In the 2025-26 Serie A season, will Inter take the crown away from Napoli, while Sassuolo fight to stay in the top-tier division?
The 2025-26 Serie A season is set to be an exciting one, with several key developments shaping up the Italian football landscape.
Luka Modric, fresh from a busy campaign with Real Madrid, has joined Milan. The Croatian midfielder played a personal-high 57 matches last season and directly contributed to 13 goals. Milan's squad has also been bolstered by the additions of Noa Lang, Lorenzo Lucca, and Kevin De Bruyne, who provided the most assists in all competitions among players in Europe's top five leagues during his spell at Manchester City.
Napoli, who clinched the title in the last campaign, will have the added pressure of playing in the Champions League this time around. They have strengthened their squad with the signings of De Bruyne and Lucca, and will be aiming to defend their crown. Napoli won the Serie A title in the last campaign, beating Inter on the final day.
Inter, given a 35.9% chance of winning the title this season, ended the previous season one point behind Napoli, with the highest goal score (79) and joint-second-fewest goals conceded (35). Inter's Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram were among the top scorers in the league last season. Paulo Dybala, who scored 129 goals and 67 assists in Serie A, has returned from injury just in time for the new season.
Atalanta, expected to give Inter and Napoli a run for their money, despite a major change in their attacking department, led the league in most away wins (13) last season. Sassuolo, despite recording the fifth-highest expected goals (xG) at 54.77 last term, are expected to finish above the relegation zone. Evan Ferguson, loaned in from Brighton, is the youngest player over the past three seasons to have scored at least 15 Premier League goals.
Roma, under the guidance of Gasperini, have been given a 45.9% chance of finishing in the top four this season. Sassuolo, who recorded 25 wins on their way to the second division title last term, while scoring the most goals (78) in the process, will be aiming to make a strong comeback. Lecce, who survived last season's relegation battle on the final day, have already seen their top-scorer from last season, Nikola Krstovic, find the back of the net this season.
Juventus' loan addition of Randal Kolo Muani in January proved to be vital in securing a Champions League spot, with the striker scoring eight goals in 16 Serie A appearances. The 2025-26 season will be kicked off by Napoli facing Sassuolo, setting the stage for an enthralling campaign ahead.
