Serie A returns this weekend with champions Inter Milan looking to defend their crown. However, the landscape around them has changed considerably.

Inter were comfortably Italy’s best side last season. They finished 11 points clear of Napoli and completed a domestic double under Cristian Chivu. Many of their traditional rivals have responded by changing managers and strengthening their squads.

Massimiliano Allegri has taken over at Napoli. Rúben Amorim has arrived at AC Milan. Maurizio Sarri is back in Bergamo with Atalanta and Gennaro Gattuso has been handed the task of reviving Lazio.

Meanwhile, Roma continue with Gian Piero Gasperini. Juventus are sticking with Luciano Spalletti and ambitious Como are preparing for Champions League football for the first time.

The 2026–27 Serie A season begins on Saturday, August 22 and concludes on May 30, 2027.

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Last season at a glance

Inter Milan dominated Serie A in 2025–26 and won their 21st Scudetto with three matches to spare.

Cristian Chivu’s side finished with 87 points. They were 11 clear of second-placed Napoli. Inter scored a league-high 89 goals and conceded only 35.

The final Champions League positions produced one of the biggest surprises.

Roma finished third on 73 points. Como completed an extraordinary season by finishing fourth with 71 points and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

Milan finished fifth despite collecting 70 points. Juventus were sixth on 69.

At the other end, Cremonese, Hellas Verona and Pisa were relegated.

2025–26 top six:

1. Inter – 87 points
2. Napoli – 76
3. Roma – 73
4. Como – 71
5. AC Milan – 70
6. Juventus – 69

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The promoted teams

Three familiar clubs return to Serie A.

Frosinone

Frosinone secured automatic promotion and will once again attempt to establish themselves in the top flight.

They have kept faith with Massimiliano Alvini. Survival will be the overriding objective.

The recruitment of experienced Austrian midfielder Florian Grillitsch and Romano Schmid should make them more competitive. However, they begin the campaign among the favourites for relegation.

Venezia

Venezia also won automatic promotion and have retained Giovanni Stroppa.

Their most intriguing summer arrival could be Akor Adams from Sevilla. The striker scored ten league goals for the Spanish side last season and could prove crucial to Venezia’s survival hopes.

Monza

Monza secured the final promotion place through the play-offs and have appointed former Atalanta boss Ivan Jurić.

They have also added Serie A experience with former Milan and Fiorentina striker Patrick Cutrone.

Of the three promoted sides, Monza may possess the best chance of staying up. However, all three are likely to face a difficult season.

Opta’s pre-season simulations rate Monza as the side most likely to be relegated at 42.9%. Frosinone are close behind at 40.7%.

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Title favourites and betting odds

Unsurprisingly, Inter begin as clear favourites to retain the Scudetto.

The leading contenders are currently priced at approximately:

• Inter Milan – 21/20
• Juventus – 6/1
• Napoli – 13/2
• AC Milan – 8/1
• Roma – around 9/1
• Como – around 33/1 to 40/1

The precise prices vary between bookmakers. However, there is a clear consensus. Inter are the team to beat.

Opta’s model agrees.

Its 10,000 pre-season simulations give Inter a 35.1% chance of winning the Scudetto. Como are surprisingly second at 13.6%. Roma are at 12.7% and Juventus at 11.4%.

Napoli sit at 7.5% and Atalanta at 6.8%.

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Inter – can Chivu make it two in a row?

Inter’s decision to replace Simone Inzaghi with Cristian Chivu looked like a gamble in 2025.

A year later, it looks inspired.

Chivu delivered both Serie A and the Coppa Italia in his first full season. Inter combined the league’s most prolific attack with one of its strongest defences.

However, the squad is evolving.

Veterans including Yann Sommer have departed. Inter have also brought in some fascinating reinforcements.

John Stones arrived after leaving Manchester City. Fellow England international Djed Spence has joined from Tottenham. Manuel Akanji adds further experience to the defence.

Up front, the formula remains familiar with Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram.

Inter are favourites for a reason.

Prediction: Champions.

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Napoli – Allegri takes over

Perhaps the most fascinating managerial change of the summer is Massimiliano Allegri replacing Antonio Conte at Napoli.

Napoli finished second last season but never seriously threatened Inter once Chivu’s side accelerated away.

Allegri now inherits a talented squad featuring Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne. De Bruyne’s fitness will be particularly important after injuries disrupted his first season in Italy.

Romelu Lukaku has departed. This places greater attacking responsibility on Rasmus Højlund.

Allegri has won six Serie A titles. Only Giovanni Trapattoni has won more.

Napoli might not always be spectacular but dismiss an Allegri side at your peril.

Prediction: 4th.

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Roma – could Gasperini mount a title challenge?

Roma’s decision to appoint Gian Piero Gasperini last summer proved an excellent one.

The Giallorossi finished third with 73 points and returned to the Champions League for the first time since 2017–18.

Now comes the difficult part. They need to take the next step.

Roma have made Donyell Malen’s move permanent after the Dutchman scored an extraordinary 14 goals in just 18 Serie A appearances following his January arrival.

Paulo Dybala has extended his contract and Roma have also added Nahuel Molina.

Gasperini built an Atalanta side capable of challenging virtually anyone. With greater resources in Rome, could he finally challenge for a Scudetto?

They are one of the most interesting outsiders.

Prediction: 2nd.

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Juventus – Spalletti’s second season

Juventus finishing sixth would normally trigger another revolution.

Instead, the club has backed Luciano Spalletti.

There is logic to that decision.

Spalletti is a proven Scudetto winner and Juventus showed enough last season to suggest there is something to build upon.

Kenan Yildiz remains central to the project. Randal Kolo Muani has also returned to strengthen the attack.

Juventus have brought Italian international goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario back to Serie A on loan from Tottenham.

Without Champions League football, Juve could have an advantage domestically. Europa League commitments will still test their squad.

Prediction: 3rd.

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AC Milan – the Amorim gamble

Another disappointing season has produced another managerial change at Milan.

Massimiliano Allegri has departed after just one year and former Sporting and Manchester United coach Rúben Amorim has taken charge.

Milan have made a major statement by signing Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain. Former Lazio defender Mario Gila has also arrived.

Ramos could be particularly important.

Milan have lacked a consistently prolific number nine for several seasons. If Amorim can build the attack around him and get the best from Rafael Leão, the Rossoneri could be considerably stronger.

Another tactical reset brings risk though.

Prediction: 5th.

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Como – no longer a surprise package

At what point do we stop calling Como a surprise?

Cesc Fàbregas’ side finished fourth last season. They won 20 matches and scored 65 goals while collecting 71 points. All three were club records in Serie A.

Now they are heading into the Champions League.

Most importantly, Nico Paz is staying for another season.

The Argentine was one of Serie A’s outstanding players last year. He produced 12 goals and six assists.

Como have continued strengthening too with the arrival of Trevoh Chalobah.

The major question is whether their squad can handle Champions League football alongside the domestic campaign.

Another top-four challenge would confirm Como as a genuine new force in Italian football.

Prediction: 6th.

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Atalanta – Sarri attempts to restore order

The post-Gasperini era started badly.

Ivan Jurić didn’t last the season and Atalanta eventually finished seventh under Raffaele Palladino.

Now comes Maurizio Sarri.

It is an intriguing appointment.

Sarri’s structured possession football differs from the man-to-man intensity traditionally associated with Atalanta. The transition could therefore take time.

However, Sarri has won Serie A before and remains one of Italy’s most recognisable tactical coaches.

Opta gives Atalanta a 34.9% chance of making the top four.

They could be one of the season’s biggest wildcards.

Prediction: 7th.

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Lazio – the Gattuso gamble

Few appointments will attract more scrutiny than Gennaro Gattuso at Lazio.

Maurizio Sarri has gone to Atalanta and Lazio have turned to the former Italy manager following the national team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Gattuso returns to Serie A for the first time in five years.

Lazio finished only ninth last season with 54 points and there are reasons to believe things could get worse before they get better.

The club has endured another difficult summer. The squad still appears short of the quality required to compete with Serie A’s leading clubs and several teams around Lazio have strengthened.

The absence of European football should help. Gattuso will have more time on the training ground and fewer problems with fatigue.

However, that alone may not be enough.

Lazio need greater consistency in attack and more depth throughout the squad. They also need Gattuso to quickly establish an identity after another managerial change.

A push for Europe cannot be completely ruled out but a bottom-half finish looks increasingly possible.

Prediction: 12th.

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Managerial changes

Serie A has undergone another remarkable summer on the touchline.

Nine of the 20 clubs have changed coach.

Notable appointments include:

• Napoli: Massimiliano Allegri
• AC Milan: Rúben Amorim
• Atalanta: Maurizio Sarri
• Lazio: Gennaro Gattuso
• Fiorentina: Fabio Grosso
• Bologna: Domenico Tedesco
• Monza: Ivan Jurić
• Sassuolo: Alberto Aquilani
• Torino: Ignazio Abate

Meanwhile, Inter have retained Cristian Chivu. Roma continue with Gasperini and Juventus with Spalletti. Como have also retained Fàbregas.

Remarkably, 11 of Serie A’s 20 coaches are under 50.

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Capocannoniere

Last season produced one of the strangest Capocannoniere races in modern Serie A history.

Lautaro Martínez won the award with just 17 goals. Donyell Malen and Como’s Anastasios Douvikas were next on 14. Marcus Thuram scored 13.

Lautaro therefore begins 2026–27 as the favourite to finish as Serie A’s leading scorer again.

Top scorer odds

Current odds vary between bookmakers but the market looks roughly like this:

• Lautaro Martínez (Inter) – 11/4
• Gonçalo Ramos (AC Milan) – 6/1
• Donyell Malen (Roma) – 8/1
• Marcus Thuram (Inter) – 12/1
• Rasmus Højlund (Napoli) – 12/1
• Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus) – 14/1
• Moise Kean (Fiorentina) – 14/1
• Anastasios Douvikas (Como) – 16/1
• Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta) – 20/1
• Jonathan David (Juventus) – 20/1

Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to change.

Our pick – Donyell Malen

Lautaro is understandably the favourite but our pick for the 2026–27 Capocannoniere is Donyell Malen.

The Dutch forward made an extraordinary impact after joining Roma in January. He scored 14 Serie A goals in only 18 appearances and finished just three behind Lautaro despite playing less than half a season in Italy.

A full campaign under Gian Piero Gasperini makes Malen particularly interesting.

Gasperini’s teams have traditionally created plenty of chances for their attacking players. If Malen can maintain anything close to the scoring rate he produced during his first six months in Rome, he should be firmly in the race.

At around 8/1, he also offers considerably more value than defending champion Lautaro.

Our prediction: Donyell Malen.

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Players to watch

Nico Paz – Como

Twelve goals and six assists last season made Paz one of Serie A’s biggest stars.

Another season under Fàbregas could elevate his reputation even further. This time he will also get the opportunity to show what he can do in the Champions League.

Donyell Malen – Roma

Fourteen goals from 18 league appearances after arriving in January suggests Roma may have found the ideal Gasperini forward.

If he maintains anything close to that scoring rate across a full campaign, Malen could emerge as one of Serie A’s biggest stars.

Gonçalo Ramos – AC Milan

A huge investment and potentially the striker Milan have been searching for.

Kenan Yildiz – Juventus

Still the player around whom Juventus hope to build their next great side.

Randal Kolo Muani – Juventus

Back in Turin and potentially entering the prime years of his career.

John Stones – Inter

One of the most fascinating transfers of the summer. If he stays fit, his technical qualities look perfectly suited to Inter’s three-man defence.

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Relegation watch

The three promoted teams inevitably begin among the leading candidates to go down.

Opta’s simulations identify Monza at 42.9% and Frosinone at 40.7% as the two teams with the greatest relegation probability.

Lecce are next at 34.3%. Venezia are narrowly behind at 33.7%.

Lecce survived last season by winning three of their final four matches. However, their lack of goals remains concerning after they scored just 28 times.

Cagliari and Parma could also become involved if they start badly.

Lazio are another side worth keeping an eye on. A relegation battle would still be a major surprise but a poor start under Gattuso could leave them much closer to the bottom three than supporters would expect.

Our feeling is that at least two of the three promoted clubs will go straight back down.

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Predicted Serie A 2026–27 Standings

1. Inter Milan
2. Roma
3. Juventus
4. Napoli
5. AC Milan
6. Como
7. Atalanta
8. Bologna
9. Fiorentina
10. Udinese
11. Genoa
12. Lazio
13. Sassuolo
14. Parma
15. Cagliari
16. Torino
17. Venezia
18. Lecce
19. Monza
20. Frosinone

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Key predictions

Champions: Inter Milan

Inter remain the most complete squad in Serie A and Chivu has already demonstrated that he can handle the pressure of managing the Nerazzurri.

Champions League: Inter, Roma, Juventus and Napoli

Roma could emerge as Inter’s closest challengers. Gasperini now has a year of experience with the squad and Malen could be hugely important.

Juventus should improve in Spalletti’s second season. Allegri’s ability to grind out results makes Napoli difficult to leave outside the top four.

Capocannoniere: Donyell Malen

Lautaro Martínez starts as the favourite but Malen is our choice to finish as Serie A’s top scorer.

His 14 goals in just 18 league appearances last season showed how dangerous he can be in Gasperini’s system. A full season in Rome gives him the opportunity to turn that remarkable half-season into a genuine Capocannoniere challenge.

At around 8/1, Malen also offers an interesting alternative to the short-priced Lautaro.

Golden Glove: Josep Martínez

Our pick for the most clean sheets is Inter goalkeeper Josep Martínez.

The Spaniard is expected to step up as Inter’s first-choice goalkeeper following the departure of Yann Sommer. He will have one of the strongest defensive units in Serie A in front of him.

Inter have added John Stones and Djed Spence to a defence that already helped them dominate Serie A last season. Manuel Akanji also remains an important part of Cristian Chivu’s back line.

Guglielmo Vicario could be one of Martínez’s biggest challengers after joining Juventus from Tottenham. Napoli’s goalkeeper should also benefit from Massimiliano Allegri’s traditionally organised approach.

However, with Inter our prediction to win the Scudetto, Martínez is also our choice to keep the most clean sheets.

Dark horses: Como

It feels ridiculous to call the team that finished fourth last season a dark horse. However, Como remain significant outsiders for the Scudetto.

Another Champions League challenge is entirely realistic.

Team to watch: AC Milan

Milan could finish anywhere from second to seventh.

If Amorim clicks and Gonçalo Ramos scores regularly, they could challenge Inter. If another managerial experiment fails, it could become another turbulent season at San Siro.

Potential disappointment: Lazio

Gattuso inherits a difficult job after Lazio finished ninth last season.

The lack of European football gives them an advantage but the squad looks weaker than many of the teams they hope to challenge.

Another season outside Europe looks a genuine possibility. If the teams around them improve, Lazio could slide into the bottom half.

Prediction: 12th.

Relegated: Lecce, Monza and Frosinone

Venezia survive narrowly in our prediction. Lecce’s continuing problems in front of goal finally catch up with them.

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Conclusion

The 2026–27 Serie A season begins with one obvious question. Can anybody stop Inter?

Cristian Chivu has already transformed what looked like a risky appointment into a hugely successful one. He won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in his first full season.

Inter therefore deserve to start as favourites.

However, this could be a far less straightforward title defence.

Gasperini has turned Roma back into a Champions League club. Spalletti has another year to mould Juventus. Allegri brings his formidable domestic record to Napoli. Amorim begins an intriguing new project at Milan and Fàbregas and Como continue to challenge the established hierarchy.

There are also plenty of questions further down the table.

Can Sarri revive Atalanta? Can Gattuso stop Lazio’s slide? Can Como balance Champions League football with another assault on the top four? Can any of Frosinone, Venezia or Monza beat the odds and survive?

The individual battles should be fascinating too. Lautaro Martínez is favourite to retain the Capocannoniere but Malen’s extraordinary impact at Roma makes him our choice to take the crown.

Serie A has rarely lacked drama.

With new managers and ambitious owners alongside emerging stars, several of Italian football’s biggest clubs are desperately trying to close the gap on Inter.

The 2026–27 season should provide plenty more twists and turns.