Serie A preview: Titans square off as Inter host Napoli and Mourinho takes on Shevchenko

Seb Sternik
21 November 2021

Josh Wander of 777 Partners, CFC Genoa's new head coach,Andriy Shevchenko, during his presentation at Luigi Ferraris stadium in Genoa, Italy, 10 November 2021.

Two title contenders go head-to-head as Inter Milan host Napoli at San Siro. Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho looks for a return to winning ways but he will have to get past a familiar face.

Following a thrilling start to the weekend in the Italian Serie A, we look ahead to the key fixtures taking place on Sunday.

More drama will unfold as two of the league's giants clash in Milan. Defending champions Inter are seven points behind Napoli but a win over Gli Azzuri could mark a momentum shift in the title race.

Speaking of a title race, AS Roma's hopes of a championship bid appear to be thinning with every matchday.

Jose Mourinho's men have won just one of their last five league outings and they face a potentially tricky away clash in Genoa.

If that wasn't enough, there's also a major fixture towards the bottom of the table. Two teams sitting in the relegation zone will go head-to-head as the battle to avoid relegation heats up.

In fact, lets begin our Serie A preview with a look ahead to that massive encounter in Salerno.

Salernitana vs Sampdoria

Salernitana waited 22 years for a return to the pinnacle of Italian soccer. However, if they're not careful, their return could be nothing more than a one season pit-stop.

The club currently find themselves second-bottom of the Serie A. After 12 league games, I Granata have amassed a mere seven points while their haul of nine defeats is the worst in the division.

Despite the doom and gloom, there is still hope for Stefano Colantuono's men.

A win over Sampdoria would take them out of the bottom three and help build some much-needed confidence. Trouble is, the exact same thing could be said about I Blucerchiati.

Roberto D'Aversa's men would go level on points with 15th placed Venezia should they win this Sunday.

The visitors will be hoping to draw inspiration from their previous encounters against Salernitana - especially the last four which have all seen Sampdoria reign supreme.

Looking at this game from a betting perspective, it's simply too close to call. With that in mind, we're backing the draw at around the 9/4 mark.

Inter vs Napoli

Christmas may be a few weeks away but the big wigs at Serie A have treated us an early present with this huge clash of the titans.

Napoli, who are sitting top of the table, will be looking to build a three points cushion over their nearest rivals, AC Milan.

I Rossoneri fell to their first defeat of the season against Fiorentina last Saturday night - something that Napoli will be desperate to take advantage of as they look to build some breathing room at the top of the standings.

Inter are the last club in the world to try and help their city rivals in any shape or form. However, as their own interests conflict with those of their neighbours, you can rest assured that Simone Inzaghi's men will be going all out for the three points.

I Nerazzurri come into Sunday's game with good form under their belts. The team are unbeaten in six games across all competitions, scoring 12 goals in the process.

What's more, Inter have a solid record against their upcoming opponents having won two of the previous three encounters.

The hosts are the favourites according to the bookmakers but as they present an enticing price, we're backing them to get the job done.

Genoa vs AS Roma

Life at AS Roma got off on a romantic note for Jose Mourinho. After winning all of his opening six games, it seemed like nothing could go wrong for the Special One.

Then, the 58-year-old was hit with a large dose of reality.

Roma come into their latest fixture having won just one of their last seven games - a slender 2-1 victory over bottom-of-the-table Cagliari.

Mourinho's men entered the international break on the back of a 3-2 away defeat against Venezia. It was a result that left them down in 8th place - six points adrift of the top four and a massive 13 points away from league leaders Napoli.

Roma will be hoping for a return to winning ways against Genoa but that is certainly easier said than done.

Genoa might be down in 17th place but this is a side which has lost the same number of games as Roma (5) and even one less than sixth-placed Fiorentina.

Andriy Shevchenko has recently taken charge of the club and will be making his debut on Sunday night. Yes, the same Shevchenko who won the Serie A as a player and has worked with Mourinho at Chelsea.

While there was never a feud between the two men, it's a well-known fact that Mourinho didn't want Shevchenko during his first spell at Chelsea.

The club were in-need of a striker but while Mourinho asked for Samuel Eto'o, owner Roman Abramovich handed him Shevchenko.

The Ukrainian legend never got going in the Premier League and his spell at Stamford Bridge is a forgettable one.

Nevertheless, only soccer would conjure up a script where the two men would once again cross paths in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Bearing everything in mind, our selection is to back a draw. Genoa's troubles this season stem from their inability to turn draws into victories. The club have tied six of their 12 league games - the most in Serie A.