Italy 2026/27 Preview Pt. 1: Top Half
The Italian league produced another reminder of its unpredictability last season, but one familiar name ultimately returned to the top. Part 1 of our preview of the 2026/27 Italian league season takes a look at the teams we believe will finish in the top half of the standings!
Inter claimed their 21st Italian championship after scoring 89 league goals, the highest total by any top division league side across the previous five seasons in Italy, while Lautaro Martinez finished as the division’s leading scorer. Napoli ended the campaign second, with Roma and Como completing an unexpected CL quartet.
The new season brings considerable change among the clubs expected to fight for the Scudetto. Inter are attempting to defend their crown while refreshing an ageing squad, Napoli have replaced Antonio Conte with Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus are continuing their reconstruction under Luciano Spalletti and AC Milan have handed their latest project to Ruben Amorim.
All four have credible reasons to believe they can win the league although they begin the campaign from very different positions.
The battle immediately below the league’s leading title contenders could be every bit as interesting as the race for the Scudetto.
Roma and Como both qualified for the CL last season, while Atalanta are attempting to begin another cycle under Maurizio Sarri. Lazio have turned to Gennaro Gattuso after a disappointing domestic campaign, and Fiorentina are hoping Fabio Grosso can restore a club that spent far too much of last season looking down the table rather than towards Europe.
There are compelling arguments for all five clubs, but also significant questions. Roma must combine CL football with another top-four challenge, Como have to prove that last season’s remarkable fourth-place finish was sustainable, and both Atalanta and Lazio have changed managers.
Fiorentina begin from further back, but their summer activity suggests they have no intention of accepting another season in the bottom half.
Read part 2 of our Italian 26/27 season preview here.
Read Part 1 of our PL 26/27 preview here, with part 2, part 3 and part 4 also out.
Read our preview of the French 26/27 season here.
Read our preview of the Spanish 26/27 season here.
Inter – The champions remain the team to beat
Last season: 1st
Manager: Cristian Chivu
Inter enter 2026/27 with something the other leading contenders want: proof that their current team can win the league.
Cristian Chivu’s side scored 89 goals on the way to last season’s Scudetto, while Lautaro Martinez again provided the attacking reference point and finished as the league’s top scorer. Inter also produced the most goals from substitutes and were among the league’s strongest teams in terms of chance creation and attacking recoveries.
The summer has nevertheless brought a significant refresh. Denzel Dumfries has joined Real Madrid, while experienced defenders Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian have also departed. Davide Frattesi has moved to Lazio, meaning Chivu is losing players who understood Inter’s system and had accumulated considerable experience in major matches.
Inter have responded with some striking recruitment. John Stones has arrived after leaving Manchester City and brings elite-level experience, technical quality and the ability to operate either in central defence or by stepping into midfield. Djed Spence has joined from Tottenham for a deal worth around €35m including bonuses, effectively replacing Dumfries on the right. Ivan Provedel has also been added in goal, while Aleksandar Stankovic has returned to the club.
Spence looks particularly well suited to Inter. He already has Italian football experience from his loan spell with Genoa, enjoyed an excellent tournament this summer with England and offers the kind of direct running that became such an important feature of Dumfries’ game.
Stones may be an even more interesting tactical addition. Chivu has continued to use a three-man defence, and Stones’ ability to receive under pressure and move forward with the ball should give Inter additional flexibility. His introduction could hardly have gone better, as he came off the bench against Real Betis in Inter’s final pre-season friendly and scored the only goal of a 1-0 victory.
There may still be another major addition before the window closes. Inter are pursuing Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, with reports suggesting that the player is open to the move and that Inter are preparing an offer in the region of €30m plus bonuses. That deal remains unfinished and should therefore be treated as potential business rather than part of the squad as it currently stands.
Inter’s main advantage is continuity. Chivu knows the club and the squad, Lautaro remains at the centre of the attack, Federico Dimarco continues to provide creativity from the left and the core of the championship-winning team remains intact.
The defensive changes create some uncertainty, but they also make sense. Stones and Spence lower the age profile while maintaining a high level of experience and athleticism.
ArcticBet verdict: Inter deserve to begin as favourites. They won the league last season, retain the most important pieces of that team and have addressed several departures with high-level replacements. Chivu has fewer fundamental questions to answer than any of the other Scudetto contenders.
Napoli – Allegri inherits a team that finished second
Last season: 2nd
Manager: Massimiliano Allegri
Napoli did not need a complete rebuild after finishing second last season, but the summer has still produced an important change at the top.
Massimiliano Allegri has replaced Antonio Conte and returns to action with a squad expected to challenge immediately.
Napoli finished last season with 76 points and qualified for the CL, maintaining the club’s position among Italy’s strongest teams. Scott McTominay remained enormously important in midfield and has now scored 22 top division goals across his first two seasons in Italy, more than any other Scottish player in the history of the competition.
The attack, however, is entering a new phase. Romelu Lukaku has left for Fenerbahce after an injury-disrupted 2025/26 campaign in which he made only seven league appearances. Napoli received around €6m plus bonuses for the 33-year-old, leaving Rasmus Hojlund and Lorenzo Lucca as Allegri’s senior centre-forward options.
Lukaku’s departure changes the profile of the attack but does not necessarily weaken it dramatically. Hojlund offers greater mobility and pressing intensity, while Lucca gives Napoli a more traditional penalty-area presence. The pair provide Allegri with contrasting options, although neither can yet be described as a guaranteed 20-goal striker in the league.
The midfield remains one of Napoli’s biggest strengths. McTominay provides goals and physicality, while Kevin De Bruyne adds extraordinary technical quality when available.
Further reinforcement may still arrive. Napoli have agreed terms with Chelsea for Benoit Badiashile, who is due in Italy for a medical after the clubs settled on a loan arrangement with an option to buy that could take the overall value towards €30m. Until the medical is completed, he should not quite be described as a Napoli player, but the deal is now at an advanced stage.
Allegri is also looking for additional midfield depth, with Dani Ceballos among the players currently being considered.
Pre-season has offered encouragement in attack. Napoli beat Aris 6-2, with De Bruyne, McTominay and Lucca among the scorers, suggesting that Allegri will not simply turn last season’s runners-up into a purely defensive side.
That is an important point because Allegri’s reputation can sometimes obscure how adaptable his teams have been at their best.
Napoli already possess midfield quality, physical strength and enough attacking variety to challenge. If Badiashile completes his move, the defence gains another experienced option capable of playing at a high level.
The real question is whether Allegri can extract enough goals across the season without relying on one dominant centre-forward.
ArcticBet verdict: Napoli are serious contenders. Finishing second last season gives Allegri a strong foundation, and the squad contains enough experience to handle another title race. Inter appear slightly more complete, but Napoli should remain close if Hojlund, Lucca and the supporting attackers replace Lukaku’s role effectively.
Juventus – Spalletti’s reconstruction gathers pace
Last season: Outside the CL places
Manager: Luciano Spalletti
Juventus begin another season talking about reconstruction, but this summer feels more substantial than some of the previous attempts.
Luciano Spalletti is preparing for his first full campaign in charge and has repeatedly pushed for a squad capable of playing his football rather than simply adapting the existing group.
The club have responded with significant business. Jeff Ekhator arrived from Genoa for more than €16m, Randal Kolo Muani has strengthened the attack, Zeki Celik adds experience and flexibility in defence and Kerim Alajbegovic provides another young attacking option.
The latest addition may prove especially important. Jhon Lucumí completed his move from Bologna for €19.5m plus potential add-ons, signing a contract until 2030. The Colombian played five matches at this summer’s international tournament and brings several seasons of top division experience as well as CL football with Bologna.
Juventus are also close to adding Guglielmo Vicario. The Tottenham goalkeeper is set to arrive initially on loan with an option to buy after Juventus moved away from a proposed deal for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez. Vicario has extensive Italian football experience from his time at Empoli and could provide immediate competition for Michele Di Gregorio.
Those additions point towards a more balanced squad, but Juventus are still in transition. Dusan Vlahovic has left after signing for Besiktas, meaning Kolo Muani is likely to carry greater responsibility in attack.
Spalletti also needs greater consistency from players already at the club. Kenan Yildiz has the talent to become one of the league’s defining attackers, but Juventus need his influence to be sustained throughout the season rather than arriving in bursts. Manuel Locatelli remains important in midfield, while younger players have been given substantial opportunities during a pre-season complicated by staggered returns following the international tournament this summer.
There have been promising signs, but also reminders that the reconstruction is unfinished. Juventus owner John Elkann described the club today as being in a rebuilding phase, which is an unusually explicit acknowledgement that expectations must be balanced against the amount of work still taking place.
The calendar may help. Juventus are playing EL football rather than the CL, reducing the level of their European opposition and potentially allowing Spalletti greater flexibility in managing his squad.
He also has a history of producing excellent league football when given the right technical players. Juventus may not yet possess Inter’s continuity or Napoli’s recent stability, but the gap is narrowing.
ArcticBet verdict: Juventus are the most interesting challenger outside the top two. Lucumí improves the defence, Kolo Muani gives Spalletti a proven forward and Vicario should strengthen the goalkeeping options if that deal is completed. A Scudetto challenge is realistic, although winning it this season may require the rebuild to come together faster than expected.
AC Milan – A completely different proposition under Amorim
Last season: CL qualification
Manager: Ruben Amorim
Milan’s 2025/26 season contained an unusual contradiction. They possessed the best defensive record in the league for much of the campaign, yet their attack never reached the same level. Rafael Leao finished as their leading league scorer with only nine goals, and Milan risked completing a season without a single player reaching double figures.
That helps explain their summer strategy. Ruben Amorim has taken charge and the club’s first priority was obvious: sign a centre-forward capable of changing the attacking ceiling.
Goncalo Ramos was the answer. The Portugal international arrived from Paris Saint-Germain as Milan’s first major signing of the summer and represents a significant investment in a position that needed it.
His pre-season has already given supporters reason for optimism. Ramos scored in Milan’s 4-2 victory over Manchester United, a game in which Amorim’s team twice came from behind before producing their best attacking display of the summer. The win was Milan’s first of pre-season and arrived only eight days before their league opener.
Mario Gila is another important addition. Milan paid around €30m to sign the Spanish centre-back from Lazio, giving Amorim a defender already accustomed to the league and comfortable playing in a possession-based system. Gila suffered a minor muscular issue earlier in pre-season but returned against Manchester United and is expected to be available for the league campaign.
There is experience too. Luka Modric remains part of the squad and gives Milan an extraordinary technical reference point in midfield, even if his minutes must inevitably be managed carefully.
Samuel Chukwueze could almost feel like another new signing. After returning from his loan spell at Fulham, he has impressed Amorim sufficiently to become a serious part of the new system. He scored and provided two assists against Manchester United and appears increasingly comfortable in the wide role Amorim has assigned him.
The summer business is not finished. Milan have agreed a deal worth more than €50m for Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, with the winger expected in Italy for his medical. As with Napoli’s Badiashile deal, this is advanced but not yet formally completed at the time of writing.
His likely arrival may affect Rafael Leao’s future, while Christopher Nkunku is also expected to leave if Milan can find the right deal. Those situations remain unresolved and could alter the complexion of Amorim’s attack before the window closes.
Milan’s title prospects therefore depend partly on what the squad looks like on 1 September. The defensive base already existed last season, and Gila should strengthen it further. Ramos gives them the established central striker they lacked, while Amorim’s system may unlock more from Chukwueze and the wide players.
The uncertainty comes from the scale of the change. A new manager, a new centre-forward and potentially a substantially different attacking group all need to settle quickly if Milan are going to keep pace with Inter and Napoli.
ArcticBet verdict: Milan have raised their ceiling considerably. Ramos addresses their clearest weakness and Amorim has already produced encouraging signs in attack. They remain slightly behind Inter and Napoli in our assessment, but if the new signings settle quickly, Milan have enough quality to stay in the Scudetto race.
Roma – CL qualification is no longer enough
Last season: 3rd
Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini
Roma’s first season under Gian Piero Gasperini was a success, but it has also changed expectations. Finishing third and qualifying for the CL represented clear progress, particularly after several seasons in which Roma had repeatedly fallen short of Italy’s top four. Gasperini now enters his second campaign with a more demanding objective: prove that Roma can remain there.
The biggest advantage is continuity on the touchline. While several of the clubs around them have changed coaches, Roma already understand Gasperini’s requirements. His aggressive defensive approach and preference for attacking with numbers were evident last season, and another summer working with the squad should allow him to develop those ideas further.
The transfer window has been less straightforward. Zeki Celik left for Juventus after his contract expired, removing a player Gasperini wanted to retain. The coach made little secret earlier in the summer of his desire for Roma to accelerate their recruitment, particularly in attacking areas.
That work is continuing. Roma have made a substantial offer for Lyon winger Malick Fofana, with the Belgian viewed as a potential solution to their lack of pace and directness on the left. The proposed fee is around €40m, although competition for his signature means he cannot yet be considered part of Gasperini’s squad. Rodirgo Mora, the young Portuguese winger, has just been made official, and Koulierakis, Santiago Casto and Nahuel Molina also add depth and variety to an already strong squad.
The search for futher strength in the wide areas is an understandable priority. Roma possess technical quality, but Gasperini’s best teams have always carried a threat from players capable of attacking space at speed.
Paulo Dybala remains capable of deciding matches when fit, while Matias Soulé should continue developing after an encouraging campaign. Roma nevertheless need to spread their attacking responsibility across the squad rather than becoming dependent on individual moments from their most gifted players.
Their final pre-season game, a 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund, provided a useful test against CL-level opposition and also reinforced the argument for adding more pace before the transfer deadline.
The other major difference this season is the calendar. Roma are back in the CL, and competing successfully on multiple fronts will test the squad more severely than last year’s league campaign. Gasperini therefore needs depth as much as he needs improvements to his preferred starting XI.
There is little reason, however, to expect Roma to suddenly disappear from the European conversation. Last season established them as one of the league’s strongest sides, and the coaching continuity gives them an advantage over several direct rivals.
ArcticBet verdict: Roma should be aiming for another CL place rather than merely European qualification. Gasperini has already demonstrated that this group can finish in the top four, although another high-quality attacker would make their position considerably stronger.
Atalanta – Sarri begins a new era in Bergamo
Last season: Outside the CL places
Manager: Maurizio Sarri
Atalanta have spent much of the past decade being associated with one manager and one unmistakable style of football. The Gian Piero Gasperini era is already receding into the distance, and another significant change has now arrived.
Raffaele Palladino departed after one season, with Maurizio Sarri taking over for 2026/27. It is a fascinating appointment. Sarri’s football differs considerably from the aggressive man-to-man system that became synonymous with Atalanta. His teams tend to rely more heavily on positional structure, short combinations and coordinated pressing, which means some adaptation should be expected during the opening months.
Atalanta have recruited with their new coach in mind. Gianluca Gaetano arrived from Cagliari for a fee reported at around €14m including bonuses, and the midfielder was specifically requested by Sarri. He brings league experience as well as the technical qualities needed to operate between midfield and attack.
Atalanta have at least resisted interest in several other important players. Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli stated during the summer that goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi and defender Honest Ahanor would remain in Bergamo despite outside attention.
Charles De Ketelaere is another player whose future has attracted considerable speculation following an excellent tournament this summer. Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have both been linked with the Belgian, but Atalanta’s reported €50m valuation makes clear that they will not allow him to leave cheaply.
Keeping De Ketelaere would be particularly valuable for Sarri. He has the intelligence to operate in several attacking roles and is comfortable receiving between the lines.
The question is how quickly everything fits together. Sarri is an experienced coach who has won the competition before, but Atalanta are not simply changing managers. They are adapting the identity of a team that spent years playing a very particular brand of football.
The ceiling remains high enough for CL qualification, but some inconsistency would hardly be surprising.
ArcticBet verdict: Atalanta remain genuine European contenders, although Sarri may need time to reshape the team. Keeping De Ketelaere would be important, while Gaetano looks like a signing made specifically for the new system. A top-six finish is realistic, with the CL places the more ambitious target.
Como – From surprise package to CL club
Last season: 4th
Manager: Cesc Fabregas
Como can no longer be described as the league’s interesting little project. They finished fourth last season. Now they are a CL club.
Cesc Fabregas has overseen an extraordinary transformation, taking a newly promoted team and rapidly turning it into one capable of competing with Italy’s established powers. The combination of significant financial backing, ambitious recruitment and an increasingly impressive coach has accelerated Como’s development far beyond normal expectations.
Last season changed their status completely. Finishing fourth means opponents will approach Como differently, while the additional demands of CL football create a challenge Fabregas has not previously had to manage.
The club have responded by continuing to strengthen. Trevoh Chalobah has arrived from Chelsea in a deal worth around £31m, giving Como a defender with extensive PL experience and the athletic qualities required to play in Fabregas’s system. His involvement in the this summer’s big tournament meant his pre-season preparations began later than some teammates, but he represents a significant addition.
Como have also brought in Borussia Dortmund full-back Yan Couto on loan as they attempt to build a squad capable of coping with European football. Earlier in August, Fabregas refused to discuss the negotiations publicly, although the club’s interest was well established.
The quality already present should not be underestimated. Nico Paz has developed into one of the league’s most exciting creative players, while Como’s recruitment over recent windows has given Fabregas far greater depth than would normally be associated with a club of their recent history.
Pre-season has deliberately tested them against elite opposition. Como visited Arsenal at the Emirates and then finished their preparations with two matches against Liverpool at Anfield. They lost the main Liverpool friendly 2-0, but the purpose of those fixtures was clearly to prepare the team for the level of opposition they will encounter in the CL rather than accumulate comfortable summer victories.
The greatest threat to Como may therefore be success itself. Last season they could prepare for most league matches with a full week on the training ground. This time Fabregas must rotate his team, manage travel and recover from CL nights before returning to the league.
That will reveal how far the squad has really developed. The temptation is to dismiss fourth place as an extraordinary season that cannot be repeated, but Como have consistently shown that their ambitions are much greater than simple survival. They should be taken seriously.
ArcticBet verdict: Como have earned the right to be considered genuine CL contenders. Repeating fourth place will be difficult because of their European schedule, but the squad is stronger and Fabregas continues to impress. They are no longer outsiders who can surprise teams; the challenge is succeeding when everyone expects them to be good.
Lazio – Gattuso inherits a club needing direction
Last season: Mid-table
Manager: Gennaro Gattuso
Lazio’s previous campaign was dominated by frustration. Maurizio Sarri returned to the club but had to work under significant financial restrictions, eventually guiding Lazio to the Coppa Italia final while their league campaign settled into mid-table mediocrity. Sarri departed by mutual consent at the end of May and subsequently took the Atalanta job.
Gennaro Gattuso is now responsible for the next attempt at rebuilding Lazio. His appointment followed Italy’s disappointing qualifiers, and Lazio formally confirmed him as their new coach in June.
Gattuso inherits a squad undergoing substantial defensive change. Mario Gila has joined Milan, while Ivan Provedel has moved to Inter for around €3m. Alessio Romagnoli has also been the subject of negotiations over a move away from Rome, leaving Lazio with important work to do in an area that once represented one of their greatest strengths.
The club have consequently been looking for centre-backs, with Danilho Doekhi having already arrived Sergi Dominguez another player being pursued this summer.
Midfield provides more encouragement. Kenneth Taylor offers energy and technical ability, even if his first summer under Gattuso included a highly publicised training-ground disagreement with his new coach. Gattuso dismissed the incident afterwards, describing it as the type of confrontation that can occur during intense preparation.
That intensity is unlikely to disappear. Gattuso’s teams are generally aggressive and physically demanding, and Lazio’s 6-3 pre-season victory over Avellino offered an early indication that their matches may be rather different from some of the more controlled football seen under Sarri.
The concern is whether Lazio have enough quality across the squad to return immediately to Europe.
Their summer has involved replacing established players rather than simply strengthening, while unrest around owner Claudio Lotito has added another layer of negativity. Reports at the end of July indicated that more than 90% of existing season-ticket holders had declined to renew amid supporter protests.
Gattuso therefore needs to create momentum quickly. Lazio remain a major Italian club with players capable of competing for European qualification, but their margin for error appears smaller than Roma’s or Atalanta’s.
ArcticBet verdict: Lazio are capable of challenging for Europe, but there are more questions here than at several direct rivals. Gattuso must rebuild the defence while improving the atmosphere around a club that badly needs a positive start. ECL qualification currently looks more realistic than the CL.
Fiorentina – Can Grosso restore European ambitions?
Last season: Lower half
Manager: Fabio Grosso
Fiorentina spent last season dealing with a situation few expected. Instead of challenging for Europe, they became involved in a relegation battle. Paolo Vanoli eventually stabilised the team and guided Fiorentina away from serious danger after taking over during a disastrous campaign, but the club decided not to extend his contract.
Fabio Grosso has been chosen to lead the next phase. The 2006 world champion signed a contract until 2028 after previously guiding Sassuolo back to the top division, and his appointment represents an attempt to move Fiorentina back towards the upper half rather than simply consolidate.
The transfer window supports that ambition. Arthur Atta has joined from Udinese, adding a talented and physically imposing midfielder to the squad. He was Fiorentina’s third signing of the summer by early July, demonstrating how quickly the club moved to give Grosso new options.
There has also been an attempt to correct previous recruitment mistakes. Roberto Piccoli’s move from Cagliari had been a major investment, but the striker struggled badly during his first season in Florence. Bologna are now working on a deal that would allow him to restart his career elsewhere, potentially initially on loan with an option to buy.
Fiorentina need greater attacking consistency regardless of whether Piccoli leaves. Moise Kean remains capable of producing goals at top level, but last season demonstrated how quickly confidence can disappear when the structure around the forwards stops functioning.
Grosso’s job is therefore about more than individual recruitment. Fiorentina need to rediscover an identity. Their squad should never have been fighting near the bottom of the league last season, and the quality available gives the new coach a realistic opportunity to produce a substantial improvement.
The difficulty is the competition around them. Roma and Como finished in the CL places, Atalanta have appointed Sarri, and Lazio possess similar ambitions. Bologna will also expect to compete in the upper half, meaning even a significant Fiorentina improvement does not guarantee European qualification.
That makes the opening months particularly important. Grosso needs to turn last season into an aberration rather than the beginning of a longer decline.
ArcticBet verdict: Fiorentina should improve substantially and have enough individual quality to return to the top half. Europe is achievable, although they begin behind Roma, Atalanta and Como in our assessment. Grosso’s first task is restoring consistency to a team that dramatically underperformed last season.
Who will win the league in 2026/27?
The four contenders arrive at the starting line with very different arguments. Milan may have made the most important individual improvement by adding Ramos to an attack that badly needed a reliable centre-forward.
Juventus have undergone the broadest reconstruction. Lucumí, Kolo Muani, Celik and potentially Vicario provide Spalletti with a stronger squad, but turning that amount of change into an immediate championship is difficult.
Napoli offer greater stability. They finished second last season and Allegri inherits a squad that already understands how to compete near the top, even if Lukaku’s departure means the attack will operate differently.
Inter remain the reference point. The champions have lost important experience but have replaced much of it intelligently. Stones and Spence should fit Chivu’s system, while Lautaro remains the league’s most reliable attacking leader.
The opening weeks could tell us plenty. Inter face Napoli at San Siro as early as the third round, while Juventus host Milan on the same weekend.
Our pre-season ranking is:
1. Inter
2. Napoli
3. Juventus
4. AC Milan
Inter are our choice to retain the Scudetto. They do not necessarily have the most exciting collection of new signings, but they have the fewest structural problems to solve. The champions already know how Chivu wants them to play, retain the core of last season’s best attacking side and have strengthened intelligently rather than rebuilding out of necessity.
Napoli should push them hardest, while Juventus could move significantly closer if Spalletti’s new-look side settles quickly.
Milan are capable of challenging all three, particularly if Ramos transforms their goalscoring numbers, but Amorim may need slightly more time before the Rossoneri are ready to become champions.
ArcticBet prediction
League champions: Inter
Main challengers: Napoli
Outside title threat: Juventus
Dark horse: AC Milan
Inter begin the season as the most complete side in Italy, but the gap is not large enough for anyone to feel comfortable. Napoli possess the continuity to challenge throughout the season, Juventus have strengthened aggressively and Milan have finally addressed the lack of a top-class central striker.
This division could therefore deliver another tight title race, even if the defending champions remain our narrow favourites.
Who will qualify for Europe?
Roma begin this group in the strongest position. They finished third last season, retain Gasperini and already know that their current approach can produce CL qualification. Their challenge is adding sufficient depth to repeat that achievement while playing in Europe’s strongest competition.
Como have already proved they belong in the conversation, although their CL schedule makes repeating fourth place more complicated.
Atalanta may have the greatest upside of the remaining three. Sarri inherits a talented squad and has been given players suited to his ideas, but changing Atalanta’s established footballing identity could require patience.
Lazio and Fiorentina begin further behind. Both have new managers and both are attempting to recover from disappointing league campaigns, although either possesses enough quality to move significantly upwards.
Our ranking of the five is:
5. Roma
6. Atalanta
7. Como
8. Lazio
9. Fiorentina
That would place Roma in a strong position to claim one of the CL places, with Atalanta and Como potentially involved in one of the most interesting battles of the season.
The exact number of European qualification places will ultimately depend on domestic cup results and the coefficient allocations, but these five clubs should all begin with Europe as a realistic objective.
ArcticBet prediction
Best chance of CL qualification: Roma
Strong European contender: Atalanta
Team to watch: Como
Outside European challengers: Lazio and Fiorentina
Roma are our choice to finish highest from this group. Gasperini has already established his football and last season’s third-place finish provides a stronger starting point than most of their rivals possess.
Atalanta could push them particularly hard if Sarri’s methods settle quickly, while Como remain one of the most fascinating teams in European football after their extraordinary rise.
Lazio and Fiorentina have more ground to recover, but both have changed managers precisely because their previous league campaigns fell below expectations. If Gattuso and Grosso make an immediate impact, the European race could extend much deeper into the table than it initially appears.
Don’t forget that we also have Early Payout on this league, which you can read more about here.
Please note that the odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
Last Updated: 21.08.2026
