Serie A Round 4 - Preview

Tuesday SEPTEMBER 20	KO	Wednesday SEPTEMBER 21	KO
Novara - Inter	2045	Palermo - Cagliari	2045
		AC Milan - Udinese	2045
		Lecce - Atalanta	2045
		Juventus - Bologna	2045
		Genoa - Catania	2045
		Fiorentina - Parma	2045
		Chievo - Napoli	2045
		Cesena - Lazio	2045
		Thursday SEPTEMBER 22	KO
all times in CET		Roma - Siena	2045

Novara

vs

Inter

Tuesday's encounter in Piedmont sees both sides still on the lookout for their first victories of the new campaign. The pressure remains firmly with the visitors' coach Gian Piero Gasperini, whose tactical uncertainty has affected Inter's start to the new season. However, opposing tactician Atilio Tesser will also be scrutinised, as he seeks an elusive Serie A win at the 14th attempt. A full preview of this fixture can be found here.

 

Palermo

vs

Cagliari

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Tzorvas, Pisano, Silvestre, Migliaccio, Balzaretti Ilicic, Barreto, Della Rocca, Zahavi Hernandez, Miccoli		Agazzi  Pisano, Canini, Astori, Agostini  Biondini, Conti, Nainggolan Cossu  Nene, Thiago Ribeiro
TEAM NEWS
Edgar Alvarez is ruled out, but Mauro Cetto and Luca Di Matteo could feature. Palermo are unbeaten against Cagliari in four matches The Sicilians have not shared the spoils in their last eight Serie A games		Sebastian Eriksson will remain out until February/March, whilst Mostafa El Kabir is doubtful. Cagliari have won their first two games for the first time since the 1970-71 campaign. The Sardinians have failed to score in only one of their past seven away matches in Serie A.

AC Milan

vs

Udinese

The Serie A champions are yet to taste victory this season in the league and will want to bag the three points on Wednesday night in order to prevent themselves from falling further behind so early in the campaign. However, their predicament is in stark contrast to Udinese, who will be fired up from the offset with a 100 per cent record to maintain. A full preview of this fixture can be found here.

Lecce

vs

Atalanta

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Julio Sergio Cuadrado, Tomovic, Esposito, Mesbah Piatti, Obodo Giacomazzi, Grossmuller, Di Michele Pasquato		Consigli Masiello, Capelli, Manfredini, Peluso Schelotto, Cigarini, Padoin, Bonaventura Moralez Denis
TEAM NEWS
Moris Carrozzieri and Ruben Oliveira are injured and cannot take part. They have recorded three draws in four of the most recent meetings with Atalanta Atalanta are one of only two teams Lecce have netted five goals against in Serie A, along with Lazio.		Stefano Lucchini and Leonardo Pettinari are both doubts, and Ferreira Pinto and Nadir Minotti are both out. Atalanta have already collected eight yellow cards after just two games, more than any other Serie A side. Atalanta have scored twice in five of their last seven Serie A clashes with Lecce.

 

Juventus

vs

Bologna

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Buffon L'steiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie Krasic, Vidal, Pirlo, Pepe Vucinic, Matri		Gillet Pulzetti, Portanova, Antonsson, Morleo Perez, Mudingayi, Kone Diamanti, Ramirez Di Vaio
TEAM NEWS
Vincenzo Iaquinta remains the only main injury doubt for the Old Lady. Prior to their 2-0 loss in February, Juventus were unbeaten against Bologna in 18 Serie A matches. Juventus will be looking to maintain a 100 per cent start, which includes wins over Parma and Siena.		Henry Gimenez, Andrea Raggi, Simone Loria, Gianluca Cherubin and Saphir Taider all continue to nurse injuries. Bologna have not won a league game in 11 attempts, while scoring just once in nine. Marco Di Vaio has not scored a goal in his last nine Serie A matches; his last coming in April against Brescia.

 

Genoa

vs

Catania

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Frey Mesto, Dainelli, Kaladze, Antonelli Seymour, Kucka, Veloso, Jorquera Palacio, Pratto		Andujar Potenza, Bellusci, Spolli, Alvarez Delvecchio, Biagianti, Ricchiuti Gomez, Maxi Lopez, Catellani
TEAM NEWS
Giandomenico Mesto, Alexander Merkel and Ze Eduardo are still a week away from returning to the fold, and Cesare Bovo is doubtful. In the last four Serie A meetings between these two sides, Genoa have always won. The Grifoni are unbeaten in five home league matches.		Nicola Legrottaglie, Cristian Llama, Mariano Izco and Sergio Almiron are all out of contention with injury. Catania have lost just one of their last seven Serie A games. Away from home, the Sicilians won just once last season: a 2-1 victory over Brescia in May.

Fiorentina

vs

Parma

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Boruc Cassani, Gamberini, Natali, Pasqual Behrami, Kharja, Vargas Cerci, Santiago Silva, Jovetic		Mirante Zaccardo, Paletta, Lucarelli, Rubin Valiani, Morrone, Galloppa, Modesto Floccari, Pelle
TEAM NEWS
Striker Alberto Gilardino faces up to six weeks out with a knee injury, whilst Per Kroldrup still has a further month before his comeback. Andrea Lazzari is also a doubt. Fiorentina have lost just one of their past six league meetings with Parma However, they have won only once in eight games without Alberto Gilardino in attack, since his arrival in 2008.		Goncalo Brandao is out of contention, while Sebastian Giovinco is suspended after picking up a red card last week. Parma have lost only once in their last eight Serie A fixtures. Hernan Crespo has scored eight goals against Fiorentina; his fourth highest tally in Italy.

 

Chievo

vs

Napoli

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Sorrentino Sardo, Andreolli, Cesar, Jokic Bradley, L.Rigoni, Hetemaj Cruzado Paloschi, Moscardelli		De Sanctis Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica Zuniga, Inler, Gargano, Dossena Hamsik, Pandev Cavani
TEAM NEWS
Sergio Pellissier and Luciano are both confirmed absentees, as Francesco Acerbi is a doubt. Chievo have won only one of their past five league games They have also won two of their past three meetings at the Bentegodi.		Miguel Britos remains sidelined for five more months, while Marco Donadel is ruled out for the encounter. The last time Napoli won their two opening games of a Serie A campaign they won the Scudetto in 1990. Walter Mazzarri is unbeaten in seven matches againbst Domenico Di Carlo, with six wins.

 

Cesena

vs

Lazio

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Ravaglia Ceccarelli, Von Bergen, Rossi, Lauro Parolo, Colucci, Candreva Eder, Mutu, Martinez		Marchetti Konko, Diakite, Dias, Lulic Matuzalem, Brocchi Sculli, Hernanes, Cisse Klose
TEAM NEWS
Vincenzo Rennella and Francesco Antonioli are long-term absentees with injury. Cesena are on a run of three consecutive defeats in Serie A Marco Giampaolo has won just one of his seven meetings with Lazio.		Stefano Mauri and Giuseppe Biava are ruled out of contention, while Stefan Radu faces a longer stay on the sidelines. Lazio have conceded two goals in each of their last five Serie A fixtures (two wins, two defeats and a draw). Edy Reja's side were unbeaten in 16 meetings with Cesena before last season.

 

Roma

vs

Siena

PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Lobont Rosi, Kjaer, Burdisso, Jose Angel Gago, De Rossi, Pjanic Borriello, Totti, Bojan		Brkic Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso Mannini, Bolzoni, D'Agostino, Brienza Calaio, Larrondo
TEAM NEWS
Cicinho and Juan both remain injured for the forseeable future, but the length of Maarten Stekelenburg's lay-off is still uncertain, but Jose Angel returns from suspension. Roma have won their last four home meetings with Siena in Serie A, conceding just a solitary goal. However, they have experienced victory just once in their last five league matches.		Reginaldo is still a week away from making a comeback, while Gabrielle Angella has another two months on the sidelines. Siena, along with Bologna, are the only sides yet to score in Serie A this season, but have conceded just once so far, against Juventus last weekend. The Tuscans have won just four of their past 14 meetings in Serie A.