Everything you need to know about Serie A’s opening weekend
When does the new Serie A season start?
The new Serie A campaign starts this weekend, on Saturday August 21. There are two fixtures at 5.30pm UK time, with two more kicking off at 7.45pm. It’s the same format with four more games on Sunday, with the final two matches of the opening round taking place on Monday. The first of those is at 5.30pm, with the second at 7.45pm.
What are the biggest Serie A fixtures this weekend?
The Serie A fixture list put together some fascinating opening pairings. Champions Inter begin their title defence with a home game against Genoa on Saturday, while Juventus are away to Udinese on Sunday. Last season’s runners-up Milan must wait until Monday night for their season opener away to Sampdoria, while Atalanta’s trip to Torino is the Saturday night entertainment. Lazio are away to newly-promoted Empoli at the same time, while Napoli host Venezia and Roma play Fiorentina 24 hours later.
Who are the favourites to win Serie A?
Following a summer of upheaval at champions Inter, Juventus are the favourites to reclaim the Scudetto. The Nerazzurri have lost coach Antonio Conte, along with key players Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, while Juve have brought back former boss Max Allegri, who’s won Serie A in each of his previous seasons at the Old Lady. Inter are still second favourites, ahead of last season’s third-placed side, Atalanta. Milan finished as runners-up last term, but have also had a difficult summer in losing key duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu, seemingly dropping out of title contention in the process. Or at least as far as the bookmakers are concerned.
Will there be fans in Serie A this weekend?
Yes, supporters will finally be allowed back into Serie A games en masse this weekend. Stadiums in Italy’s top flight are permitted to open up to 50% of capacity, meaning we’ll see tens of thousands of people at games across the land. As such, there could be 40,000 fans inside San Siro to see Inter’s first game as defending champions, while more than 35,000 Roma supporters could be present for La Lupa’s opening fixture. Those attending will need to produce their Green Pass, which shows that people are either fully vaccinated or have recently tested negative for Covid-19.
Will there be away fans in Serie A this weekend?
Yes, away fans are permitted to return to stadiums around Italy from this weekend. It remains to be seen what kind of allocations each club decides to give to visiting supporters, considering the total capacity will only be half of what they’re usually allowed.
Where to watch Serie A live?
BT Sport is Serie A’s new home in the UK, after Italy’s top flight agreed a deal with the broadcaster until 2024. You’ll be able to watch around 200 Serie A fixtures across the BT Sport channels each season, along with the excellent documentary, Golazzo: The Football Italia Story. Outside of the UK, DAZN has won the rights to show games across much of Europe, while CBS Sports are the rights holders in the United States.
Who are the relegation favourites in Serie A?
There are few surprises that the three newly-promoted clubs, Empoli, Salernitana and Venezia, all feature heavily among many people’s tips to go straight back down to Serie B. Of the trio, Empoli look to have the best chance of survival after winning the second tier last term, with Spezia currently rated as more likely to go down than the Azzurri by the bookmakers. A somewhat surprising contender according to the oddsmakers is Genoa, who were 11th last season after recording two 17th-place finishes in the two campaigns prior.
Who has the best new kit in Serie A?
As ever, there’s a dizzying array of new kits in Serie A, with a lot of hits to complement a significant number of misses. What appears to be a strange homage from Juventus to Parma with their new third kit would fall into the latter category. The Old Lady’s black away kit is much more like it.
Inter’s Biscione-inspired home shirt means the champions will attempt to defend the Scudetto in style, whereas the third kit offered up by San Siro rivals Milan is sure to divide opinion. Lazio, Roma and Sampdoria have all gone safe yet stylish, while Venezia’s line-up is hard to beat. As a one-off though, Torino’s tribute to their ‘eternal friendship’ with Argentine club River Plate – not to mention the Peru national team – with their sash design could take the biscotti.
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