Serie A: Don't fall for Fiorentina amid midweek thrillers

Serie A Tips: Don't fall for Fiorentina amid midweek thrillers

Dave Farrar predicts plenty of goals on Tuesday and Wednesday, but his best bet is Sassuolo getting the better of awful Fiorentina...

Viola vastly over-rated

Fiorentina v Sassuolo
Wednesday, 19:45
Live on Betfair Live Video

I appreciate that, if this column was simply about the magnitude of game, I'd be analysing the Inter v Napoli game, but in all honesty I can't see an edge there. I still see Inter as the team that will end on top at the end of the season, and regard Napoli as a serious challenger, but at the prices I'm not too interested.

I am intrigued, though, by the prospect of backing Sassuolo at 3.0 to beat an awful Fiorentina. La Viola did us a favour by capitulating in Bergamo at the weekend, and now they face another tough ask against a team which continues to exceed all expectations.

Fiorentina have won just twice in Serie A this season, and have now lost four of their last six, while Sassuolo look rock solid, and have kept five clean sheets in their last six games, with only Inter finding a way past them in their convincing win. That's more clean sheets since the start of November than any team in Europe's top five Leagues, and that's a wonderful achievement by a club of Sassuolo's resources.

So the best defence in Europe heads to a team that has scored 11 goals so far in 11 Serie A games, and we can back the visitors at 3.0? I like the sound of that, and that's why Sassuolo, rather than Inter or Napoli, are the best bet of the midweek selections.

Entertaining Juve-Atalanta

Juventus v Atalanta
Wednesday, 17:30
Live on Premier Sports 1 and Betfair Live Video

There's a bumper night of Serie A action on Wednesday, as Milan's draw against Parma at the weekend means that the top few teams have been drawn closer together, and it feels as if much can change between now and Christmas, with any one of six teams potentially in position to be top of the table going into a short winter break.

Juventus are one of those, but Atalanta aren't, after their excellent opening to the campaign turned a bit sloppy. The two go head to head in Turin, and a glance at Atalanta's recent record against the Champions will not fill their supporters with hope.

Atalanta haven't won away at Juve since a Claudio Caniggia goal in October 1989, which will give you some idea of the time that it has been.

Even in these glorious Gasperini days, Juve have mostly been a bridge too far.

After bouncing back to form and doing this column a favour against Fiorentina last time, Atalanta look backable at 4.2 for the win and at just over even money with a 0.5 goal start on the Asian Handicap. I'm just about put off both of those bets, though, by the fact that a deeply flawed Juve are improving under Andrea Pirlo.