Serie A 2026/27 Predictions: Inter Milan to buck Scudetto trend? Juventus eye return to top
Serie A 2026/27 Predictions: The Italian top flight will return to action on August 22, with the country’s reputation as a football powerhouse dented big time. Last season, no Serie A team went past the last 16 of the Champions League, and there were some embarrassing results along the way.
On top of that, Azzurri’s continuous absence from the World Cup has led to questions over the quality of football in the country. Forget being a powerhouse, Italian football is struggling to be competitive at the highest level, whether it’s at club level or the international stage.
Doubters often look at Serie A as a “boring league” that lacks the competitiveness of its rival leagues. Yet, this bias could not be further from the truth. Serie A has been the most unpredictable of the top five European leagues in recent years, when it comes to singling out a winner.
No team has been able to defend its league title for the last six seasons, with each of these campaigns crowning a new champion. You would have to go back to 2020 for a successful title defence when Juventus won the league by a single point.
The presence of traditional big clubs coupled with new challengers like Bologna, Atalanta and now Como presents a fascinating prelude to the upcoming season. Curva Global attempts to predict how the league will look at the end.
Who will win the Serie A 2026/27 title?
Inter Milan will start as the defending champions and kick off the league with a home game against the newly promoted Monza. Last season, Cristian Chivu oversaw a consistent campaign in his debut season at the San Siro club. He kept the defensive foundations built by Simone Inzaghi and added the ability to move quickly from defence to attack and score goals.
This yielded results on the pitch with Nerazzurri scoring 89 goals on their way to the Scudetto with second-place Napoli netting only 58 times. But Chivu faces different challenges this season. Many key players of the title-winning side have moved on. Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian and influential goalkeeper Yann Sommer have left the club.
In their place, the club has made some signings, albeit not as eye-catching as expected. Midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic is a signing that will provide fresh impetus to an ageing midfield, and the high-profile arrival of John Stones will add experience at the back. Goalkeeper Ivan Provedel’s transfer from Lazio will also help deal with Sommer’s departure.
The question is now whether these additions will be enough with their rivals also strengthening. Juventus appointed experienced hand Luciano Spalletti in the dugout in October last season. While he helped the team improve, he failed to get them to the coveted Champions League positions.
But Spalletti will be judged by performances this season. The club has to deal with the departure of prolific forward Dusan Vlahovic, who left Turin after his contract expired in June. The Old Lady has been quick to make signings to ensure they are not lacking in firepower.
19-year-old striker Jeff Ekhator was signed from Genoa, while another teenager, Kerim Alajbegovic, arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for a hefty fee. While these two signings seem to be for the future, the club did secure the services of Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain. However, doubts remain over their quality across the pitch and whether Spalletti’s style of play, focused on attack, will cover the cracks.
Napoli saw Serie A winning manager Antonio Conte depart and quickly replaced him with Massimiliano Allegri. Allegri comes in with a proven pedigree, having won the Scudetto with AC Milan and Juventus. But last season, he struggled in his return to Milan as the club finished fifth. The team was also the lowest scorer among the top six with 53 goals.
Their business in the transfer market hasn’t exactly sent warning signs to anyone. They have made loan moves for winger Allison Santos and forward Rasmus Højlund permanent. Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic has also been signed from Torino. It looks like Allegri wants stability first before firepower. His teams are often built on defensive solidity and structure, whether that sits well with the Partenopei faithful remains to be seen.
It is likely that Inter Milan won’t have it easy in their quest to win the Scudetto again. But their stability at the top with manager Chivu makes them clear favourites to add to their 21 Serie A titles.
Serie A title: Inter Milan
Runner-up: Juventus
Race for Europe
Despite the poor performances for Serie A clubs last season in Europe, the league retains its four Champions League berths. Fifth and sixth place earn Europa League and Conference League football.
With Inter Milan and Juventus in the top two, I expected Ruben Amorim’s AC Milan to follow them in third. Milan made the ambitious move to look for a coach not named Conte, Mancini, or Inzaghi after last season’s underwhelming campaign under Max Allegri. Despite his reputation taking a hit at Manchester United, Amorim remains a coach with massive potential.
He is bold in his tactics and remains ambitious as ever. Recently, he talked about how, at a club like Milan, the aim has to be the league title despite the rebuild needed. He is also targeting success in the Europa League with his new team.
The statement signing of striker Gonçalo Ramos from PSG addresses the lack of attacking threat that they suffered from last season. Amorim is expected to stick with his beliefs, and if he is able to impose his style on the pitch, it could take Serie A by surprise. For Amorim, he understands that this season would be about restoring his and Rossoneri’s reputation.
Como stunned everybody by their free-flowing style under Cesc Fabregas, scoring the second-highest number of goals in the league. But they were equally, if not more, impressive in their defence. Lariani conceded the fewest goals last season, with teams able to score only 29 goals against them.
Their fluidity going forward and defensive discipline will serve them well when they juggle Champions League football with domestic commitments. They managed to hold on to Fabregas, and the permanent signing of Alvaro Morata will add experience to their ranks.
AS Roma might be rank outsiders for a league title challenge, but they cannot be ignored. Gian Piero Gasperini did a wonderful job at Stadio Olimpico last season, taking Roma to third place, their highest finish since 2018. Despite not having enough quality attacking options, his side looked good going forward and were more often than not rewarded for their endeavours.
But Gasperini has been left frustrated with the lack of signings in key areas. Forward Donyell Malen completed a permanent transfer to the club in May after a loan spell from Aston Villa. 21-year-old striker Santiago Castro was signed from Bologna, and the Argentine forward carries a lot of promise. While Paulo Dybala remains with the club, it will be too much to expect him to share the burden of scoring goals.
With Champions League commitments, Gasperini’s side desperately needs more additions. He retains the core of his team in defence and midfield, and he has the experience to guide the team through troubled waters.
Atalanta secured Conference League football last season, but like other clubs at the top, they have seen a change in the managerial hot seat with former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri taking over. Sarri’s attacking philosophy will suit the Bergamo outfit.
Bologna have also undergone a change with Domenico Tedesco taking over from the successful Vincenzo Italiano. With no European football after an eighth-place finish, Bologna will hope to disrupt the order once again.
Lazio also have a new but old face in the dugout as Gennaro Gattuso takes over the club. The former Italian midfielder has produced a mixed bag during his previous stints as a coach in Serie A. Having managed the likes of AC Milan, Napoli, and Fiorentina, he brings experience, but only has a Coppa Italia with the Partenopei to show for his credentials as a winning coach.
Biancocelesti finished ninth last season, but they will believe their fans will believe that the side is capable of more than that. Whether Gattuso is the man to bring it out of them, that is a question that will be answered soon.
European places:
Champions League: Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan
Europa League: Como, AS Roma
Europa Conference League: Bologna
Surprise package of the season
Last season it was Como who left everyone in their wake with impressive performances in the league. Champions League football was secured against all odds as Cesc Fabregas’ side impressed in just their second season back in the top flight. They are likely to be competitive again this time around, but I do expect other sides to be more wary of their tactics.
A look around the Serie A will give you limited options when it comes to teams who can surprise in a similar way this season. But I’m backing Fiorentina to do far better than their 15th place finish last time out. The Tuscany outfit struggled for consistency in the previous campaign.
Stefano Pioli was sacked in November with the team rooted at the foot of the table. Paolo Vanoli was appointed in his place, and he did just enough to keep their head above the water and secure survival. But the board have made it clear that merely staying in the league is far from what they are eyeing.
Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning icon Fabio Grosso has been handed the reins in the Artemio Franchi dugout. The 48-year-old arrives after rebuilding his managerial reputation with Sassuolo for two seasons. He won the Serie B title with the club in 2024/25 and then led them to a respectable 11th-place finish in the top flight.
Under him, Sassuolo had the most goals to their name of any team in the bottom half. Now, Fiorentina have turned to him as they seek to turn their fortunes around. Gross usually likes to implement a 4-3-3 style, which offers attacking width. He opts for his sides to move the ball quickly up the pitch rather than slow build-up.
Out of possession, Gross focuses on his team to be more compact and stay predominantly zonal in their defence. Fiorentina fans won’t see their team pressing aggressively but remain well organised when dealing with attacks. The press is often down to situations and not constant, allowing more flexibility.
Viola have also made some really good signings in the summer window. Right-back Joao Mario has been brought on loan from Juventus, and so has another player in that position, Alex Jimenez. At left-back, they’ve signed promising Real Madrid teenager Valde. The signing of centre-back Radu Dragusin on loan for Tottenham Hotspur will add experience to the backline.
Midfielders Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian arrive from fellow Serie A clubs Atalanta and Bologna and boost their options at the centre of the pitch. Versatile midfielder Arthur Atta has also been brought in from Udinese. Another marquee signing is Ivory Coast midfielder Christ Inao Oulaï, who impressed in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
He is known for his box-to-box play and has the ability to dictate the tempo of the games. He would fit right in with Grosso’s ideas. Fiorentina have done the work in the pre-season and will hope that it translates into results in the upcoming season.
Relegation
Two of the three newly promoted teams went down last season in Serie A. Pisa finished bottom with 18 points, while Cremonese put up a fight before being relegated with 34 points, finishing 18th. They are joined by Hellas Verona, whose seven-year stay in the top tier came to an end.
This season, the three new clubs include Venezia and Monza, both of whom return after a one-year absence from the top flight. Frosinone will also be a part of Serie A after just two years away.
All three teams will be expected to fight for survival. Monza saw Paolo Bianco, the man who took them up from Serie B, leave them for relegated Pisa. In his place, the club have appointed Croatian Ivan Jurić. Jurić has experience in the top flight, having done well with Torino and Hellas Verona. But last season his reputation took a hit with Atalanta, as he was sacked three months into the new job.
As such, Monza fans will keep their expectations realistic. Frosinone saw Massimiliano Alvini lead them to promotion, and the challenge for them to stay up is big. Their coach has managed in the top flight only once before, and it was a bitter experience. In 2022, he was put in charge of the newly promoted Cremonese but was sacked in January 2023 with the club at the bottom of the league. Alvini’s career has largely been spent in the lower leagues.
Venezia will also find it hard, but I think they might do just enough to stay up. Coach Giovanni Stroppa oversaw their Serie B title-winning campaign, and his side scored plenty of goals. He will be expected to change approach slightly to suit the demands of the top flight but will hope that his team can generate enough firepower to remain ahead of the chasing pack down at the bottom.
Leoni Alati have also made some good signings with some talented foreign names in their ranks. It won’t be easy, and it might even be ugly at times, but Venezia are a good bet to stay up.
Meanwhile, Lecce will have to be careful of what could happen this season. The Giallorossi faithful endured a torrid campaign last season. They finished 17th but scored a paltry 28 goals all season. This number was only better than what the bottom two sides conjured. The club has barely made any moves in the transfer market, and Eusebio Di Francesco will be required to pull off miracles once again if they are to prolong their five-year stay in the division.
Genoa is another club that will have to do much better to ward off relegation fears. Under Roma legend Daniele De Rossi, the club only mustered a 16th-place finish, escaping the dreaded drop zone by just three points. The team has made some additions to the squad across the pitch with the hope that they can finally kick on after sustaining themselves in the league for three seasons.
Relegation: Monza, Lecce, Frosinone
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