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While people around the football world decry the one-sided nature of many of the sport's leading championships, Italy bucks the trend. Ever since Juventus’ incredible nine-in-a-row title run ended in 2020, Serie A has been the most competitive of all the ‘big five’ championships in Europe.

Few other leagues can offer the same variety of competition, with most being, at best, two-horse races. This season is no different, with a rapidly developing title race leaving European football fans in awe and bookmakers unsure of which way it could go.

The Story So Far

At the time of writing, as many as six teams can realistically say they have a shot at the title. You have the usual big giants: Milan, Inter, Roma, and Juventus, albeit the Turin giants are quite off the pace for a league title push. You also have champions of two of the last three years in Napoli lingering, waiting to explode into form, yet still consistently getting results.

Then, there is gatecrashing Como. While Cesc Fabregas’ side is unlikely to keep up this verve all season, they play fascinating football and, with the effervescent Nico Paz running the show, they could very well be the team that takes Atalanta’s position as ‘best of the rest’.

Speaking of Atalanta, La Dea have been competing for honours for several years now without really coming close. With their enigmatic coach Gian Piero Gasperini moving to A.S. Roma in the summer, he now has the Giallorossi fighting for the title. At the top of the pile presently is surprise package A.C. Milan, who look rejuvenated after what felt like a panic hire in Maximiliano Allegri.

Then, there are the two teams everyone expected to compete for the title: champions S.S.C. Napoli and perennial contenders Internazionale. Both have the firepower, but with Napoli beginning to come unstuck due to injuries – a common issue with Antonio Conte teams in their second season – it is hard to know if they will have the squad depth to see things through.

Inter have the strongest squad and the highest level of talent in their best XI, and have also been the best Italian team in Europe, having reached (and lost) two UEFA Champions League finals in the last three years. Under a relative rookie coach in Christian Chivu, though, do they have as much mettle on the bench as the other title contenders, who all boast some of the best coaches in Europe?

Finally, you have the true outsider in Bologna. Under Vincenzo Italiano, they have played brilliant football but are perhaps too reliant on a thin squad; if Riccardo Orsolini can continue to score and assist at this rate, though, who knows?

What Do The Odds Say?

If you are unsure who to back for the title, the bookies might give you a little inkling of what to expect:

• At the moment, Internazionale are the favourites to go on and win the title, with Bet365 marking them at 5/4, BoyleSports at 6/5, and Ladbrokes at 11/10.
• City rivals Milan are next, sitting at 3/1, 3/1 and 10/3 across the aforementioned bookmakers. Those are still good odds, but show they are seen as quite a bit off Inter.
• Napoli, the current champions, have similar odds to Milan at 3/1 across the board. The Antonio Conte factor cannot be ignored, but the Partenopei have serious injuries.
• Roma are seen as the real outsiders from the chasing pack, rated at 9/1, 19/2 and 11/1 across Bet365, BoyleSports and Ladbrokes. Their 20+ year title drought weighs heavily.

Meanwhile, the real outsiders – Juventus, Como, and Bologna – look far less likely to have a chance of ending top of the pile in May. Juventus’s best odds are 22/1, while Como’s best odds are 50/1, and Bologna are back at 50/1, also. Who comes out on top? Who can say, but the fact is that Italy – yet again – has the most fascinating title race in all of Europe’s top leagues.