Unlike the rest of Europe, English football will continue on its high-speed trajectory over the festive period, with the games coming thick and fast. This is a tradition enshrined in the minds of football fans on the island, with Christmas and the New Year unfathomable without football. Over on the continent, every other European league will pause for breath to give teams some time to spend with their families, and to recharge their batteries ahead of January. In such a scenario, it can get quite frustrating for fans of non-English teams as they see the amount of football on offer across the Channel. However, there is a decent solution available for this, online and mobile betting. There are a number of apps available online, and with a bet365 mobile in play available, fans can follow their teams easily over the festive period.
Serie A takes a break over this time of the year, and this year’s league table makes for fascinating reading. Juventus and Inter Milan are level on points at the top of the table, with the Nerazzurri giving the perennial winners a proper challenge for the title. Lazio and AS Roma form a Roman duo below them, separated by just one point, while last season’s surprise package Atalanta have continued in a similar vein this season, occupying fifth spot. Cagliari are another team who have done far better than expected, as they sit in sixth spot and a Europa League qualifying spot. At the other end of the table, Genoa are quickly losing touch with the rest of the league as they are four points from safety, and they are joined in the relegation zone by SPAL and Brescia. Sampdoria and Lecce are just a point above the drop zone, with Fiorentina not entirely out of trouble yet either. This makes for a very interesting season so far, especially at the top where there are hopes of a proper title race between Inter and Juventus. Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez have formed a deadly strike duo for the Milan side under Antonio Conte, while in Turin, Maurizio Sarri is trying to get Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in the same XI without losing defensive balance. It will be an engrossing spectacle, and fans can only hope that it remains this tight till the end of the season.
For fans of Italian football, there are a number of intriguing options to back. Despite the two teams being level on points at this stage, bookmakers are backing Juventus’ title-winning experience in pricing them at 1.44 to win the league, with Inter at 3.40 – this could represent fantastic value if the Milan side keep their run of form going. Lazio and Roma are backed to finish in the top four at 1.18 and 1.90, while Atalanta could be shrewd bet at 2.00. Lazio’s Ciro Immobile currently leads the goalscoring charts and he is backed to finish the season as the top scorer at 1.40, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku are at 8.00, reflecting the five-goal lead the Italian currently has at the top of the standings.
