Inter enter the new Serie A season as overwhelming favorites, a status comparable only to Juventus during the previous decade, when the Bianconeri won nine consecutive Scudetti, or Fabio Capello's Milan in the 1990s. The gap between the Nerazzurri and the rest — let us recall, they finished the championship 11 points ahead of second-placed Napoli, 14 ahead of Roma, 16 ahead of Como, 17 ahead of Milan and 18 ahead of Juventus — has grown even wider and will not be easy to close, despite there still being around ten days left in the transfer window. It is unrealistic to imagine that the gap can be significantly reduced, among other reasons because there is no longer a "Galliani", nor an "Ibrahimović", to pull off a last-minute transfer capable of changing the hierarchy in the league. The Nerazzurri have strengthened further during the transfer window, bringing in three starters — Curtis Jones, John Stones and Djed Spence — as well as two high-quality alternatives: Ivan Provedel as an option behind Pepe Martínez in goal and Aleksandar Stanković, the ideal successor to Hakan Calhanoglu. In general terms, among Serie A's major clubs, the Scudetto contenders and those fighting for Champions League places, Inter are the only side with a complete squad, boasting two or even three players for every position. There is only one major question, or rather uncertainties, surrounding Inter at the start of the season: can the Nerazzurri can go all the way on all three fronts, or whether they should prioritize the Champions League or Serie A? It will also be interesting to see whether Chivu will attempt to change his formation, moving away from the relatively unobtrusive 3-4-2-1 towards an almost revolutionary system with a four-man defensive line. Potentially, Inter's only weak spot could be the goalkeeper position. Pepe Martínez and Ivan Provedel are not at the same level as their teammates in defense, midfield and attack.✨ The 125th season of top flight Italian football kicks off this weekend. Benvenuti to the Home of Calcio 🔗 https://t.co/amVBiNMPyZ 🤌#SerieA #HomeOfCalcio pic.twitter.com/MX3Zlb8OSo— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) August 21, 2026 Milan still need another two or three players to become sufficiently competitive with Inter, while Juventus also need a similar number to make the necessary qualitative leap. Roma need two players on the right flank, one attacking and one defensive. Napoli are looking for a reliable attacking alternative to Rasmus Højlund, given that the Dane cannot play every match from the first minute to the last. Como need a starting striker and, above all, another three Italian players or players developed in Italian youth academies, otherwise they will struggle to fill the matchday squad with more than 17 players. Recall that four players must be products of the club's own academy and another four must have been developed at Italian clubs. Another major advantage for Inter is the fact that they have won the last three Scudetti in the past six years with three different coaches, which is the clearest possible evidence of the club's solidity, consistency and strength. All three qualities, combined with the quality of the squad, should be essential ingredients for another assault on the Champions League. If there is one realistic opportunity for someone to challenge Inter for the Scudetto, it is likely to depend on how far the Nerazzurri progress in Europe. The battle for Champions League places will be much more interesting than the Scudetto race. Alongside Inter, there are seven contenders for the remaining three places: Napoli and Roma, followed by Juventus and Milan, as well as Como, Atalanta and Fiorentina. Napoli have changed coaches with a clear idea of making a qualitative leap in Europe. Massimiliano Allegri's record in the Champions League is far more convincing than Antonio Conte's, although Allegri carries the burden of last season's unsuccessful spell at Milan. Napoli's comparative advantage will not necessarily be their new signings, but the players who featured very little last season because of injuries: Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, Sam Beukema and Neres.Someone has to arrive too – Manu Kone caught Man City's attentionRomaRoma failed to give coach Gian Piero Gasperini the three starting-caliber reinforcements he wanted, but the Giallorossi have significantly improved the quality of their alternatives. That is hardly a trivial detail considering that modern football matches effectively use 16 players, while top clubs competing on several fronts can play 60 or more games in a season. Gasperini can at least take comfort from the fact that Roma have not sold any of their key players, above all Mile Svilar and Manu Kone, but also Ndicka, Pisilli and Soule. Gasperini will attempt to give Roma's supporters a Scudetto in the year of the club's centenary, as well as a memorable Champions League campaign. The fact that all season tickets for both Serie A and the Champions League have sold out is highly indicative of the expectations surrounding the club. The main hopes will be placed on Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. If he stays healthy, the Argentine will need to provide Roma with that extra bit of quality, while Malen is expected to continue in the same vein in which he finished last season. In the second half of the championship, the Dutchman scored 14 goals in 18 matches. Projected over an entire season, that would put him on course for around 30 goals.Portuguese clash, Leao on Amorim: "You are lying"MilanMilan owner Gerry Cardinale has spent far more time at Milanello over the past two months than during the previous four years, since taking control of the club from Elliott. The Italian-American businessman has taken responsibility for the project, including decision-making. The results have been immediate: Milan have spent 170 million euros in the transfer window. You could say that Cardinale has done exactly what Gasperini hoped the Friedkins would do at Roma: provide three or four starting-caliber reinforcements, even if it meant spending 150 million euros. It is worth noting that Cardinale acted cleverly. He did dismiss Igli Tare, but then implemented everything Tare had prepared for this transfer window. In that process, Cardinale could rely not only on his financial power but also on the all-powerful Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes. Mendes has facilitated two transfers — Goncalo Ramos and Diego Moreira — which could eventually cost Milan around 150 million euros. On top of that comes another 30 million euros for Mario Gila. That is a hefty price, particularly considering that Gila's contract was due to expire in the summer of 2027. Milan have signed three players they needed, especially because Ruben Amorim does not see Fikayo Tomori as a solution in defense, nor Rafael Leao as an option for the attack. The need for a first-choice striker has been a problem at Milan since Olivier Giroud left. Amorim's biggest problem could be Cardinale's enormous ambition to prove that he was right, combined with his almost obsessive desire to put Milan's second star above the club crest and prevent them from falling behind Inter. Amorim could not withstand the pressure in Manchester; we will see how he fares in Milan.Juve’s new defence: Keeper from Spurs is on the wayJuventusIt is highly unusual for it to be clear before a season even begins that Juventus cannot realistically win the Scudetto and that the objective is simply to secure a Champions League place. To be fair, like Milan, Juventus also have an obligation to restore Serie A's reputation in the Europa League. Italian clubs have achieved notable results in European competition during this decade: Inter and Roma have reached finals, while Atalanta won the Europa League. However, Italian clubs have come up empty-handed over the past two years, so Juventus and Milan will be expected to go as far as possible and, ideally, win Europe's second-tier competition. Juventus have spent more than 100 million euros during this transfer window, but it is far from certain that the squad is actually stronger than last year's. Guglielmo Vicario does not offer the same guarantees in goal that Alisson would have. Nor is it certain that John Lucumí will be a starter for Juventus, just as Kerim Alajbegović, despite his undeniable talent, is not guaranteed a starting place. If the early signs are anything to go by, and judging by Randal Kolo Muani's first matches since returning to Juventus, many may end up regretting the departure of Dušan Vlahović. The midfield is a particularly sensitive issue because Luciano Spalletti intends to play a 4-2-3-1 with four attacking players, meaning the two central midfielders must provide the necessary physicality, running power and quality for the system to work. In the closing stages of the transfer window, Juve are still searching for another centre-forward. Their first choice is Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid, and at Continassa they hope Nico Gonzalez could be the bargaining chip that helps them land the Norwegian. Franck Kessie is still regarded as a potential solution in midfield.Whatever happened between Man United and Ederson? Not even he knowsFor the first time in the past ten years, Serie A will begin a season with coaches whose average age is below 50. Serie A has traditionally had by far the oldest group of head coaches among Europe's major leagues, but this transfer window brought significant rejuvenation, helped by five coaches making their Serie A debuts: Amorim at Milan, Domenico Tedesco at Bologna, Alberto Aquilani at Sassuolo and Ignazio Abate at Torino, with the exception of Alvini, who will lead Frosinone at the age of 56. The Premier League still has the youngest coaches on average, with an average age below 46, followed by the Bundesliga at 47. Coaches in France are, on average, a year older, while Spain are roughly level with Italy at around 50. Interestingly, half of the clubs considered candidates for European qualification have opted for experienced coaches. The oldest is Roma boss Gasperini, at 68, followed by Maurizio Sarri at Atalanta and Spalletti at Juventus, both 67, and Allegri at Napoli, who is 59.SERIE A – MATCHDAY 1Saturday19.30: (1.25) Inter (6.50) Monza (14.0)19.30: (4.90) Udinese (3.60) Como (1.85)21.45: (4.40) Genoa (3.50) Napoli (1.95)21.45: (2.60) Parma (3.15) Cagliari (3.10)Sunday19.30: (7.50) Frosinone (4.30) Juventus (1.50)19.30: (2.30) Venezia (3.25) Lecce (3.25)21.45: (1.55) Atalanta (4.30) Sassuolo (6.00)21.45: (4.80) Torino (3.60) Milan (1.85)Monday19.30: (2.25) Bologna (3.35) Lazio (3.50)21.45: (1.65) Roma (4.00) Fiorentina (6.00)***odds are subject to change***