Football bonanza of three exciting matches this month

The first of the three matches will take place at Rome’s Olimpico stadium on Friday 26 August, when Rome’s SS Lazio team will face off against Inter Milan as part of Italy’s Serie A league.

The game promises to be a hotly contested one, with Inter Milan and Lazio holding similar league positions so far this year — 6th and 7th respectively — as well as finishing relatively close in the 2021–22 Serie A competition (2nd and 5th). 

Inter Milan will be keen for a win to retain their dominant league position over Lazio, as well take them one step closer to wresting the trophy from the tournament’s 2021–22 winners, AC Milan — their bitter rivals for over one hundred years following the clubs’ split in 1908. 

Betting giant Meridianbet places the odds of a win by Lazio (1) at 3.36, a victory by Inter Milan (2) slightly higher at 2.07 and a draw (X) at 3.41. For those interested in doubling their chances, Meridianbet is offering odds of 1.75 (1X), 1.30 (12) and 1.33 (X2). Additionally, the company is offering a special promotion of 10% cashback every Monday, up to €100.

Serie A continues the following day, when Juventus will host their longstanding rivals, AS Roma, at Turin’s Allianz Stadium on Saturday 26 August.

The two teams’ animosity stretches back over thirty years, to a controversial referee decision in a crucial Serie A match in 1981. This decision, referred to simply as “Turone's goal” (“Il gol di Turone”), saw referee Gianluca Rocchi disallow a goal by Roma’s Maurizio Turone, a decision which would contribute to Roma’s subservience to Juventus in the 1980-81 Serie A tournament, with the teams finishing as runner-up and winner respectively. 

The upcoming match sees ex-Juventus star Paulo Dybala play against his former teammates for the first time in the Serie A tournament, following his signing with AS Roma on 20 July this year. The Argentine striker’s move to José Mourinho's squad marks his third signing to an Italian club, following his stint at Palermo FC from 2012–15, and Juventus from 2015–22. 

Meridianbet is currently offering odds of a win by Juventus (1) at 2.17, AS Roma (2) just over 50% higher at 3.36 and a draw (X) at 3.21. Double chance odds stand at 1.33 (1X), 1.32 (12) and 1.69 (X2), with the company offering a welcome bonus up to €50 for new customers registering an account on their website or on the Meridianbet app. 

Elsewhere in Europe, on Saturday 27 August, England’s Premier League continues with Chelsea FC playing Leicester City at the former’s home stadium, Stamford Bridge. The game takes place on the fourth of the Premier League’s thirty-eight match days, and sees Chelsea seek to continue their significant historic lead over Leicester, having finished higher than their upcoming opponents every season since 2014–15, except for 2015–16 when Leicester were crowned league champions following Chelsea’s draw with Tottenham Hotspur. 

Five-times tournament champions Chelsea are widely considered to be favourites to win, with Meridianbet placing odds of the outcome at 1.39 (1), a Leicester City victory significantly higher at 7.52 (2) and a draw at 4.85 (X). Players wishing to double their chances can do so with odds of 1.10 (1X), 1,17 (12) and 2.95 (X2). Uncommonly in the gaming industry, Meridianbet additionally offers customers the opportunity to bet on the final score at any time during the match.

In related news, French defender Wesley Fofana has signalled his intention to leave Leicester City for Chelsea — a move that may end up costing the London team as much as €80 million, following a rejected offer of €60 million earlier this month. 

Disclaimer: Meridianbet is licensed by the MGA. License number MGA/B2C/134/2007. Play responsibly. For help visit www.rgf.org.mt. Players must be over 18. Terms and conditions apply. The odds may change since quotas are variable.