* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
It’s Sunday, it’s Italian football and it’s James Richardson presenting. No, we’ve not travelled back to the 90s unfortunately, I promise you it is 2021, but calcio returns to UK and Irish screens, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Venezia kits and all.
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Sure, we might not be getting Antonio Conte’s touchline tantrums, Andrea Pirlo’s hair or the loveable, kindly face of the man you wish was your grandad, Claudio Ranieri, but there’s plenty to get your teeth into.
The Italian top flight takes centre stage on Sunday night with a double header as Napoli and Venezia face off at the same time as Roma and Fiorentina go at it. Pick your poison, here’s a deliziosa double for you to round off the weekend in gloriously aloof style. Good old Google Translate.
7.45pm: Napoli v Venezia – Napoli and Over 3.5 Goals
I know you’ve probably already seen the kits doing the rounds, but all three of Venezia’s efforts are absolutely wonderful and that’s reason enough alone for me to tune in. Sorry, Love Island. They might lose every game and go down with two points but my God they’ll look great doing it.
Alright, I’ll stop going on about the bloody kits. Anyway, Napoli are huge favourites here and it’s easy to see why as they host the newly-promoted team from Venice. The Naples side finished 5th last term, missing out on Champions League football by a point to Juventus following a painful 1-1 draw with Verona on the final day. Even if maths isn’t your strong point you’ll know that a win would have seen them leapfrog The Old Lady.
They’ll be fired up and looking to go one better this season and they could have asked for no kinder fixture to kick off their campaign. Venezia themselves finished 5th in Serie B, going up in dramatic fashion as their 10 men scored a 93rd minute winner to pinch promotion in the final.
This side have got heart and they’re pretty good defensively, conceding just 39 times in 38 games last season. However, Serie A is a different kettle of fish and Napoli banged in an eye-watering 86 in 38 in 2020/21.
It could be a rude awakening for Venezia as they travel to last season’s third-highest scorers. With value a little hard to find it’s worth backing goals in this one, we can only go with the hosts so Napoli to Win and Over 3.5 Goals kicks off our double.
7.45pm: Roma v Fiorentina – Roma Win and Over 3.5 Goals
While the league lost those charismatic managers mentioned earlier last term, they gained a colossal figure in the shape of Jose Mourinho. The new Roma boss will be desperate for a win and he generally starts well, losing just once on debut in the dugout for a new club, way back in his first ever game as a manager in 2000.
The omens are good then for Roma who are rightly Paddy’s favourites. Roma finished six places higher than Fiorentina last season in 7th and they’ve recruited well with keeper Rui Patricio and forward Tammy Abraham being their main signings over the summer.
There’s more ominous omens for Fiorentina here as the capital-city club have beaten them the last four times they’ve played. Both teams have scored in three with Roma scoring at least two in every meeting.
With the Jose factor, his superb record on debut, the relative strengths of the sides and their recent form against each other you simply have to be on Roma. Value’s a little easier to find in this game with the market being a lot closer between the two. Goals should be on the menu. In the last six meetings between the two we’ve seen a remarkable 25 goals, an average of 4.1 per game.
There was a bizarre 7-1 Coppa Italia win in there for Fiorentina in there, but taking that game out and going on the last five the average figure still stands at 3.4 goals per game. Jose generally lets the shackles off early in his reign with 3-1 and 3-2 wins for Manchester United and Tottenham on debut in his last two jobs.
It’s not time for him to park the bus yet so it might pay to chance your arm on Roma to Win and Over 3.5 Goals. Yes, it might seem a little unimaginative, but just look at those numbers! Obviously you can go for lower Over/Unders in both games, but to help boost up our double I’m sticking my neck out for loads of goals in these two games. I think we’ve got a pretty good chance of seeing this one land as well. Bring on the calcio.
Tips for Sunday’s late Serie A games
7.45pm: Napoli v Venezia – Napoli and Over 3.5 Goals
7.45pm: Roma v Fiorentina – Roma Win and Over 3.5 Goals
These two selections in a double will give you odds of around 10/1 with Paddy Power.
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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