Serie A 2024/25: Season predictions
Well, did you miss it? It's time for the 2024/25 Serie A season to begin! Parma, Venezia and Como 1907 are the new kids on the block, having come up from Serie B, and reigning champions Inter will be hoping to mount a better title defence than Napoli and AC Milan managed in previous seasons.
Milan will likely lead the chasing pack at the top, looking to dethrone their cross-city rivals, but there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Paulo Fonseca on the bench after he succeeded Stefano Pioli. Juventus, now under Thiago Motta, are managing a lot of change as well, while Napoli with Antonio Conte (for as long as he's there) could surprise us without European football and make an assault on top spot.
What's certain is that the next ten months or so promise so much. The Total Italian Football team are here and we're ready to embarrass ourselves with our usual pre-season Serie A predictions for the 2024/25 campaign.
Let us know what your own Serie A predictions are, and don't hesitate to tell us why you think we're wrong!
Serie A 2024/25: Season Predictions from the Total Italian Football team
Conor Clancy's Serie A Predictions
I'll hold my hands up here, my predictions have changed between recording the preview podcast and writing this, with Roma seemingly desperate to force Paulo Dybala to leave before the window closes, so...
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli.
European places (5-7): Atalanta, AS Roma, Torino.
Relegated (18-20): Empoli, Parma, Venezia.
Something to watch out for: I backed Torino to surprise us and qualify for Europe last season, and only their friends at Fiorentina let them down by failing to win the Europa Conference League and therefore secure an extra European place for Serie A. I'm going for Toro to do well again, maybe more through desire than logic, and Duvan Zapata as captain is something that really gets me in my feelings.
What I'd like to see this season: Euan's shout of wild coaching changed is something I'd kind of like, but would equally be annoying to maintain our 'every coach' article. But I'm gearing myself up for a VAR controversy, now that it's going to have its own sponsor, and for the conspiracy weirdos to start shouting about how this means that there's some kind of agreement that VAR must be used a certain number of times per televised game.
Euan Burns' Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, AS Roma.
European places (5-7): Atalanta, Napoli, Lazio.
Relegated (18-20): Empoli, Venezia, Verona.
Something to watch out for: Remember when the PAOK president stormed onto the pitch to confront a referee and he had a gun on him? Aurelio De Laurentiis to run it back.
What I'd like to see this season: I want to see a team get through five coaches in one season. Salernitana managed four last time, someone like Empoli or Verona could strive for the record.
Kevin Pogorzelski's Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Inter, Juventus, Milan, Napoli.
European places (5-7): Napoli, Bologna, Roma.
Relegated (18-20): Lecce, Parma, Venezia.
Something to watch out for: Despite 13 of the Serie A coaches being appointed this summer, I think it could be a recording-breaking season for clubs parting company with their men in charge. High-profile exits of the recently arrived Antonio Conte or Paulo Fonseca at Napoli and Milan, respectively, can't be ruled out if they fail to start the season positively.
What I'd like to see this season: Last term we almost saw all three promoted clubs stay in Serie A for the first time in nearly two decades, but Frosinone were unable to halt their freefall into 18th. Therefore, even with the limited strength of two of the promoted clubs this season - Parma and Venezia - I'd like to see all three stay up. Even if my predictions highlight that my expectations are low.
Suhayl Al-Sammari's Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, AS Roma.
European places (5-7): Napoli, Atalanta, Fiorentina.
Relegated (18-20): Empoli, Como, Venezia.
Something to watch out for: Trouble at Lazio. An already tense relationship between fans and president Claudio Lotito could be stretched to breaking point after the underwhelming appointment of Marco Baroni, and a less-than-impressive transfer window. Stalwarts Ciro Immobile, Luis Alberto, and Felipe Anderson have gone, with little in the way of incomings.
What I'd like to see this season: Following Napoli’s procession to the scudetto in 2023, Inter had the league practically wrapped up by Easter last season. A thrilling title race that goes down to the wire is the sort of exciting that Serie A needs, and hopefully it will be all to play for in the final round of fixtures.
Alessandro Bai's Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Juventus, AC Napoli, Milan, Inter.
European places (5-7): AS Roma, Fiorentina, Atalanta.
Relegated (18-20): Venezia, Empoli, Hellas Verona.
Something to watch out for: Raffaele Palladino and Paolo Vanoli’s impacts at Fiorentina and Torino respectively, Kenan Yildiz’s growth under Thiago Motta and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia potentially becoming Napoli’s best scorer with Antonio Conte.
What I'd like to see this season: Matias Soule to be among the candidates for the Serie A Player of the Season award, Tijjani Reijnders scoring 8-10 goals and Yann Bisseck becoming a regular starter under Simone Inzaghi.
Alasdair Mackenzie's Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): Inter, Napoli, Atalanta, AC Milan.
European places (5-7): Juventus, AS Roma, Fiorentina.
Relegated (18-20): Empoli, Hellas Verona, Venezia.
Something to watch out for: I'll try to avoid saying Como. But we could well see another Bologna-style surprise European qualifier, as there doesn't appear to be a big gap between usual suspects Roma, Lazio and Fiorentina (and Bologna) and the chasing mid-table pack. Could Genoa, Torino or Monza lift themselves out of mid-table obscurity? Or maybe even those loud Lombardy lakesiders.
What I'd like to see this season: A title race. For all we celebrate the variety of winners we've been treated to in recent years, 19 points was too big a gap for anyone to find last season particularly interesting. It won't be easy with so many teams in transition.
Ben Dixon's Serie A Predictions
Top four (Ordered 1-4): AC Milan, Inter, Juventus, AS Roma.
European places (5-7): Atalanta, Napoli, Bologna.
Relegated (18-20): Cagliari, Como, Venezia.
Something to watch out for: Bologna to defy the odds again. Even in the early stages of the 2023/24 season, people were predicting Bologna to be torn apart in the transfer window, and whilst they have lost Thiago Motta, Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori, they've made some really smart signings. Additionally, Vincenzo Italiano could revitalise himself with the move to the Rossoblu. I think the Champions League may be slightly out of the question, but I think another year in Europe could be on the cards.
What I'd like to see this season: Last year was a really poor title race, and you could argue that the title was Inter's even before Christmas, so this season a little more intrigue would be massively welcomed. AC Milan and Juventus have both undergone renovations, and Inter's squad is only aging - it would now be comical if Simone Inzaghi and his Nerazzurri side had the league wrapped up even earlier than last year.