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Serie A preview: 5 storylines to watch for this season

By Clemente Lisi

JUVENTUS STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2017/05/21: Gonzalo Higuain (L) and Paulo Dybala of Juventus FC celebrate the victory of the Italian Serie A 'Scudetto' at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and FC Crotone. Juventus won their sixth consecutive and 33th official Serie A title. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
JUVENTUS STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2017/05/21: Gonzalo Higuain (L) and Paulo Dybala of Juventus FC celebrate the victory of the Italian Serie A 'Scudetto' at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and FC Crotone. Juventus won their sixth consecutive and 33th official Serie A title. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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BERGAMO, ITALY – MAY 27: Giulio Migliaccio of Atalanta BC celebrates the qualification at UEFA Europa League 2017/18 at the end of the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and AC ChievoVerona at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on May 27, 2017 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
BERGAMO, ITALY – MAY 27: Giulio Migliaccio of Atalanta BC celebrates the qualification at UEFA Europa League 2017/18 at the end of the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and AC ChievoVerona at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on May 27, 2017 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) /

Which team will exceed expectations?

Atalanta were the club that exceeded expectations last season to finish fourth, good enough for a spot in the Europa League. The Bergamo-based club had gotten off to a poor start, but catapulted ahead of the pack following a string of positive results. It has been 26 years since the team last played in a European competition. Atalanta have lost some of the players that got them this far, but their strong youth system may be enough for a club that’s clearly on an upswing.

There are several clubs looking to pull off the same feat. Inter Milan, a team that once battled regularly for the league title, are hoping to finish in the top three and grab a Champions League spot with new coach Luciano Spalletti. Inter Milan have a talented group of individuals; Spalletti will need to turn them into a team. The roster includes goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, midfielder Rigoberto Rivas and striker Mauro Icardi, one of the league’s biggest scoring threats.

Meanwhile, Roma (minus Francesco Totti, who retired at the end of last season, Mohamed Salah and Antonio Rudiger, who both departed for the Premier League) and their crosstown rivals Lazio, winners of the Italian Super Cup versus Juventus this past Sunday are both looking to make a splash. Fiorentina, Torino and Sampdoria are all capable of finishing in the top half of the table, but may need to look to the January transfer window to pick up reinforcements should they falter this fall.

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