Predicting Serie A’s Top Four Next Season

It feels like the curtain has only just come down on the 2022/23 Italian football season. But in just a matter of weeks, a new Serie A campaign will be upon us, and the opening weekend certainly has plenty to whet the appetite. Newly promoted Genoa will face off against UEFA Conference League finalists Fiorentina at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris while the ever-exciting Sassuolo battle Atalanta in a contest that is sure to guarantee goals.

While both of those matchups promise excitement, it is the top four that we will be focusing on in this article. Last season, the battle for UEFA Champions League qualification was one of the most memorable in recent memory. Courtesy of a 15-point deduction for Juventus, the battle for the top four was blown wide open, and in the end, the Bianconeri were unable to bridge the gap.

In the end, it was semifinalists from last year’s tournament, namely Inter and AC Milan, who secured yet another campaign in Europe’s premier club competition. They will be joined at the most elite of footballing dining tables by Lazio, who secured a return to the Champions League for just the second time in 16 years by finishing as runners-up to eventual champions Napoli. But who will finish in the top four in the upcoming season, and who will end up as the eventual Champions of Italy?

Winners – Inter Milan

Despite finishing down in third last season, a whopping 18 points behind the eventual champion Ciucciarelli, websites that allow sports betting online have made the Nerazzurri 2/1 favorites for the Scudetto next term. And let’s face it, it’s clear to see why. Simone Inzaghi’s men stunned everyone as they reached the Champions League final last season for the first time since the days of Jose Mourinho over a decade ago. As well as that, they also managed to secure a double as they won both the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup.

A massive summer lies ahead in the blue and black half of Milan. Inter have already lost the services of Marcelo Brozović, Milan Škriniar, Edin Džeko, and Romelu Lukaku. They also have a battle on their hands if they plan on keeping goalkeeper André Onana and midfield dynamo Nicolò Barella at the San Siro, with rumoured moves to Premier League giants Manchester United and Newcastle United reportedly on the cards. But Interisti the world over shouldn’t lose faith just yet.

Inzaghi has already secured the signature of highly-rated midfielders Davide Frattesi and Kristjan Asllani from Sassuolo and Empoli respectively. They have also sealed the free transfer of former Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram. If they can continue bringing in signings of a similar ilk, there’s no reason why a second title in four seasons can’t head to the Nerazzurri trophy cabinet next May.

Runners-up – Juventus

Last season was a difficult one for Juventus, both on and off the field. On the pitch, Juve finished way down in seventh after receiving the biggest points deduction in the history of Serie A. Off the pitch, the club was in turmoil courtesy of financial irregularities that saw the club’s entire board of directors resign on the eve of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Despite that, however, and despite the fact he had to manage an aging squad, Max Allegri managed to have a semi-decent campaign considering the circumstances. Had it not been for their points deduction, the Old Lady of Italian Football would have finished in second place last season, 13 points behind eventual champions Napoli. Not bad considering the players that they had at their disposal.

A summer of rebuilding is already underway in Turin. Veterans such as Ángel Di María and Juan Cuadrado have both left the club. Meanwhile, young starlets such as Fabio Miretti and Nicolò Fagioli have both been successfully integrated into the first team over the last 12 months. The bookmakers make Juve 7/2 third favourites however, providing they can get Serbian hotshot Dušan Vlahović back in and amongst the goals, we think that they can go one better.

Third Place – Napoli

Last season, Napoli stunned everyone as they powered their way to a first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona some 33 years ago. They were head and shoulders above the competition last term however, as we saw, toward the end of the campaign, their progress began to slow down. This was demonstrated perfectly in their Champions League quarterfinal defeat at the hands of compatriots AC Milan.

We can see the difficult times continuing at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona next season. Their squad is already being picked apart as impressive defender Min-jae Kim looks set to join Bayern Munich and striking sensation Victor Osimhen is expected to follow him out of the door. As such, despite being made 5/2 second favourites, we can see them finishing in third, and they may well face a battle on their hands to secure the top four.

Fourth Place – AC Milan

Last but not least, coming in fourth place we have AC Milan. The Rossoneri had a strange campaign last term, reaching a first Champions League semifinal since 2007 but also having to deal with a very unhappy fan base. A top-four finish will have alleviated some concerns, however, they too will need to strengthen this summer.

Highly-rated midfielder Sandro Tonali has left for Newcastle United, somewhat against his wishes. It remains to be seen how and where the €70m transfer fee will be invested. But if the rumours of a €20m deal for Christian Pulisic are found to be true, then another top-four finish should be the minimum that the Rossoneri aim to achieve next season.