Inter Milan joined Juventus as only the second team in Serie A history to win 20+ league titles with a dominant Scudetto run last term.
Simone Inzaghi’s side finished their title-winning season 19 points clear of second-placed AC Milan, lifting the crown in April.
Despite entering their defending campaign as the bookmaker’s clear-cut favourites on 88star entrance and other gambling platforms to retain their title, Inter would soon realise it won’t be plain sailing.
With Antonio Conte in charge of Napoli, the Partenopei are making waves in Italian football following an embarrassing last season.
Conte’s charges sit atop the Serie A table, while Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta continue to dazzle in pursuit of their first-ever Scudetto.
However, the Nerazzurri are up there, trailing Napoli by three points, albeit with two games in hand.
Leading bookmakers still see Inter as top candidates to claim the prize, backing them to win the title at 0.5/1.
For context, Napoli come at 2.5/1 despite sitting at the top of the pile midway through the campaign.
Meanwhile, Atalanta deserve the benefit of the doubt, but they’re only the third-favourites at 5/1.
Imperious Form
Inter saw off relegation-threatened Venezia 1-0 last weekend to make it six league wins on the trot. They have also extended their overall unbeaten run in Serie A to 13 matches.
In doing so, Inzaghi’s side made club history. They have registered a sixth consecutive top-flight victory away from home without conceding for the first time.
According to Calciomercato, it’s an unprecedented achievement in the club’s illustrious history, highlighting Inter’s remarkable domestic form after a turbulent start.
Indeed, they’ve not lost a league game since a 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Milan in mid-September, emerging victorious from 11 of their 13 subsequent fixtures.
Therefore, they’re seemingly in pole position to leapfrog Napoli at the table’s summit.
Ahead Of The Competition
Napoli might be winning, but they lack conviction. With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain, Conte’s options in the final third are dwindling.
However, the ex-Inter boss has based his early success in Naples on a rock-solid backline. Indeed, his men have conceded a league-low 12 goals, three fewer than the Nerazzurri.
That may not be enough for the ultimate prize, considering they’ve netted only 32 goals, 14 fewer than Inter.
Meanwhile, Atalanta could disrupt the ‘natural order’ in Serie A. However, three consecutive league draws have significantly derailed their Scudetto ambitions.
Gasperini’s side drew 1-1 with ‘stalemate specialists’ Juventus on Tuesday night, inflicting the Turin giants’ 13th draw across 20 top-flight matches this season.
With that in mind, it’s unsurprising Thiago Motta’s men are already out of the title conversation. The same goes for Milan, whose top-four aspirations are hanging by a thread.
What Should Inter Milan Do?
It’s time to let Davide Frattesi leave. Inter can’t afford to let an unsettled star rattle the harmony in the locker room.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Frattesi’s agent is going to great lengths to force his client’s immediate transfer to Roma.
Despite initially downplaying this scenario, Inter would be well-advised to play along and sanction the 25-year-old’s departure.
Torino talisman Samuele Ricci would be an ideal candidate to fill the vacancy, even though he recently signed a contract extension.
At 23, the Italian deep-lying playmaker is already an established Serie A star and a permanent fixture in Luciano Spalletti’s national team.
Inter would probably have to overcome stiff competition from Milan, but it’d be worth every penny.