While one of the biggest moves of the January transfer window happened recently, with Toni going to Juventus, there have been plenty of other, quieter moves which have gone unmentioned. Mostly they are young, aspiring Italians joining clubs on loan so that they can get some playing time to improve. Federico Macheda from Manchester United to Sampdoria is probably the biggest name, but there’s also Stefano Okaka who joined Bari, Davide Lanzafame who joined Brescia, and Palladino who joined Parma.

Having recently completed his loan deal from Manchester United to Sampdoria, Federico Macheda could already play tomorrow in Sampdoria’s match against Roma. Mimmo Di Carlo has chosen Macheda as part of the squad, and the young Italian might even get in the starting eleven. It depends on whether Giampaolo Pazzini, who has been ill, will be able to play or not. Whether or not he starts, Macheda should get some playing time, and I really want to see how the 19 year-old does in the Serie A.

So far this season Macheda had seven appearances in the English Premier League, scoring only one goal. It’s only because of an in-form Berbatov and the energetic Javier Hernandez that Macheda hasn’t played much, and his return to the Serie A is a smart one. Macheda is tall, technically gifted, and intelligent with his runs, so if Di Carlo can use him properly we should see some good things from him.

There’s another tall Italian forward who will be making an impact this season. Stefano Okaka joined Bari recently, and he played in Bari’s 1-0 win against Lecce, scoring the only goal of the match. It’s certainly a great debut with the Galletti, and it looks like he will be in the starting eleven tomorrow when Bari play Bologna. Okaka could look to Marco Di Vaio as an example of a goalscoring forward, and model himself on the Bologna captain. Okaka has the pace and strength needed to succeed, he just needs to implement it properly around the goal.

These January transfer moves aren’t all of successful players, Davide Lanzafame has been overshadowed this first half of the season at Juventus. While in the preseason he had a big part to play in friendlies, the arrivals of Krasic and Pepe ultimately pushed him out of sight of any playing time. I really like Lanzafame, and I expected big things to come from him this season. Hopefully he will deliver at Brescia, because an Italian with his talent should be playing every weekend.

This January transfer window we also saw some intricate dealings between Parma and Genoa. Parma received Palladino (who scored against Juventus in his first appearance for Parma) on loan. And then the two clubs basically traded Francesco Modesto and Luca Antonelli, with a half share of Alberto Paloschi also given to Genoa, where Paloschi will be playing for the rest of this season. So for Antonelli and half of Paloschi, Genoa gave Parma all of Modesto, half of Palladino, and seven million Euros. Only are transfers in the Serie A this complicated.

The upcoming matches tomorrow will be exciting, with many young (and some old) Italians with a chance to really make themselves known. What are your thoughts on these transfers? What do you think will happen tomorrow? Share your comments below!

After the sad news that Fabio Quagliarella will be out for the rest of the season, Juventus got a replacement in record time. It’s Luca Toni who will be replacing Quagliarella (out for 4-6 months with a torn cruciate knee ligament), the World Cup winner leaving Genoa to sign a one and a half year contract with the bianconeri. It was a free transfer from Genoa to Juventus, and Toni makes sure to thank Enrico Preziosi for letting him join Juventus.

“I’m extremely happy, it’s a dream to wear this jersey… I thank Preziosi for this opportunity, at Genoa there were some problems, the marriage [between the club and the player] didn’t end well.”

Toni continued talking about the transfer,

I didn’t hesitate in joining Juventus, it is an adventure which fascinates me. I know the group, I know that every player wants to win. I believe… The Scudetto? We will try to win all the games and then we will see what happens, there’s a lot of will to return to the win.”

While Toni is 33 years-old, the tall striker was a useful player for Roma last season in their attempts to win the Serie A. Juventus’s next match is against Napoli at the San Paolo, a tough match after their 4-1 defeat to Parma at home. Quagliarella had to be substituted just three minutes into the match after injuring his knee, and he was replaced with Amauri. But the Italian/Brazilian had another dry night, goalless as his side suffered Giovinco and Palladino’s wrath.

Toni says he is ready to play, and after seeing what Amauri provided up front (little to nothing), Delneri could try and spark the team this weekend with his new signing. Here’s what Toni said regarding his possibility to play this weekend, and what he hopes to do at Juventus.

“I played 90 minutes yesterday with Genoa, I’m ready to play against Napoli, but Delneri will decide. I did my best to come to Turin, in 2007 I was a step away from Juventus but then I went to Germany. To play here I turned down offers which were economically more beneficial, I’ve cut my wages because I want to show my value here”

“I’m ready to play at Naples. I will find myself well, I’m a man of the penalty box and I can count on two strong wingers. I chose the number 20 even if I like 9 and 30, they were already taken.”

While this is a big move in the Serie A for this January transfer window, there’s a possibility of more to come from Juventus. It seems like they aren’t happy with just Luca Toni, especially after seeing the poor display of Amauri and Del Piero. Marotta didn’t say yes or no to whether Juventus will try and find a more similar forward to Quagliarella in hopes of replacing him.

I’m unsure about how Toni will do. While he won’t have a major part in Delneri’s plans, he will be a a useful player who will provide some goals. Krasic’s excellent service will finally be put to some use with Luca Toni often being a commanding presence in the box.

How do you think Toni will do at Juventus? A good or a bad signing for the bianconeri? Share your comments below!

With a new year upon us, the January transfer window will be opening up soon. While normally we don’t see super-stars switch allegiances in this period, but 2011 could be different. The names of Klose, Toni, Gilardino, and Kaka have been circulating, but can we really expect these players to move in January?

Starting at the top of the table, AC Milan seem omnipotent with the team they already have. Ronaldinho will probably be leaving for Gremio (the club where he started his professional career)  in Brazil. While the Brazilian would be glad to return home, AC Milan are trying to squeeze anything out of Gremio, and Galliani has put an 8 million Euro price tag on Ronaldinho.

AC Milan fans shouldn’t worry that one of their Brazilians will be leaving, the replacement is already training with the team in Dubai. Antonio Cassano seems to be the perfect replacement when Ronaldinho leaves, and he is probably and even better partner for Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front. But AC Milan are looking to sign another creative Italian, Andrea Lazzari, to help out the already overpowered attacking sector of the team. Massimiliano Allegri shouldn’t have too much trouble bringing the 26 year-old to the San Siro considering that he coached him last season.

The rossoneri will also try to do some work regarding Kevin-Prince Boateng who belongs to Genoa but is on loan at AC Milan. It is very possible that Milan will try to give half of Alberto Paloschi for half of Boateng, but we will have to see what Genoa want from Milan for the Ghanaian midfielder. It should be a fairly quiet transfer market for AC Milan, but you never know with Berlusconi.

Lazio are looking to buy this transfer market, and there are multiple names circulating as to who they want as their new center-forward. While Bayern Munich‘s Klose would be the dream, it is more likely that Manchester City reject Santa Cruz could join. Sadly there have been problems regarding that deal as well, and it seems like Santa Cruz isn’t interested in a loan or transfer to Lazio. So now the name which has been mentioned is Federico Macheda‘s. The young Italian currently at Manchester United could return to Italy for a loan (or permanent transfer) deal.

Inter Milan are searching for a few players to buy, and while the names of Kaka and Fernando Torres have been mentioned, it is doubtful that Moratti will be splashing the grotesque amount of cash needed for those players. Instead Inter are chasing Zaccardo to strengthen the defence, and the wild idea of Patrice Evra of Manchester United has been floating around. Ilicic of Palermo is unlikely to be bought in January and so is Udinese‘sSanchez, both might be additions made this upcoming summer. For now Inter have got Ranocchia from Genoa, but there could be few other signings until the summer of 2011.

Juventus are looking at some possible deals, but nothing has materialized yet. While the big rumours have been around a possible swap Gilardino-Amauri, it is more likely that the Fiorentina forward arrives for a hefty transfer fee, without a swap. What is needed for Gilardino’s arrival is some cash, and Juventus might find it in the form of selling Sissoko. The Malian has been observed by Wolfsburg, and a deal worth around 10 million Euros could be struck sometime soon. The money from selling the midfielder could be used to get a proper forward to finish off all of Krasic’s delightful crosses, Edin Dzeko maybe?

Roma has sold Julio Baptista to Malaga for around 2 million Euros and it seems like the giallorossi have managed to agree a deal with Behrami of West Ham. Another unhappy Brazilian at Roma had apparently decided to leave, but it now seems that Adriano will be staying with Roma. Unless it is a successful season for him, expect him to leave for Brazil this upcoming summer.

Which possible tranfser are you looking forward to most? Share your comments below!

The Serie A is getting more and more exciting, especially after these recent results, and the matches which will be played this Sunday. Napoli got an important 1-0 win away against Genoa, Palermo came back to beat Parma 3-1 at the Renzo Barbera, and Udinese also completed a comeback win at home, 2-1 over Fiorentina. While we had three important matches today, there’s plenty more action to come tomorrow when AC Milan travel to Bologna and then Juventus host Lazio.

Napoli defeated Genoa 1-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, and what separated the two sides was a bullet header by Marek Hamsik. It was Gargano’s free kick on the 25th minute, swung in with great pace, which Hamsik flicked wonderfully past Eduardo. Genoa created opportunities, but they weren’t able to capitalize on key chances. This win puts Walter Mazzari’s side in second place, equal on points with Lazio who will be facing fourth placed Juventus tomorrow. The bianconeri are three points behind Lazio and Napoli, so if Juve can manage to win, there will be three teams equal on points in second place.

Palermo hosted Parma at the Renzo Barbera stadium, and Parma coach Pasquale Marino was unable to see his side take the lead due to his mother’s death. It was a header by Lucarelli which hit the back of the net after a well placed corner. The first half lacked the usual inspiration which Javier Pastore provided for Palermo, and Delio Rossi eventually decided to take the Argentinean off at halftime. Instead it was the Chilean Pinilla who took his place, scoring the equalizer just five minutes into the second half, and then assisting Miccoli for Palermo’s second goal. Kasami secured the result when his header bounced off of Zaccardo’s head, and into the back of the Parma net for an own goal.

And in the third match today, Udinese came back against Fiorentina to win 2-1, and it was a match filled with wonderful goals. Santana struck first, a low, long-range effort which Handanovic had fallen asleep on allowed the visitors to take the lead. But in the second half Guidolin’s side reacted, first with Pablo Armero’s thunderbolt strike from far out, and then Di Natale’s goal which was preceded by some beautiful one-touch build-up play. An important win for Guidolin’s side which is making up for their bad start to the season, and right now Udinese are 8th in the table.

What are your thoughts regarding these matches? Plenty of exciting play, moments, and goals, and hopefully more will come tomorrow when Juventus and Lazio face off. Share your comments below!

The Serie A continues with much of the same; Benitez loses his second game in a row, Krasic cuts through defenders like a hot knife through butter, and Ibrahimovic provides a fantastic goal for us all to enjoy. This slate of Serie A games saw many players play brilliantly, like Menez for Roma, Krasic for Juventus, and Pazzini for Sampdoria. Here’s are the match results, and below there are five things to note from this weekend’s Serie A action.

Roma 2-0 Udinese

AC Milan 1-0 Fiorentina

Genoa 0-2 Juventus

Brescia 1-2 Cagliari

Catania 1-0 Bari

Cesena 1-2 Palermo

Chievo 2-1 Inter Milan

Lecce 2-3 Sampdoria

Parma 1-1 Lazio

Napoli 4-1 Bologna

1. Ibrahimovic scores a Goal of the Season contender

The Swede has often been controversial, with a fiery arrogance which flames up occasionally (like against Arrigo Sacchi), but it’s this arrogance and confidence which puts him a level above your average player. In AC Milan’s 1-0 win against Fiorentina, it was Ibrahimovic who broke the deadlock with a spectacular goal. He receives the ball in the penalty box, juggles it, and then promptly does a bicycle kick to score against Boruc who was playing excellently in goal for Fiorentina. It’s a Goal of the Season contender without a doubt, if you haven’t seen it, check it out here.

2. Sampdoria beginning to pick up where Cassano left off

Finally it seems like Mimmo Di Carlo’s team has begun to click. With Cassano gone for good, Pazzini finally realized that someone would have to pick up where Antonio left off, and score some goals. Pazzini scored a hat trick away from home, helping his side defeat Lecce which only managed to score two goals. Now 8th in the table, Sampdoria will have to host league-leaders AC Milan next week. The idea of a win for Di Carlo’s side seems near-impossible, but could they halt this rampaging Milan side with a draw? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

3. Eto’o goes Zidane on Chievo player

Inter’s 2-1 loss to Chievo was highlighted by a few things, but none of them were as exciting as Eto’o head-butting Chievo player, Cesar. “Classic Zidane” you could call it, with the same head to chest attack which left the victim writhing on the ground. But nobody saw what Eto’o did, and while Cesar complained from the ground, the referee didn’t send off the Camerun forward, who will most likely be punished for two to four matchdays after the Italian FA reviews the incident. To justify Eto’o, he was punched in the gut by Cesar before he decided to head-butt the opponent, but the reaction was still unacceptable. What are your thoughts on Eto’o's Zidane-esque head-buttt? Comment below!

4. Time for Rafa to go?

After Inter’s latest loss away against Chievo, without a doubt Massimo Moratti is beginning to worry. In the past four matches, out of a possible of 12 points Inter Milan has only taken two, and so far this season they’ve lost three matches and drawn five, which means that they’ve lost or drawn 60% of their matches in the Serie A. While it’s true that Benitez has had to cope with a ridiculous amount of injuries, he should still be able to get something out of a group of players which won the treble last year. While I don’t think that Rafa Benitez should be sacked, I think that he’s skating on thin ice with Moratti, who certainly expects better from the Spaniard.

5. Krasic is unstoppable

Every once in a while, the Serie A gets players who truly light up matches, Krasic is one of those. His terrifying pace destroyed Genoa’s left side of defence, as he created the first goal and then scored the second. His goal was an absolute beauty, cutting in from the right side, a step-over got rid of two defenders as he pierced right through the penalty box, poking the ball against the far post and into the back of the net. He continued to terrorize Genoa’s defence throughout the match, showing that he is currently the best winger in the Serie A right now. And if it weren’t for Gareth Bale, maybe he’d be the best winger in all of Europe right now…

What were your thoughts on this weekend’s Serie A matches? Share your comments below!

In this preview of the upcoming Serie A matches, I’ll be looking at the interesting matches, and the two teams which recently got new coaches, Genoa and Cagliari. Regarding Italy’s game against Romania, I was unable to watch it, and therefore I didn’t write a match report. The match finished 1-1, with Marica scoring against the Azzurri, and then scoring an own goal off of Quagliarella’s flick from a corner.

But back to the Serie A, while last weekend was filled with big clashes like the Milan derby, and Juventus – Roma, this week still has some interesting fixtures.

Roma are hosting Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico, and after a terrible start from Giudolin’s side, they’ve really picked it up, especially after their 4-0 win against Lecce last week. Di Natale looked fantastic as he scored a hat-trick, and the entire side was playing very well. Roma on the other hand, drew against Juventus 1-1, a good result, but they’ll still want to make sure that they can win this weekend against  Udinese, and assert themselves as scudetto contenders.

Juventus are travelling away to Genoa, where Gasperini was sacked and replaced with Ballardini. A veteran coach in Italy, Ballardini has coached the likes of Palermo, Cagliari, and Lazio, this appointment is his biggest yet. Last weekend he got the side to grind out a 1-0 win away against Cagliari, with Ranocchia scoring a late header from a corner in the 84th minute. But things will have to be different when the rossoblu face Juventus at home.

While Gasperini is one of my favorite coaches who loves attacking football, Ballardini is another great coach in my opinion. Without a doubt he’ll organize Genoa, but whether he can manage to defeat Juventus, we’ll see. How do you think he’ll do? Make sure to share your opinion by commenting below!

Pierpaolo Bisoli also lost his job as Cagliari coach recently, and the man who has replaced him at Cagliari’s helm is Roberto Donadoni. With his side just out of the relegation zone, Donadoni will have to start well by winning away against Brescia. A very important match considering the two sides are tied on points, and goal difference seperates them with Cagliari 17th in the table and Brescia 18th.

I’m not sure how Donadoni will do, and I have always been slightly doubtful of his managerial abilities. While he might be a great tactician, I don’t think that he’s able to motivate his players properly, which was noticeable when he was Italy’s head coach for the European Championships of 2008. How do you rate Donadoni? Is he underestimated by the general public? And how do you think he’ll do, comment below!

And a coach who’s being evaluated right now is Rafa Benitez. The Spaniard apparently has two matches to show that he deserves to remain as Inter’s coach, away at Chievo this weekend and at home against Twente in the Champions League. But the coach will have to do this without his Brazilian starlet Philippe Coutinho, who has pulled his hamstring and will be out for about two to three weeks. While I think that Benitez will survive and manage to grind out two wins, the fact that yet another Inter player has fallen to injury is concerning.

What do you think about this weekend’s upcoming action? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

This will be a very interesting weekend, mainly because of all that has happened to mount up to these couple of days. While you had Inter Milan losing 3-1 away to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, we also saw Roma win 3-2 away in Switzerland against FC Basel. AC Milan did their best against Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, and probably could’ve won if it wasn’t for a last minute goal by Pedro Leon in the 94th minute of the match to make it 2-2. The Europa League was a pretty big disappointment for Italian sides as well, Sampdoria could only draw 0-0 at home with Metalist with Juventus getting the same result against Salzburg. Palermo lost 3-1 away to CSKA Moscow, and Napoli lost by the same scoreline away at Anfield against Liverpool.

So there are quite a few sides which will be trying to get a good result this weekend, and build on it for a good Serie A run. While that’s easy to say, we’ll see how many teams manage to win comfortably, and how many are still crippled from their midweek efforts in Europe’s “top competitions”. And if the sides competing in Europe do manage to get a good run going in the Serie A, maybe there’ll be a few more positive results the next time the Champions and Europa League come around.

If there’s one match which stands out when looking at the fixtures for this weekend, it has to be the Rome derby. Lazio are at home in the Stadio Olimpico facing Roma in one of Sunday’s earlier kick-offs. Right away what comes to mind is the fact that this Rome derby is very important for both sides, and maybe all of the Serie A, and I can’t remember (I have terrible memory as well) a Rome derby with so much significance.

Lazio are on a fantastic streak right now, and they’re top of the table four points ahead of second-placed Inter Milan. Meanwhile Roma aren’t achieving as much, but they’re still in a respectable ninth place, with a ten point difference between them and their city rivals. But Lazio only managed to squeeze a 1-0 win last weekend away at Palermo, and it was the home side which was playing much better than Lazio. Roma on the other hand defeated Lecce 2-0, creating about five opportunities in which they should’ve scored, but they didn’t.

So can Roma topple the surprise table-leaders Lazio? Well, even if Lazio lost to Roma this weekend, they’d still remain top of the table thanks to the four point cushion they have over Inter Milan, but a first loss of the season could demoralize Edy Reja’s side.

My prediction is a tight 2-1 win for Roma with Vucinic getting on the scoresheet. But this game can go countless different ways, so please share what you think the result will be below by commenting.

As for other matches, Palermo will be facing Genoa at home. While both sides haven’t had some great results recently, they both play wonderful attacking football, and to spice things up, both sides are tied in the table with 11 points. I expect this one to be a great match, with the likes of Javier Pastore going up against Miguel Veloso in the midfield, this is another match that can go either way.

While you can give Palermo a bit of home advantage, I think this match will end in a 2-2 draw. Genoa are a side which force their way to the goal with quick and attacking play, and Luca Toni looked very good against Inter Milan last weekend. But make sure to share your prediction by commenting below!

There aren’t many other “big” clashes in this weekend’s Serie A fixtures, and while AC Milan will have to travel to Bari, I think that Allegri’s side can find a way to win. Inter Milan also seem to have a pretty straightforward match at home against Brescia, but you never know, especially after that 3-1 loss to Tottenham. Will Benitez continue to be defensive? Milito will be returning this match, can he get on the scoresheet? So many questions, make sure to comment if you have any answers, or questions yourself!

So far there have been three matches played this weekend, and all three of them have been pretty exciting. Genoa – Inter Milan ended in a 1-0 win for Inter, Roma – Lecce was exciting and finished 2-0 for Roma, and AC Milan – Juventus was the shock result, a 2-1 win for Juve.

Roma – Lecce

Roma – Lecce was an extremely enjoyable match. Both sides went out to score goals, and there were plenty of opportunities for everyone. Roma were more dangerous though, Vucinic was having the game of his life as he waltzed around players to create chances for himself and his teammates. Both sides had their crossbars hit after the first half, and although no goals were scored, it was a very entertaining match.

In the second half Roma finally found the back of Lecce’s net with Burdisso heading in a cross by Riise. But neither side stopped there, and Vucinic finished off one of his many opportunities to give Roma a two goal lead. But in the build up of the goal, a very strange event happened which resulted in the expulsion of two players.

Lecce’s Ruben Olivera tripped Totti who was running towards Lecce’s goal, and the Roma captain got up and shoved the Uruguayan. The referee Gervasoni ran over right away to stop a potential fight, and he gave both players direct red cards. At first they were both incredulous, but Ruben Olivera walked off to the dressing room. Totti protested a little longer, and then when he realized that the referee wasn’t going to let him continue to play, he ran over to where Olivera went to presumably pick a fight with the Lecce player. Totti was eventually dragged off the field by force.

The match ended 2-0 for Roma, with the giallorossi creating plenty of opportunities which they should’ve put away. But Lecce were very dangerous as well, and with a little more luck they might’ve managed to score a goal.

I think that a player like Totti, who earns millions a year should never act in such an immature and idiotic way, but what are your thoughts? I really want to hear what people have to say about this match, and this incident. So please comment below with your thoughts!

AC Milan – Juventus

AC Milan – Juventus was also an exciting match. There were plenty of players who were unable to play for both sides, and when Chiellini had to pull out during pre-match warm-up, it seemed like this would be AC Milan’s perfect night. Delneri started with Bonucci and Legrottaglie in the middle of defense, with De Ceglie and Motta on the left and right of defence. In the middle Felipe Melo played alongside Aquilani with Martinez and Marchisio supporting the attacking duo of Quagliarella and Del Piero.

AC Milan on the other hand were missing Ronaldinho and Thiago Silva, so Allegri had Nesta partnered up with Papastathopoulos in the middle with Antonini and Bonera playing on the outside of the defence. In the midfield AC Milan played with Gattuso, Pirlo, and Kevin-Prince Boateng, and the attacking trident was Ibrahimovic and Pato with Robinho acting as a “trequartista”.

The game was exciting right from the start, and Ibrahimovic slipped a sublime through pass for Pato, and then hit the top right corner of the woodwork with a precise shot. Juventus seemed scared and unable to create as AC Milan pressured from the start in search of a goal. But little by little the tables turned, and eventually Juventus were creating dangerous opportunities from counter-attacks. And the shock goal arrived in the 24th minute for the bianconeri, an unsavable header by Quagliarella which nestled beautifully into the top left-hand corner of Abbiati’s goal.

After this, AC Milan were creating less and less, Ibrahimovic was isolated up top as Robinho could only conjure up useless tricks, and Pato run in a straight line. Bonera and De Ceglie crashed into each other, with the AC Milan defender getting the worse end, he was taken off right away, and De Ceglie was substituted as well after a few minutes of useless limping around on the field. The second goal arrived in the second half, it was a mistake by the AC Milan defence which let Sissoko slip right through them and one on one with Abbiati. But the Malian midfielder literally missed the ball when shooting (very comical), but he somehow managed to pass it back to Del Piero who thundered in a low shot.

Juventus were organized and compact, taking advantage of AC Milan’s general disarray as the bianconeri created plenty of opportunities. But eventually AC Milan began to push forward by crossing in high balls for Ibrahimovic and the substitute Inzaghi to reach. The big Swede got on the end of one of them, and imitated Quagliarella’s goal to bring the score to 2-1. But AC Milan weren’t able to create much more, and Delneri’s side held out to grab three vital points.

What are your thoughts on this match? Did anyone expect Juventus to win? Share your thoughts below by commenting!

The Serie A is really heating up, and this weekend is providing us with plenty of big matches between the top sides. Lazio are currently top of the table with AC Milan two points away from the leaders. Then comes Inter Milan which is two points away from AC Milan, but the nerazzurri have Chievo right behind them in fourth place, just two points away. So here’s a preview of the upcoming action which will probably switch around teams’s positions in the table.

It all starts on Friday Oct. 29th when Inter Milan travel to Genoa. This is a huge match, and since both sides haven’t been doing very well recently, they’ll be looking to get a win in this game to start a winning streak. Genoa spent big over the summer, and Giampiero Gasperini will have to get them Champions League football for next season after all the spending that his president Enrico Preziosi did over the summer.

But Inter’s coach Rafa Benitez has big shoes to fill as well, there have been rumors circulating that if he doesn’t manage to win the scudetto and the Champions League this season, then he’ll be replaced with Pep Guardiola. Guardiola’s contract with Barcelona is running out, and it ends at the end of this season. If Inter manage to bring the Spaniard over to coach them, then who knows, we might even see Lionel Messi come to Moratti’s side.

The other big clash this weekend is AC Milan vs. Juventus. This is a massive match, and while AC Milan have been getting some good results lately, Delneri’s side has been scoring plenty of goals this season. But there’s an important absence which needs to be mentioned, and that’s Juve’s Serbian winger Milos Krasic. After his dive against Bologna which earned the bianconeri a penalty, he was banned for two matches once the match had been reviewed.

So what will Juventus do? It’s probable that they’ll start with Pepe and Martinez on the wings and stick with the rigid 4-4-2 system. The forwards will be Del Piero and Quagliarella, because Amauri isn’t back to full fitness, and Iaquinta has a problem with his right knee. So can Juventus give this super-powered AC Milan side a challenge? We’ll have to wait until Saturday to find out.

Another interesting match which will be taking place is Palermo against Lazio. Palermo have been playing some fantastic football recently, but Lazio have also been flying high with spectacular results. There’s a big midfield clash, we’ll be seeing players like Javier Pastore and Ilicic for Palermo, while Lazio has their captain Mauri who’s been in great form, accompanied by the brilliant Hernanes. This is certainly a match to watch, and I expect a big result with plenty of attacking play.

My predictions for the matches are a 2-1 win for Inter Milan over Genoa, a 1-1 draw between Juventus and AC Milan, and a 3-2 win for Palermo against Lazio. But what are your predictions on this weekend’s action? Please share your thoughts by commenting below!

The importance of Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan goes beyond the simple statistics – 6 total matches for AC Milan, five goals.  On a team full of high-profile talent and scoring ability, Ibra has stood out early in the season as the player who has carried Milan offensively and helped them remain in the hunt for both the Champions League and Serie A titles.

Yesterday is a perfect example of his value to the club.  Playing in the hostile Amsterdam Arena and already down a goal, Ibrahimovic made his former club pay.  Off a good pass by Seedorf into the box, he used his height to collect the ball off his chest and fire home a strike to tie the game at one.  If you watch the highlight, the goal was not an easy one but he shows incredible ability to control the ball before putting it in the back of the net.  He almost assisted on the go-ahead goal but Kevin-Prince Boateng was denied on an amazing save by Maarten Stekelenburg late in the second half.  In the end, Ibrahimovic haunted his own club and gave Milan a much needed drawn, a result that should help them advance in the competition.

But should any Milan fan be surprised by the outcome?  Since his first match for Milan on September 11, he has become the fulcrum of the Milan attack.  All told, he has scored the goal to win or tie a match four times:

• Both goals in the 2-0 home win against Auxerre
• 66′ goal in the 1-1 Lazio draw (9/22)
• The only goal in a 1-0 versus Genoa (9/25)
• Yesterday’s goal to draw against Ajax

With Alexandre Pato returning soon, Ibrahimovic will have additional help on offense, especially if Ronaldinho is able to round back into playing shape.  But for now, let’s acknowledge that to this point Ibrahimovic has been by far the best pickup in the offseason and may be the reason AC Milan is succeeding so far in Europe and Italy.