Serie A Betting Preview: Milan can win big in Turin

Italian Football / Dave Farrar / 08 January 2010 / 1 Comments

"Juventus v Milan will be high pressure, high intensity, and could turn into a minor classic."

Juve and Milan battle to keep title hopes alive, Suazo can turn on the style for Genoa and Mazzarri aims to keep run going... Dave Farrar selects the best Serie A bets.

Juventus v Milan

With Inter seemingly running away with this season's Scudetto, Juventus and Milan know that a defeat on Sunday night would spell the end of any realistic chance that either of them have of challenging for the title. It will be high pressure, high intensity, and could turn into a minor classic.

Milan produced a stunning performance on Wednesday to put five past Genoa, and they are clearly the side in form. Ciro Ferrara is under enormous pressure, with the shadow of Guus Hiddink looming large, and the Juve coach knows that defeat at the weekend could well hasten his departure. On the face of it, Juve's win at Parma was a return to form, but in reality they were fortunate to grab three points, and [2.56] is way too short a price for them to beat Leonardo's buoyant Milan.

Ferrara will be without both Trezeguet and Iaquinta on Sunday, so out of form Diego will have to provide for Amauri, and with Milan seemingly intent on destroying everything in their path, they will be far more of a goal threat than the home side. Gigi Buffon's stand-in, Alex Manninger, will have to produce quite a performance in the Juve goal.

Milan are too good to miss at [3.15]; they can inflict the kind of defeat on Juve that Ferrara won't be able to survive. Take Milan to win, and win big.

Recommendation: Milan to beat Juve @ [3.15]
Milan to win 3-0 @ [50.0]

Genoa v Catania

I'm going to wheel out my record player and put on that well worn disc for the umpteenth time this season. Genoa at home has meant goals, with 11 of their 12 games in all competitions producing over 2.5 (the odd game out was a 2-0 win against Slavia Prague in the Europa League), and a 5-2 defeat against Milan on Wednesday shows that their defensive problems are still very much an issue.

Sinisa Mihajlovic may have stiffened Catania's resolve, and there is a danger that he will take his side to the Marassi and play for a 0-0, but that is a risky tactic against Genoa, and I fully expect the home side to score and draw Catania out. Four of Catania's last five away games have produced over 2.5, and they will struggle to contain a Genoa line up which now includes one of my favourite players, the Honduran striker David Suazo.

Suazo scored on his debut at Milan, and his lightning pace will be a major threat to the visitors' defence. Genoa will want to turn on the style in front of their home fans after that crushing defeat on Wednesday, and I make no apologies for once again tipping up over 2.5 goals in one of their home games. The price available is still too big.

Recommendation: Over 2.5 Goals in Genoa v Catania @ [1.93]

Napoli v Sampdoria

If the conditions at Gatwick allow, I'll be flying to out on Sunday to watch Napoli's game against Sampdoria, and I fully expect to see a home win for Walter Mazzarri against the team which he coached with such distinction. Mazzarri is still unbeaten after he replaced Roberto Donadoni, and this extraordinary run has taken one of Italy's most famous clubs back to the kind of League position that those fanatical fans deserve.

Napoli have thrown in a couple of poor performances at the San Paolo, against Milan and Lazio, and that explains why they're no shorter than [1.9] for the visit of Samp, but with Gigi Del Neri's side out of form (no win in five) and not seemingly on the brink of finding any, I think that Napoli are rock solid and should win comfortably.

Recommendation: Back Napoli to beat Sampdoria @ [1.9]

Comments (1)

1. Rudi A. | 10 January 2010

   Milan to win 3-0 @ 50.0 VERY NICE, DAVE!