Italian football finds itself at a crossroads as the 2026/27 Serie A season prepares to kick off on Saturday, August 22. The top flight has produced three different champions in the last five seasons and remains one of the continent's most compelling competitions — yet the questions over its overall standard refuse to go away.

Last season, no Italian club made it past the last 16 of the Champions League. Napoli failed to make it out of the league phase, Inter Milan suffered a shocking defeat to Bodø/Glimt, and only Atalanta went further than the first knockout round — shipping 10 goals over two legs against Bayern Munich. Coupled with the Italian national team's continued World Cup exile, there is widespread debate about whether the country's glory days will ever return. It is against this backdrop that the new campaign begins, with Inter the team everyone must beat.

Inter stand still but remain the benchmark

Priced at 10/11, Inter are fancied to retain the title they won last season. Cristian Chivu has built on the foundations left behind by Simone Inzaghi to keep the Nerazzurri competitive at the top of the Italian game, and his side remain dangerous in quick transition — on their day, capable of hurting any opponent.

There were, however, times last season when Inter appeared weary. Many of their best players are now on the wrong side of 30, including Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Piotr Zieliński, and this summer's transfer activity has not been comprehensive enough to bring down the squad's average age. Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian and Yann Sommer have all departed San Siro. The arrival of 21-year-old midfielder Aleksandar Stanković provides some fresh blood, but John Stones is the biggest signing Inter have made so far this summer — and he is 32.

Allegri's puzzling return at Napoli

Inter's main rivals may be Napoli, who are priced at 5/1 to lift the Scudetto for the third time in five seasons. Antonio Conte has been replaced by Max Allegri for the new campaign in a move that has puzzled many, considering Allegri struggled to make any meaningful impact as AC Milan boss last term.

Rasmus Højlund's loan move from Manchester United has been made permanent, but it has otherwise been a quiet summer in Naples. The return of Kevin De Bruyne to fitness should be a significant boost after the Belgian missed the bulk of last season through injury, though Allegri surely expects more business before the window closes.

Amorim and Spalletti lead the chasing pack

Ruben Amorim has replaced Allegri at AC Milan with a point to prove following his implosion as Manchester United manager last season. At 11/2, the Rossoneri are joint-third favourites, a price possibly shortened by the statement signing of Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain. Milan smashed their transfer record to land Ramos, who scored only six league goals for PSG last season but will be expected to provide the cutting edge desperately missed under Allegri. Whether it is enough to invigorate a team that scored just 53 goals in 38 league games last season remains to be seen.

Juventus sit alongside Milan in the betting, with Luciano Spalletti taking charge of his first full season in Turin. There were tentative signs last term of Spalletti imposing his own ideas, but questions remain over a lack of top-level talent even after the additions of Randal Kolo Muani and Kerim Alajbegović. Having finished outside the top four, both Milan and Juventus might benefit from not having to handle the rigours of Champions League football in their pursuit of the Scudetto.

Como's rise, Roma's rebuild and the outsiders

Como's incredible rise over the last few seasons means they should not be ignored as potential champions at an outsider price of 40/1. They have managed to keep Cesc Fabregas over the summer, signed Nico Paz on a permanent basis from Real Madrid, and the arrival of Alvaro Morata has caught the attention as they look to maintain their upward trajectory.

Roma, meanwhile, enter their second season under Gian Piero Gasperini fresh from leading the Giallorossi to their highest league finish for eight years. Like many of their rivals, their window has yet to burst into life — Donyell Malen's loan from Aston Villa has been made permanent and forward Santiago Castro has been brought in from Bologna. Both Roma and Como could find their squad depth stretched as they juggle domestic and continental duties.

Atalanta (33/1), Lazio (80/1), Bologna (100/1) and Fiorentina (150/1) might be in contention for continental qualification, but it would be a stretch to suggest any of them can win the Scudetto this season. Serie A is Inter's to lose — and while Chivu's team might have stood still over the summer, it remains difficult to see anyone overtaking them.