JUVENTUS-FIORENTINA
Juventus: both Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata bounced back after a midweek stinker, the Portuguese ace bagging two goals and the Spaniard hitting the net once and furnishing two assists. The former moved up to 12 goals in ten games, the latter has notched four goals and six assists in Serie A play. It is uncertain whether Paulo Dybala will make it due to a small injury, so they could pair up front once again. Dejan Kulusevski and Aaron Ramsey both resurfaced after some time as the youngster scored and the ex-Gunner picked up an assist, but it is possible that Federico Chiesa and Juan Cuadrado, who have both been going strong lately, replace them in the XI. Also Rodrigo Bentancur and Weston McKennie have made their presence felt in the final third recently, therefore there is plenty of options to choose from.
Recommended picks: Ronaldo, Morata, Chiesa/Kulusevski.
Fiorentina: Dusan Vlahovic nailed his second PK in a row and perhaps that will get him going on open play as well, but at least he is gaining some confidence and showing a little better. Their latest tactical evolution sees Franck Ribery (three helpers) and Giacomo Bonaventura, or José Callejon, in a supporting role, while Gaetano Castrovilli has less freedom to attack in the midfield. Ribery can have big flashes but is really up and down, Bonaventura has relatively outplayed the ex-Napoli winger, but without picking up bonuses. Cristiano Biraghi is back to having a lot of room to maneuver in this new (old) scheme: he has posted one goals and three assists so far.
Recommended picks: Vlahovic, Ribery, Bonaventura/Castrovilli.
VERONA-INTER
Verona: Eddie Salcedo looked good in the previous match but did not fare well over the week-end, where he was the only option left given that Nikola Kalinic, Samuel Di Carmine and Andrea Favilli are all hurt. Ebrima Colley is not a pure striker but di better off the bench and the young duo might split time once again, although it would not be the first time Ivan Juric comes up with fancy solutions in a big game. They scored through a Miguel Veloso PK against Fiorentina. Darko Lazovic featured as trequartista but that has not gotten it going, while Federico Dimarco (three assists) keeps running amok on the flank. Mattia Zaccagni has been constantly be their top players so far and he has notched three recent goals plus four helpers and he could use some help. Adrien Tameze was deployed as false-nine versus Lazio and he hit the net, but it is a bit of a gamble because he would not be as palatable in his usual gritty role in the midfield.
Recommended picks: Zaccagni, Dimarco, Colley/Salcedo.
Inter: they are not in stellar shape but they keep plowing through the opponents, powered by the usual suspect, Romelu Lukaku, who recorded his 11th goal on a PK versus Spezia. Achraf Hakimi broke the deadlock there with his fourth goal in Serie A play and his numbers after an understandable slow start are starting to be as advertised, given also that he has set up three teammates already. Lautaro Martinez has not hit the net in few matches but has picked up two assists in the past three fixtures. Arturo Vidal returned but he does not have much fantasy appeal given his usually gritty role, Nicolò Barella and Marcelo Brozovic are more interesting for their playmaking prowess, especially the former Cagliari (one goal, four assists).
Recommended picks: Lukaku, Hakimi, Martinez.
MILAN-LAZIO
Milan: they lost Ante Rebic too before the Sassuolo game, but they still hit the opponents early with a record-breaking goal that put Rafael Leao back on the map after a pair of so-so performance, then Alexis Saelemaekers tucked in his second goal of the year. Hakan Calhanoglu had finally put one past the goalie but it was called up back, but he partly consoled himself with his fifth assist on the early goal. He might lose value in this one because some absences in the midfield could drag him away from the box, but that is TBD, like Ante Rebic’s status. Theo Hernandez produced another magnificent display, accompanied by his third assist of the season. Jens Petter Hauge has slightly outplayed Brahim Diaz but there is not clear separation and both are secondary options.
Recommended picks: Leao, Hernandez, Calhanoglu.
Lazio: Ciro Immobile delivered once again versus Napoli, this time with a glorious header, and Luis Alberto finally worked his way back into the stat-sheet. The coach later revealed that he is battling a nagging injury, which makes sense given he has not looked all that well so far. Adam Marusic notched his third assist of the year: a little surprisingly, he has better numbers that the speedster Manuel Lazzari on the other flank. Joaquin Correa was a late scratch with a calf problem and probably will not recover in time: Felipe Caicedo (four goals) is always serviceable whenever deployed, but also Vedat Muriqi and Andrea Pereira will be options. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been their second most consistent player with three goals and three assists.
Reccomended picks: Immobile, Milinkovic-Savic, Alberto.
NAPOLI-TORINO
Napoli: they had some chances early but ultimately they lacked firepower versus Lazio and the situation has worsened as Hirving Lozano was carried off with an ankle injury. At least they will have Lorenzo Insigne back for this one and he will shoulder a massive role with Dries Mertens and Victor Osimhen sidelined. The little genius had notched four goals and three assists so far. Matteo Politano (three goals, two helpers) and Andrea Petagna, who has found the target three times, will try to pick up the slack in a much more feasible match-up. Piotr Zielinski is showing decently in an appealing role but has yet to deliver, Fabian Ruiz is also trending positively as he is taking more shots.
Recommended picks: Insigne, Petagna, Politano.
Torino: in a surprising twist, it was not Andrea Belotti who scored against Bologna, but Simone Verdi came back from the dead and surprised the goalie with a cunning free kick for his first goal of the season. Federico Bonazzoli had started to look good but subbed off with an apparent thigh injury. With some offensive pieces returning, as Simone Zaza was also available, the coach went back to 4-3-1-2 and the hope for them is that Sasa Lukic will manage to go back to his pre-COVID levels. Amer Gojak is getting some run but he has not really done better than Soualiho Meite. Wilfred Singo is back from suspension.
Recommended picks: Belotti, Verdi, Lukic.
ROMA-CAGLIARI
Roma: they are coming off a weird match as they looked splendid in the first half versus Atalanta, but then completely fell apart in the second one. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Edin Dzeko combined on the early goal, with the Armenian ace posting his sixth assist and the Bosnian striker netting his fifth goal. Lorenzo Pellegrini has found the target in two of the last three outings but returned to the pivot position Sunday. Pedro has lost some steam after a strong start, while Jordan Veretout has stayed afloat thanks to multiple PKs and a pair of goals on open play. Linchpin Leonardo Spinazzola might be out with an injury and the other wing-backs are not as interesting.
Recommended picks: Mkhitaryan, Dzeko, Veretout
Cagliari: their underwhelming period of form continued against Udinese, even though Charalampos Lykogiannis buried an early jaw-dropping free kick, his second of the season. Joao Pedro is looking spent, Giovanni Simeone has not make it to the stat-sheet after COVID and they can not ask Leonardo Pavoletti to be too consistent already, even though he had little burst a couple of matchdays ago. Riccardo Sottil has made some noise but he is a little too much feat or famine. They should have Adam Ounas back in this one, at least for a cameo. Nahitan Nandez has arguably been their best performance recently but he is not super productive in terms of bonuses. Despite the unconvincing form of their forwards, they remain a top-heavy side.
Recommended picks: Pedro, Nandez, Simeone/Pavoletti.
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