a substitute. They were undefeated back and forth last season, and given Torino’s defence and the fact that Fio have only scored 1 goal in each of their last 4 games, it would be surprising to see a goal fest here.

Napoli-Monza

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the change of manager has not worked in Naples, with the defending champions still struggling. Napoli will also be without Politano and Osimhen for Monza, so Simeone could be in the starting line-up, but that’s a big blow for the Partenopei. The odds have also risen significantly for the southpaw, although Monza are not in great form either, having been beaten by Fio and before that Milan, who were beaten by Raffaele Palladino’s side. True, they went a smooth 4-0 at Maradona last season, but with Napoli a bit disjointed without the Nigerian striker, we’re now betting on a close game.

Genoa-Inter

Inter continue their march towards a very confident Scudetto, which is unlikely to be a difficult task in the coming weeks. A maximum of 9 points against Genoa, Verona and Monza is all that can be expected, although Juventus, Roma and Napoli have all lost in the neighbouring industrial city this season. Inzaghi’s headache is mainly due to the absence of Lautaro, so Arnautovic will be the striker alongside Thuram, and he is a good odds-on bet to score. Inter’s away record is quite impressive, and their 7-1-0 record is further enhanced by the fact that their last four away games have been against Atalanta, Juventus, Napoli and Lazio. We wouldn’t even dare to bet against the Nerazzurri now, even without the world champion striker.