Serie A is shaping to be quite a competitive battleground ahead of Round 8 in the competition. So far we have seen the resurgence of giants likes Milan, surprise packages such as Sassuolo, and proven winners like Juventus and Inter struggling to find their rhythm.
Choosing the optimal Fantasy Football draft is all about having the right information available to you. Here are the predicted lineups ahead of the 8th Round and, based on what we currently know, the players who are likely to be missing.
Atalanta
Watching Atalanta last season, from a neutral fan’s standpoint, was a pure delight. There was an Italian side ready to forego the dark arts of crowded defending, for free-flowing, attacking football. They ended the season 3rd in Serie A and impressed in the Champions League.
However, running on adrenaline alone is a dangerous proposition for any team. Their form in the new season has been inconsistent. They lie in 6th place. While this is not bad, the heavy defeats suffered at the hands of Sampdoria and Liverpool might have taken their toll.
They travel to Spezia as clear favorites. Alejandro Gomez has been in good form, as has been Robin Gosens. Consider them for your line-ups. However, Marco Sportiello may be a risky choice in Fantasy Football. Atalanta has conceded 14 goals in 7 matches, one of the league’s poorer showings.
Probable Starting XI (3-4-2-1): Sportiello; Toloi, Romero, Djimsiti; Hateboer, de Roon, Freuler, Gosens; Pasalic, Gomez; Lammers
Unavailable: Malinovskyi, Piccini, Caldara
Benevento
Benevento can’t be faulted for the season they’ve had so far. Filippo Inzaghi is in charge of a newly-promoted side that has shown potential. They’re a highly physical side and they can pass the ball. However, their biggest issue has been their defense. Benevento hemorrhages goals at the moment. Theirs is a negative 10 goal difference.
Defenders aside, take a look at Gianluca Caprari or Gianluca Lapadula when selecting your draft. Both have scored 3 goals and assisted 2, and might just prove to be diamonds in the rough.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-2-1): Montipò; Letizia, Glik, Caldirola, Barba; Hetemaj, Schiattarella, Dabo; R. Insigne, Sau; Lapadula
Unavailable: Tuia, Iago Falque
Bologna
Bologna head into a difficult away game against Sampdoria. So far, this season, the Rossoblu, has only notched victories against Parma and Cagliari, not exactly top-rated opposition. This puts Bologna in a perilous position, as they hover just above the relegation signpost.
The season is long, however, and the team benefits from an experienced set of players. Jerdy Schouten and Lorenzo De Silvestri might prove good options for your defense, but mistakes (fouls, loss of possession) could be on the cards and might lose you points.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; De Silvestri, Tomiyasu, Danilo, Hickey; Svanberg, Schouten; Orsolini, Soriano, Barrow; Palacio
Unavailable: Medel, Skov Olsen, Samson, Poli, Mbaye, Dijks, Santander
Cagliari
All Serie A clubs have to face off against Juventus sooner or later in the season. For Cagliari, it is likely best this happens now when Andrea Pirlo’s side are still struggling to find themselves. Furthermore, the Isolani arrive into this match following a thrilling victory against Sampdoria.
There’s little to lose from this one and Cagliari will know it. Watch out for technical players like Joao Pedro and Giovanni Simeone who’ll try to find space in between Juve’s advanced backline.
Probable starting XI (4-2-3-1): Cragno; Zappa, Walukiewicz, Godin, Tripaldelli; Rog, Marin; Nandez, Joao Pedro, Sottil; Simeone
Unavailable: Faragò, Lykogiannis, Luvumbo, Pinna, Ciocci
Read our extensive preview of Juventus – Cagliari here
Crotone
Crotone is a team in fighting spirits, in spite of the fact that they currently rank 20th in Serie A. After all, this may be a good time to meet Lazio, who could be without some of their best players.
The Calabresi have not won a single game yet, but they haven’t exactly embarrassed themselves either. The draw against Juventus proved that this is a team that can still grow and avoid relegation.
Veteran midfielder Luca Cigarini may be the team’s most dependable player, and one to consider when choosing for your draft.
Probable Starting XI (3-5-2): Cordaz; Magallan, Marrone, Golemic; Pereira, Zanellato, Cigarini, Vulic, Rispoli; Messias, Simy
Unavailable: Luperto, Riviere, Molina, Reca
Fiorentina
Fiorentina don’t have the happiest set of supporters at the moment. In spite of boasting impressive talent, La Viola has been struggling to find itself for some time.
Their match against Benevento could prove the pivotal moment in their season. There’s plenty of flair to this side, with players like Franck Ribery or Gaetano Castrovilli, but it remains to be seen if they can produce a good result when it matters the most.
Probable Starting XI (3-5-2): Dragowski; Pezzella, Milenkovic, Caceres; Biraghi, Amrabat, Pulgar, Castrovilli, Kouamé; Vlahovic, Ribery
Unavailable: None
Genoa
Genoa look to be in a heap of trouble this year. Realistically, they could get stuck in a dramatic relegation battle. And, while there is, obviously, a lot of football left to be played, little has gone the way of Rolando Maran’s men.
In Gianluca Scamacca, the Grifone place most of their goalscoring hopes. The experience of Goran Pandev and Cristian Zapata can also not be ignored as they travel to Udine for a difficult fixture.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-2-1): Perin; Biraschi, Zapata, Bani, Pellegrini; Lerager, Badelj, Rovella; Pandev, Zajc; Scamacca
Unavailable: Pjaca, Criscito, Brlek, Males, Cassata, Zappacosta, Schone
Inter
Inter spent the short seasonal break injecting experience to an already powerful roster of players. Another fight for the Scudetto was promised. So far, things have been less than impressive, with Inter glued to the middle part of the Serie A table.
The match against Torino sees Antonio Conte’s players enter the proceedings as clear favorites. They have one of the greatest attacking duos in Europe in Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez. They have a strong defense that includes Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij. And, maybe most importantly, they are managed by a serial winner, Antonio Conte. On paper, this should prove an easy fixture. However, this kind of calculations rarely work out this way.
Probable Starting XI (3-5-2): Handanovic; Skriniar, De Vrij, Bastoni; Hakimi, Gagliardini, Vidal, Young, Barella; Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez
Unavailable: Kolarov, Pinamonti, Brozovic, Sensi, Vecino, Padelli
Read our extensive preview of Inter – Torino here
Juventus
There’s no reason to panic about Juventus’ form just yet. However, the failure to defeat Cagliari in a home game could trigger a crisis. Juve will enter the match without two of its defensive general, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. However, Cristiano Ronaldo should be fit to start, and his drive may help see the Italian champions through.
If you are looking for a bargain for your draft, consider Weston McKennie. The American is beginning to truly showcase his abilities for Juventus and he’s expected to start against Cagliari.
Probable Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Szczesny; Demiral, de Ligt, Danilo; Cuadrado, Arthur, Rabiot, Alex Sandro; Kulusevsli; Cristiano Ronaldo, Morata
Unavailable: Bonucci, Chiellini, Ramsey
Read our extensive preview of Juventus – Cagliari here
Lazio
Lazio have weathered the storm of the last weeks in a surprisingly strong fashion. Simone Inzaghi has been without some of his top players, out due to coronavirus related concerns. Furthermore, the club found itself in hot waters after being accused of mismanaging Covid-19 testing.
Through it all, players like Felipe Caicedo have stepped up. However, expect to possibly see Ciro Immobile back heading the Biancocelesti attack against Crotone, who are 20th in the league. Either way, Lazio will be anxious to score goals against one of the league’s worst defenses.
Probable Starting XI (3-5-2): Reina; Patric, Acerbi, Radu; Lazzari, Parolo, Leiva, Luis Alberto, Fares; Correa, Immobile
Unavailable: Milinkovic, Luiz Felipe, Escalante, Strakosha, Proto
Milan
It’s strange to call Milan’s run this season a surprise. However, given the way the Rossoneri performed in recent years, few would have expected them to lead Serie A after 7 games.
The match against Napoli is a real test, of course. However, Milan is more confident going into these kinds of derbies than they’ve been in years.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the team’s top scorer at 39-years-old. Theo Hernandez and Gianluigi Donnarumma have been in excellent form, and may be worthy of inclusion in your fantasy draft.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): G. Donnarumma; Calabria, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Kessié, Bennacer; Saelemaekers, Calhanoglu, Rebic; Ibrahimovic
Unavailable: Rafael Leao, Musacchio
Read our extensive preview of Napoli – Milan here
Napoli
Napoli vs. Milan is one of Serie A’s traditional derbies, without a doubt It’s all the more important this time, considering that both teams, at least in theory, could have a shot at winning the competition outright.
Mertens and Insigne are once again forced to carry the Blues. However, there’s plenty of quality to Gennaro Gattuso’s squad. A match of this importance may be just what these players need to truly switch into a different gear.
Probable starting XI (4-3-3): Meret, Di Lorenzo, Manolas, Koulibaly, Mario Rui, Fabian Ruiz, Demme, Elmas, Politano, Mertens, Insigne
Unavailable: Ospina, Hysaj, Osimhen
Read our extensive preview of Napoli – Milan here
Parma
Parma is a team that, for yet another season, must make the very best of each game, even when their chances look slim. The away fixture to Roma seems like that kind of match from afar.
However, the Gialloblu have players that can hurt their opponents. Gervinho’s stamina seems endless and the Ivorian will be looking to make an impact. And, Giuseppe Pezzella is a youngster anxious about climbing to the top. Yes, Parma can always create an offset.
Probable Starting XI (5-3-2): Sepe; Grassi, Iacoponi, Gagliolo, Bruno Alves, Pezzella; Kucka, Hernani, Cyprien; Inglese, Gervinho
Unavailable: Mihaila, Valenti
Roma
Roma have been among the teams hit the most by health concerns in recent weeks. Against Parma, they’ll have to try and earn the tree points without the talents of Edin Dzeko or Javier Pastore.
However, there’s enough potential to this side. The club is once again dreaming about winning the title. And, while this may be a tall order, the least that they can do is gain points against lower-level opponents such as Parma.
Probable Starting XI (3-4-2-1): Mirante; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Veretout, Spinazzola; Pedro, Mkhitaryan; Borja Mayoral
Sampdoria
Italian football is more popular than it has been in years. However, rather ironically, Sampdoria, a team that always courted the limelight, risks missing out. Last season they finished in 8th place, while most of the plaudits went to clubs such as Juventus, Atalanta, or even Inter.
After 7 games, Sampdoria sit squarely in mid-table. They’ve earned important points just as easily as they’ve squandered them. Still, Morten Thorsby is worthy of consideration for your draft, having fully adjusted to his role at Sampdoria. Veterans Fabio Quagliarella and Antonio Candreva remain as consistent as ever.
Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Colley, Regini; Candreva, Thorsby, Ekdal, Jankto; Ramirez, Quagliarella
Unavailable: Keita, Tonelli, Augello
Sassuolo
For the time being, Sassuolo is the most surprising Serie A club this season. They’re in second place and haven’t yet lost a single match. Few would expect them to have the stamina to do this for an entire season. However, given that they play Verona, in a match in which they start as favorites, the run could last a while longer.
Domenico Berardi and Filip Djuricic have been this side’s best players. However, the team’s tightly-knit core of players may have accounted the most for Sassuolo’s success.
Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Consigli; Muldur, Ayhan, Ferrari, Rogerio; Locatelli, Lopez; Berardi, Traoré, Boga; Raspadori
Unavailable: Caputo, Chiriches, Romagna, Pegolo, Magnanelli
Spezia
Newly-promoted side Spezia is merely looking to avoid relegation this season. It’s a special campaign after all. Although more than a century old, this is the first time that the club has made it to the top flight of Italian football.
So far, so good! The team is in 13th place. Their defense isn’t quite an example of discipline and rigor. But, players like M’bala Nzola know how to take their chances when those are handed to them. Atalanta may find their work cut out for them.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-3): Provedel; Mattiello, Terzi, Chabot, Bastoni; Maggiore, Ricci, Pobega; Agudelo, Nzola, Gyasi
Unavailable: Ferrer, Chabot, Mastinu, Verde, Bartolomei, Galabinov, Sala, Capradossi, Zoet
Torino
Torino remains something of a mystery. The squad still features some of the best players in the league (Andrea Belotti, Armando Izzo, Bremer). Despite this, the smaller of the two Turin teams playing in Serie A, always look to sit with one foot in a relegation sit.
This year, they’ve struggled to earn points anywhere, and it’s difficult to believe they’ll start doing so against Conte’s Inter. Still, stranger things have happened to this team.
Probable Starting XI (4-3-1-2): Sirigu; Vojvoda, Bremer, Lyanco, Rodriguez; Meité, Rincon, Linetty; Lukic; Verdi, Belotti
Unavailable: Izzo, Baselli
Read our extensive preview of Inter – Torino here
Udinese
Following a few seasons of outperforming expectations, Udinese found itself back in the second part of the Serie A table with some consistency. Relegation was rarely an issue. However, this season they’ve only won 4 points and sit in 19th place. A defeat to Genoa could really turn the situation dire.
If you’re struggling to flesh out your defense, you may want to consider Bram Nuytinck. Rodrigo De Paul has also played above average. Other than that, the team finds itself at an all-time low and is in desperate need of a victory.
Probable Starting XI (3-5-2): Musso; Becao, Nuytinck, Samir; Stryger-Larsen, De Paul, Arslan, Pereyra, Zeegelaar; Pussetto, Okaka
Unavailable: Coulibaly, Wallace
Verona
Verona is enjoying life in the upper part of the Serie A table, but this could rapidly change. They meet Sassuolo, a team desperate to prolong their great start to this campaign.
Verona have already met some of the top Italian sides this year and they’ll know that the opportunity to grab points from this match may not come again for some time.
Federico Ceccherini is a strong central defender, while Marco Silvestri has been sharp in goal. Keep an eye on them for your present and future fantasy drafts. Clearly, the defense is the Mastiffs’ strongest attribute.
Probable Starting XI (3-4-1-2): Silvestri; Cetin, Magnani Ceccherini; Tameze, Dawidowicz, Ilic, Dimarco; Barak; Zaccagni, Kalinic
Unavailable: Lazovic, Lovato, Faraoni, Favilli, Danzi, Gunter, Vieira, Benassi, Ruegg
