Italian 26/27 Preview Pt. 2: Mid-Table
The middle third of Italian league contains several clubs whose ambitions extend well beyond simply finishing in mid-table. Part 2 of our preview series of the 2026/27 Italian season focus on the teams we predict will end up in the middle of the park.
Lazio and Fiorentina expect to compete for Europe after disappointing campaigns, while Bologna have spent recent seasons demonstrating that the traditional hierarchy can be broken. Udinese finished 10th last season and will attempt to maintain that progress, with Torino hoping the appointment of Ignazio Abate can finally move them beyond their familiar mid-table surroundings.
Sassuolo are adapting to life under Alberto Aquilani after an impressive first season back in the top division, while Genoa begin Daniele De Rossi’s first full campaign in charge after he successfully guided them away from danger.
The gap between the top and bottom of this group could ultimately be considerable. Lazio or Fiorentina reaching Europe would not be surprising, but neither would Genoa becoming involved in the relegation battle.
Read part 1 of our 26/27 Italian football season preview here.
Read part 3 of our 26/27 Italian football season preview here.
Read our preview of the French 26/27 season here.
Read our preview of the Spanish 26/26 season here.
Read part 1 of our PL 26/27 season here, with part 2 and part 3 also out.
Lazio
Last season: 9th
Manager: Gennaro Gattuso
Lazio’s ninth-place finish represented a disappointing return for a club that expects to compete for European football. Maurizio Sarri’s second spell ultimately ended after one season, despite a run to the Coppa Italia final, and Lazio have turned to Gennaro Gattuso for 2026/27.
The appointment brings a very different personality and style. Gattuso generally wants intensity, aggression and a team prepared to compete physically, but his better sides have also been more tactically flexible than the caricature of him as a purely motivational coach suggests. Lazio need both qualities after a season in which they struggled to establish any sustained momentum.
The summer has involved significant change, particularly in defence. Mario Gila has joined AC Milan, while goalkeeper Ivan Provedel has moved to Inter. Alessio Romagnoli’s future has also generated speculation, leaving Gattuso with important decisions in an area that previously provided Lazio with considerable stability.
The club have therefore explored several defensive additions, including Danilho Doekhi and Sergi Dominguez, and further business before the transfer deadline would make sense.
There are more encouraging signs in midfield. Kenneth Taylor gives Lazio energy and technical ability, and although his pre-season included a training-ground disagreement with Gattuso, the coach quickly played down the incident. A demanding manager and an ambitious midfielder occasionally clashing in August is considerably less important than whether they work effectively together once competitive football begins.
The bigger question concerns Lazio’s ceiling. There is enough quality here to finish considerably higher than ninth, but Roma, Juventus, Milan, Atalanta and Como all provide formidable competition for the European positions. Lazio cannot simply improve on last season; they may need a significant improvement to overtake enough of those teams. Losing to Mantova in the cup recently doesn’t inspire confidence, however, and there are concerns that Lazio could end up in the bottom half of the league as well, especially if they get off to a bad start.
Gattuso also begins amid continued supporter frustration with the ownership, meaning a poor start could quickly create an uncomfortable atmosphere around the club.
Betsmith verdict: Lazio should improve on ninth, but a CL challenge looks ambitious given the competition above them. We expect Gattuso to make them harder to play against and see a return to the top eight as the minimum requirement, though this is a season where Lazio could be in danger of a lower-half finish if things take a wrong turn early on.
Fiorentina
Last season: 14th
Manager: Fabio Grosso
Fiorentina were one of the league’s biggest disappointments last season. A squad assembled with European ambitions instead spent much of the campaign worrying about the opposite end of the table, and although Paolo Vanoli eventually stabilised the situation, 14th place was nowhere near acceptable.
Fabio Grosso now has the task of ensuring it was an aberration rather than the beginning of a decline. The appointment is interesting because Grosso arrives with momentum. His work at Sassuolo restored his reputation and demonstrated his ability to build a side capable of controlling matches rather than simply reacting to opponents.
Fiorentina should give him more individual quality than he had in Emilia-Romagna. Moise Kean remains the obvious attacking reference point and has already demonstrated that he can score regularly in the league when supplied consistently. The challenge is creating an attacking structure that prevents Fiorentina becoming overly dependent on him.
Arthur Atta should help in midfield. The former Udinese player offers physical power, ball-carrying ability and considerable room for further development. His arrival gives Grosso another option for a midfield that too often failed to impose itself last season.
There are likely to be departures as well. Roberto Piccoli struggled following his move from Cagliari and has attracted interest from Bologna, with Fiorentina open to finding a solution that allows the striker to restart elsewhere.
The club should not require a spectacular transfer window to improve substantially because the baseline was so poor. The existing squad contains enough quality to finish in the upper half if Grosso restores confidence and creates a coherent structure.
Returning immediately to Europe is more difficult. Fiorentina have ground to recover on Lazio and Bologna before even considering the teams in our top-third group. A season spent rebuilding their credibility may therefore be more realistic than an immediate return to continental competition.
Betsmith verdict: One of our strongest candidates to improve significantly. Fiorentina should be nowhere near 14th with the quality available, and Grosso is a sensible appointment. We expect a return to the top half, although Europe may remain just beyond them.
Bologna
Last season: 8th
Manager: Domenico Tedesco
Bologna have spent the past few years repeatedly losing important players and coaches without disappearing from the upper reaches of the division.
They are being asked to do it again. Vincenzo Italiano has departed after another successful campaign, leaving Domenico Tedesco to take over a club whose expectations have changed dramatically. Bologna are no longer delighted simply to finish comfortably in mid-table; recent CL qualification, European runs and a Coppa Italia triumph have created a different standard.
Tedesco’s first summer has not been straightforward. Santiago Castro has joined Roma, while Jhon Lucumí completed his move to Juventus only days before the beginning of the season. Losing an important striker and one of the team’s best defenders would test almost any club.
Bologna’s response in attack has been ambitious. Artem Dovbyk arrives from Roma looking to rediscover the form that made him leading scorer in Spain with Girona, while Roberto Piccoli provides another physically strong centre-forward option after a difficult period at Fiorentina.
Dovbyk is the more intriguing of the two. His Roma spell did not fully meet expectations, but he remains a striker with a proven goalscoring record and should benefit if Tedesco builds the attack around his strengths rather than expecting him to become heavily involved outside the penalty area.
Replacing Lucumí may be more difficult. His departure came late enough to leave Bologna with limited preparation time, and another central defender should remain a priority before the window closes.
Tedesco himself adds another variable. He has experience at a high level with RB Leipzig, Belgium and Fenerbahce, but this league presents a different tactical environment and he is inheriting a team that had become closely associated with Italiano’s methods.
Bologna therefore look slightly weaker on paper than they did twelve months ago, although their recent recruitment record makes writing them off dangerous.
Betsmith verdict: Bologna remain an upper mid-table side with the potential to threaten Europe, but this looks more transitional than their recent campaigns. Dovbyk could prove an excellent signing, while replacing Lucumí will be crucial. We have them narrowly outside the European positions.
Udinese
Last season: 10th
Manager: Kosta Runjaić
There is something reassuringly predictable about Udinese. Important players leave, replacements arrive with considerably less fanfare, predictions of decline follow, and the club usually finds a way to remain competitive.
Last season was particularly encouraging, with Kosta Runjaić guiding Udinese to 10th place and 50 points.
The German-born coach remains in charge, which gives Udinese an advantage over several teams in this section. There is no new tactical language to learn and no major philosophical change to absorb during August.
The squad, inevitably, has changed. Thomas Kristensen has joined Atalanta in a deal worth up to €25m, while Iker Bravo, Jordan Zemura and Martín Payero have also moved on. Losing that many useful players would be concerning at most clubs, but Udinese’s entire recruitment model is designed around precisely this cycle.
Mërgim Vojvoda brings extensive league experience after arriving from Como and should provide immediate reliability, while Nicolò Zaniolo’s new contract is potentially more significant. Zaniolo remains one of Italian football’s great unanswered questions.
The talent has never been in doubt, but injuries, transfers and inconsistent form have prevented him from becoming the player once expected. Udinese offer him something he has not always possessed elsewhere: the opportunity to become a central figure rather than another talented option in a large squad.
If Runjaić can extract a consistent season from him, Udinese may possess more attacking quality than their reputation suggests. There are also structural strengths that should survive individual departures. Udinese were excellent in defensive duels last season and particularly dangerous from corners, characteristics that allow them to collect points even when they are not controlling possession. That makes them difficult to predict much lower than mid-table.
Betsmith verdict: Another season around 10th looks entirely plausible. Kristensen is a significant loss, but Udinese have repeatedly demonstrated that their model works. Runjaić’s continuity and Zaniolo’s potential give them enough to remain comfortably clear of the bottom.
Torino
Last season: 13th
Manager: Ignazio Abate
Torino’s problem is not usually survival. It is ambition. For several seasons they have occupied the territory between the European race and the relegation battle without seriously becoming involved in either. Thirteenth last season was a particularly uninspiring version of that familiar story.
Ignazio Abate has been chosen to change the direction. At 39, he represents one of the league’s more adventurous managerial appointments. His work with Milan’s Primavera and subsequently in Serie B built a reputation for developing younger players and favouring energetic, aggressive football.
Torino’s transfer business suggests they intend to give him the tools to play that way. Pietro Comuzzo has arrived from Fiorentina in a substantial investment for the defence, while Eray Cömert adds experience and Kian Fitz-Jim brings technical ability from Ajax.
Lucas Perri is another important addition in goal after Torino agreed a deal with Leeds United that could eventually reach €15m. The remaining concern is familiar: goals.
Torino have explored attacking additions throughout the summer because becoming more dynamic without becoming more productive would simply produce a prettier version of the same mid-table team.
Abate’s appointment nevertheless makes them worth watching. Younger coaches sometimes struggle when moving into the top division, but they can also change the atmosphere around clubs that have become too comfortable with their existing position. Torino need precisely that kind of disruption.
Their pre-season and cup preparations have produced encouraging results, giving Abate a positive platform before the league begins. The challenge will be sustaining that energy once their opponents begin exposing weaknesses that summer friendlies do not.
Betsmith verdict: Torino should be more entertaining and have a chance to improve significantly on 13th. We are not ready to predict a European challenge until the attack becomes more convincing, but Abate could move them towards the top half.
Sassuolo
Last season: 11th
Manager: Alberto Aquilani
Sassuolo’s first season back in the top division could hardly have gone much better. They finished 11th under Fabio Grosso, stayed well clear of relegation and immediately looked like an established top-flight club again. Success created its own complication when Grosso left for Fiorentina.
Alberto Aquilani now inherits a squad that does not need rescuing but does need to avoid losing momentum. His appointment fits Sassuolo’s identity: a young coach with a reputation for technical football and player development rather than an experienced survival specialist.
The squad has undergone another typical Sassuolo summer. Tarik Muharemovic has joined Leeds after establishing himself as one of the team’s strongest defenders, creating a significant hole at the back. Several additions offer upside rather than certainty.
Vasilije Adzic has arrived from Juventus, Benjamin Dominguez from Bologna and Rafel Obrador from Benfica, while Arijanet Muric and Sebastian Walukiewicz add more established experience.
Adzic is particularly interesting because Sassuolo have built an excellent reputation for providing talented young players with the minutes they cannot obtain at larger clubs. If he develops quickly, the Montenegrin could become one of the more entertaining young midfielders in the league.
Dominguez presents a similar opportunity after struggling to become indispensable at Bologna. The challenge for Aquilani is integrating those players while maintaining the organisation Grosso established last season.
There is enough talent to remain clear of relegation, and Sassuolo’s 3-0 Coppa Italia victory over Cesena immediately before the league campaign provided a useful competitive start for the new coach. Repeating 11th would represent another successful season.
Betsmith verdict: Sassuolo should be comfortable enough, although Grosso’s departure and Muharemovic’s sale create some uncertainty. Aquilani is a logical appointment and the recruitment fits the club’s model. We expect another lower mid-table finish rather than a relegation battle.
Genoa
Last season: 16th
Manager: Daniele De Rossi
Genoa are the only club in this group that spent a substantial part of last season worrying seriously about relegation. Daniele De Rossi changed that.
He inherited a team at the bottom of the table and eventually guided Genoa to 16th, earning the opportunity to take charge of an entire pre-season and shape the squad around his own ideas.
That should make this version of Genoa stronger. Djibril Sow is an excellent addition for a club in their position. The Switzerland international brings experience from Germany, Spain and European competitions and should give De Rossi greater control in central midfield.
Mario Mitaj adds another experienced international option on the left, while Ismaël Traorè has arrived on loan from Marseille. The major question remains in attack.
Jeff Ekhator’s move to Juventus removed another option, and Genoa have continued searching for a striker. Evan Ferguson has been among the players considered, with De Rossi already familiar with him from Roma. That type of signing could materially change Genoa’s outlook.
De Rossi wants his teams to use the ball rather than spend entire matches defending around their own penalty area, but possession needs to lead somewhere. Genoa require a striker capable of turning promising attacking phases into enough goals to prevent another survival fight.
Their 4-1 cup victory over Ascoli was encouraging, particularly after some uneven summer performances, and gives the team a positive competitive result heading into their league opening.
The squad already looks better balanced than the one De Rossi inherited last season.
There is still less margin for error here than at Lazio, Fiorentina or Bologna, but Genoa should not automatically be grouped with the leading relegation candidates simply because they finished 16th.
Betsmith verdict: We expect improvement. De Rossi now has his own pre-season behind him and Sow strengthens an important area, although another striker would make us considerably more confident. Genoa should survive without quite as much drama as last season.
Betsmith prediction: How does the middle third finish?
Lazio have the highest ceiling in this group. Their squad still contains enough quality to challenge for Europe, and Gattuso should provide the intensity that was missing too often last season. We do not see them breaking into the CL positions, but they should finish considerably higher than ninth if the defensive rebuild is completed successfully.
Fiorentina are our biggest climbers. Fourteenth was an enormous underachievement, and Grosso inherits enough talent to move the club back into the upper half immediately.
Bologna are harder to assess because their recent success has raised expectations at precisely the moment another important rebuild is taking place. Losing Italiano, Castro and Lucumí in the same summer creates more uncertainty than usual.
Udinese remain Udinese: well organised, unfashionable and very likely to finish somewhere close to the middle.
Torino could improve under Abate, while Sassuolo should remain relatively comfortable despite changing coach.
Genoa occupy the final position in this group, but we expect De Rossi’s first full season to provide enough progress to keep them away from the most serious relegation trouble.
Our projected order is:
8. Lazio
9. Fiorentina
10. Bologna
11. Udinese
12. Torino
13. Sassuolo
14. Genoa
Combined with Part 1, that gives us a top 14 that already demonstrates how competitive the league could be.
The biggest uncertainty is between eighth and 10th. Lazio have the strongest squad on paper, Fiorentina possess the greatest potential for improvement and Bologna have the strongest recent record. Further transfer activity could still change that order before the window closes.
Recommended bet
Fiorentina to finish in the top half.
Last season’s 14th-place finish makes Fiorentina easy to underestimate, but there is a strong case for a substantial correction.
The squad contains more quality than last season’s position suggests, Grosso arrives after restoring his reputation with Sassuolo and Arthur Atta strengthens a midfield that needed greater physical presence.
Fiorentina do not need to become a CL contender for this selection to succeed. They simply need to return towards the level expected from their squad.
With Lazio and Bologna facing significant changes of their own, we see Fiorentina as one of the league’s clearest candidates to climb the table.
You can find all our Italian football odds, including match odds and outrights, here.
Last Updated: 21.08.2026
Odds might have changed since the writing and/or publication of this article.
