Serie A matchday 4: the midfielders to pick, club by club
Frattesi and Zaccagni, the Como midfield that scored three of four at Genoa, Éderson, and a Juventus side to rebuild without Locatelli. Every name with his game and our call.
Serie A matchday four runs from Friday 11 to Monday 14 September. Below are the recommended names, ordered by fixture, from Friday night to the Monday late game.
Next to each game is our call with its confidence: it tells you which games we expect goals in and which we do not.
Venezia-Fiorentina, Friday at 20:45
Our call on the game: under 4.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Gianluca Busio (Venezia). He opens the round on Friday night, in a game our call has as a tight one.
Venezia-Fiorentina, Friday at 20:45
Our call on the game: under 4.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Arthur Atta (Fiorentina). He was on the bench against Torino on Sunday: check the final session to see whether he starts.
Genoa-Frosinone, Saturday at 15:00
Our call on the game: over 1.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Tommaso Baldanzi (Genoa). Genoa are still on zero points, but the call here is over 1.5 goals: this game opens up.
Genoa-Frosinone, Saturday at 15:00
Our call on the game: over 1.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Giacomo Calò (Frosinone). In the side that scored three against Venezia, in a game where we expect more.
Lazio-Milan, Saturday at 18:00
Our call on the game: under 3.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Davide Frattesi (Lazio). He scored the 75th-minute goal at Udine that started the comeback. Lazio have won all three games.
Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio). Same side, in a game our call has as very tight: under 3.5 goals.
Lazio-Milan, Saturday at 18:00
Our call on the game: under 3.5 goals, confidence 6 out of 10.
Adrien Rabiot (Milan). Milan drew 1-1 with Juventus and have conceded twice in three rounds.
Alphadjo Cissè (Milan). He came off the bench against Juventus and scored on 68 minutes. Check whether he starts.
Atalanta-Cagliari, Saturday at 20:45
Our call on the game: under 4.5 goals, confidence 7 out of 10.
Éderson (Atalanta). He scored on 47 minutes against Roma, the goal that put Atalanta ahead.
Franck Kessié (Atalanta). He was on the bench on Sunday: one to check at the final session.
Lazar Samardžić (Atalanta). He started against Roma, and now faces a Cagliari side with two goals in three rounds.
Napoli-Bologna, Sunday at 18:00
Our call on the game: Napoli to score, confidence 6 out of 10.
Antonio Vergara (Napoli). He came on at 58 minutes against Arsenal for Alisson Santos, and Napoli's midfield is short for Bologna: McTominay is out after his procedure and Anguissa is a doubt.
Sassuolo-Juventus, Sunday at 20:45
Our call on the game: under 4.5 goals, confidence 7 out of 10.
Douglas Luiz (Juventus). Juventus have a midfield to rebuild: Locatelli has had meniscus surgery and is out for five to six months.
Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus). He was on the bench on Sunday, but with Locatelli out the space is there.
Nicolás González (Juventus). He started against Milan. Not to be confused with Nico González, a different player, who plays in the Premier League.
Francisco Conceição (Juventus). A wide forward in the same side, on a manageable trip.
Torino-Roma, Monday at 18:30
Our call on the game: Roma to score, confidence 7 out of 10.
Bryan Cristante (Roma). Roma lead the table with a perfect record, and our call says they score at Torino too.
Como-Parma, Monday at 18:30
Our call on the game: under 4.5 goals, confidence 7 out of 10.
Martin Baturina (Como). He scored on 25 minutes in the 4-1 at Genoa.
Assane Diao (Como). Two goals at Genoa, on 30 and 78 minutes. He is Como's hottest name right now.
Nico Paz (Como). He scored on 40 minutes in the same game: three of Como's four goals at Genoa came from these three.
Lucas Da Cunha (Como). The same midfield, against a Parma side with one goal in three rounds.
Inter-Udinese, Monday at 20:45
Our call on the game: over 1.5 goals, confidence 7 out of 10.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter). He was on the bench against Napoli on Sunday: one to check at the final session.
Andy Diouf (Inter). In a game where we expect over 1.5 goals, against a Udinese side short at the back.
How these names were picked
We do not invent ratings or performance forecasts. Every player here was checked twice: the club comes from the actual line-ups of the round just played, not from an archive that can be a transfer window out of date, and what he did on the weekend comes from the match report.
Next to each fixture is our call with its confidence: it tells you which games we expect goals in and which we do not. On Monday, with the round closed, we count all of them in the recap, the ones that missed included.
Every game of the round with our calls is on the Serie A page. Individual calls are in player predictions, and the record of settled ones is in the results history.
