Serie A 2022-23 preview

AC Milan will look to defend their crown in a season starting from August 13

The fans must be rubbing their hands in excitement as Serie A, Italy’s top football league is scheduled to kick off on August 13.

It is one of the most exciting prospects of the football world for at least the last couple of years, given three different teams have worn the crown in as many editions.

AC Milan won the campaign last year, dethroning their fiercest rivals Inter Milan, who had ended Juventus’ nine-season long winning streak.

It will be interesting to see whether AC Milan be able to defend their title, or a new team, apart from Juventus and Inter, emerge as the champions.

To predict the fate of the tournament, let’s have a look at each team competing in the league individually.

AC Milan

The defending champions will start their campaign with somewhat a similar line-up as the club have not made any significant changes in the squad.

The management has only spent €39.20 million against an income of €13.05m which does not look sufficient considering they are the defending champions.

Rossoneri were interested in buying Sven Botman and Renato Sanches, but they could not strike a deal as the former joined Newcastle United, while the latter is set to join Paris-Saint Germain.

However, they have tried to maintain the strength as they have also roped in striker Divock Origi from Liverpool whereas the latest signing of attacking midfielder Charles De Ketelaere will boost the squad.

The fans will be hoping Stefano Pioli will replicate his last year’s magic this season as well.

Inter Milan

Inter Milan managed to stop the unstoppable Juventus in the 2020-21, ending their impressive streak of nine consecutive titles.

However, they missed out on the trophy by a whisker as they were just two points behind their arch-rivals last time around. They will start their campaign against Udinese.

Nerazzurri were active during the transfer window and they strengthened their attack by signing striker Joaquín Correa for a price tag of €23.6m and Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea.

The Belgium international had a quiet last season, scoring just eight goals and one assist in 26 appearances.

Meanwhile, the addition of Kristjan Asllani and Raoul Bellanova will improve their defence. The fans can expect Inter to be one of the frontrunners for the title in the upcoming season.

Juventus

Juventus have been a powerhouse in Italian football, winning as many as 36 titles. They were the reigning Serie A champions from 2011-12 to 2019/2020 before Inter halted their run. This year, yet again, Juve will be strong contenders to claim the trophy.

The Old Lady’s midfield looks rock solid with the likes of seasoned Argentinean Angel di Maria and French world cup-winner Paul Pogba making their way into the side.

To fill the void left by the centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral, they have signed young Bremer and Andrea Cambiaso. However, they might miss their key playmaker, Paulo Dybala, who has joined AS Roma.

Napoli

SSC Napoli ended their last Serie A campaign in the third spot. The Naples-based club have always been tough opponents for even the best teams in the league; however, they could not lift the trophy since 1989/90.

The club, represented by Argentinian great Diego Maradona, have been impressive in recent times, finishing 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 2nd in the last four years.

The major concern for the management as well as for the fans is the departure of their star defender Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea.

To make up for the loss, The Blues have signed South Korean centre-back Min-jae-Kim for a hefty amount of €18.05m, Leo Östigard (€5m), followed by defensive midfielder André Zambo Anguissa (€15m) and left-back Mathías Olivera (€11m).

Moreover, veteran winger Lorenzo Insigne and striker Dries Mertens were also allowed to walk away.

Despite losing some of their key players, Napoli can potentially be the ones challenging the table-toppers.

AS Roma

Jose Mourinho knows the art of winning, he knows how to turn a group of players into a conquering team.

During the first year under their Portuguese manager, they clinched their first title in 11 years, winning UEFA Conference League.

The Giallorossi were solid in defence, now they have focused on improving their offence by including Paulo Dybala alongside Tammy Abraham and Nicolò Zaniolo.

If Mourinho’s men are able to perform in both departments, they can easily climb up the table. In fact, they can prove to be the dark horses of the league.

With a young team and a tactful manager, there is no reason why they cannot repeat AC Milan’s heroics in 2019/20, where they captured the second spot. In fact, they can go further to become the champions.

Atalanta BC

Atalanta have been consistently impressive, finishing at the third spot for three years on the trot before the 2021/22 season, where they ended up in the eighth spot.

La Dea are known for their attacking football and they have provided more support to their strikers by including left-winger Jérémie Boga and central midfielder Éderson in the squad for €22m and €21m, respectively.

Moreover, they have roped Merih Demiral in from Juventus for €20m as a solution to their defensive problems.

The club have spent €63m against an income of €24.72m, which shows that the underdogs of the league mean serious business.

Along with Roma and Napoli, Atalanta can be a potential threat to the favourites of the league.

Lazio

Lazio had finished fifth in the last season, winning 18, losing 10 and drawing 10 of their 38 games. The Biancocelesti will aim to finish their campaign at a similar spot or higher.

The management has spent a good sum of money to recruit goalkeeper Luís Maximiano, central midfielder Marcos Antônio, attacking midfielder Mattia Zaccagni, centre-back Nicolò Casale and Mario Gila.

On paper, Lazio’s attack looks fragile as Ciro Immobile, their star striker will have to shoulder most of the burden when it comes to scoring goals.

Immobile has been the highest Serie A goals scorer in 2017/18, 2019/20 and 2021/22, so all eyes will be on him once again.

Fiorentina

Fiorentina, who last won Serie A back in 1968/69, finished seventh on the table last season. However, it was an impressive campaign, where the team played some remarkable football and challenged the best teams in the league.

The Tuscans have beefed up their squad by adding Brazil U23 international Dodo for €14.50m, who is also known as the next Dani Alves.

Moreover, the arrival of Luka Jovic from Real Madrid has fortified their attack. The famous purple shirts also faced a setback as they lost Lucas Torreira after the loan expired. He was rated as a key player in their last campaign.

Sassuolo

Sassuolo is comparatively new on Serie A scene, making their debut in 2013. After making the big stride, they never came close to relegation, in fact, stood sixth in 2015-16 and eighth in 2019-20 seasons.

They finished at the 11th spot in their last campaign but the Neroverdi have been ever-improving and are a candidate for occupying a place among the top ten.

Alessio Dionisi has completed some significant signings during the transfer window, taking on board talented centre-forward Agustín Álvarez and attacking midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt.

But, this year, they will miss their centre-forward Gianluca Scamacca, who was bought by West Ham for €36m and left winger Jérémie Boga who is snapped by Atalanta.

This team have the determination and all the ingredients to be a surprise package during the event.

Hellas Verona

Hellas Verona were ranked ninth with 53 points in a season where there were too many ups and downs. They did not have an ideal start, losing their first three games. After the disastrous beginning, manager Eusebio Di Francesco was replaced by Igor Tudor, who turned their fortune.

The former deputy of Andrea Pirlo at Juventus turned that unit into one of the most entertaining teams of the campaign.

The Gialloblu did a decent job during the transfer window as well, securing their best player of the previous season, Giovanni Simeone for €10.5m.

Moreover, they further enhanced their attack by recruiting Gianluca Caprari and Thomas Henry for €5m million each.

However, they will feel the absence of Mattia Zaccagni and Nicolò Casale who left the club.

Udinese Calcio

Nothing extravagant is expected from Udinese, to be honest. They had a quiet season in 2021-22 and are expected to do the same this year.

For now, it seems like they are just trying to remain a part of the Serie A and not get downgraded. They were ranked 14th in 2020/21 and 12th in 2021/22.

This time, the Zebrette will be playing without their star defender Nahuel Molina, who will be a part of La Liga’s Atletico Madrid.

Udinese fans will be just hoping that their side maintain their rank and do not get close to relegation.

Torino 

Torina had a respectable season, capturing 10th position on the table. The Turin-based outfit once were Serie A giants, winning the trophy multiple times. Now, they are not even the shadow of their own selves.

This year, they enjoyed a profit of €26.45m during the transfer window, spending just €14.55m against an income of €41m.

They released Bremer to Juventus, who is rated extremely highly by the football pundits.

Torina are not a team that can be dubbed a candidate for the gold, instead, they will be fighting to maintain the position or climb a couple of ranks.

Bologna

Bologna look like a settled side now, who are not fighting to only remain among the elite clubs of the country. The club will be now aiming to qualify for the Europa Cup.

Marko Arnautovic was an integral part of Bologna’s attack, while Aaron Hickey played a key role in defending their goal.

However, they have lost Hickey to Brentford and will be hoping that they do not feel the burn of missing out on such an important player.

The club has chosen not to spend much during the transfer window this time around and they just paid €13.8m for acquiring new talent. Siniša Mihajlović’s team will be hoping to perform their best with the available talent.

AC Monza

It will be extremely interesting to see how the first-timers AC Monza fare with the big boys.  Monza, which is owned by Italian billionaire and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who previously owned AC Milan, are willing to invest fortunes to have the best talent on their roster.

They have quality players in the weaponry, including midfielders Matteo Pessina and Stefano Sensi, along with defender Andrea Ranocchia. They also have a capable goalkeeper in the shape of Alessio Cragno.

Now, they are linked to signing Arsenal’s Pablo Mari to further boost their defence line. Monza will be a team to watch closely during the campaign.

Sampdoria

Sampdoria is just managing to survive in the league. They were lucky last season that other teams performed worse than them and they managed to keep their berth in Serie A with 15th position.

The club have seen a lot in recent times, from the arrest of their club president to the sacking of their manager.

Now, under the supervision of Marco Giampaolo, who has previously coached the club for three years, they will be hoping to avoid relegation in this instalment as well.

Empoli

Empoli made a comeback to the top Italian league after spending two years in Serie B. But, their return was impressive as they did not look in danger of being downgraded again. They won 10 matches, drew 11 and lost 17, which helped them capture the 14th rank.

They played good football and managed to clinch wins against much stronger teams such as Fiorentina, Atalanta, Napoli and Udinese. They will be hoping to at least replicate their last season’s performance.

Spezia Calcio

Spezia also returned to Serie A in 2020/21 after about eight years of struggle. Since they have made their comeback to the top-tier league, their premier mission has been to maintain their standing.

They have been hovering near relegation but somehow avoiding the fall.

In the upcoming season as well, they will be hoping to stay afloat in Serie A by doing just enough in the campaign.

They have looked to improve their squad a bit by recruiting right-winger Kevin Agudelo, left-back Arkadiusz Reca and Mehdi Bourabia against a total of €6.20m.

Salernitana

Salernitana had an eventful campaign, where they witnessed a lot of ups and downs, a change of owners and three different coaches. At the end of the season, they managed to retain their Serie A status, which was in question.

Davide Nicola, who took over the reign after Fabrizio Castori and Stefano Colantuono, instilled his self-belief in the team. The former defender fought and played attacking football till the end and assured that his team is not relegated.

They have made some major signings for the coming season, spending as much as €31.38m, which speaks volumes about their intent. However, they will be playing without their star midfielder, Éderson, which might affect their campaign.

US Lecce

Lecce will be making their comeback in the Serie A after missing out in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.

The team have roped in defensive midfielder Daniel Samek, young centre-forward Joel Voelkerling Persson and left-winger Federico Di Francesco with the hope that their inclusion will make the squad stronger and they will be able to avoid another relegation.

Having said that, they will be playing without Massimo Coda, who was the highest scorer in Serie B in the last two consecutive seasons.

Cremonese

Cremonese have finally managed to reach the top tier in Italian football. They have struggled to hold their position in Serie A and often have fallen short to match the calibre of the best in the business.

The club have spent €7.90m for signing new players, which is a decent amount, keeping other prospects in view.

It is no surprise that all they will be aiming for is to avoid another relegation.