This weekend also sees the return of the Serie A, and the pick of the opening fixtures on paper looks to be Sassuolo against Atalanta. The home side will be hoping to put a disappointing 2022/23 season behind them, in which they finished in 13th place. The Neroverdi will be hoping that they can push on in the new campaign and aim to finish in a European place. Their opponents on Sunday, Atalanta, finished in a credible fifth place last term, and Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have been notably active in the transfer market as they aim to improve and finish in the Champions League spots. Historically, games between these two sides have provided fans with entertainment and goals, with 12 in their last five meetings and, furthermore, 40 in their last ten. Both sides boast a plethora of attacking talent, and as a result of that, the overs goal markets look particularly tempting. Over 2.5 goals in the game is at odds of 1.61 currently on bet365 and could end up being a sensible pick.

Both Monaco and Strasbourg will be looking to continue their winning form as they go head-to-head at the Stade Louis II on Sunday. Monaco’s trip to Clermont-Ferrand last weekend resulted in a goal-fest in which Monaco won 4-2. Wissam Ben Yedder continued his goalscoring form, bagging a brace as he captained Monaco to a win on the opening day. Although Monaco looked strong offensively, they looked vulnerable at the back, conceding an expected goals of 1.75. One reason for this is the club’s transfer operations this summer, with the sale of central defender Axel Disasi to Chelsea, who the Monegasques have replaced with Mohammed Salisu from Southampton. The Ghanian international is yet to make his debut due to injury, thus leaving them dependent on inexperienced defenders. Goals were not sparse as Strasbourg overcame Lyon with a 2-1 victory last weekend. Strasbourg have lost last season’s top scorer Habib Diallo; however, this has provided funds to strengthen in multiple departments. Emanuel Emegha has joined from Sturm Graz after the 20-year-old netted ten times in all competitions last season. Strasbourg have also retained the experienced Kevin Gameiro who scored ten goals in Ligue 1 in the last campaign. When the pair last faced each other at the Stade Louis II, Monaco beat Strasbourg 4-3 and goals are to be expected again this time around. Monaco look the stronger of the two teams going forward; however, their defensive frailties will provide Strasbourg with a huge opportunity to continue their form at the top of the pitch.

It’s a huge shock that Tromsø have to be considered as a serious title contender with a third of the season left to play. The team from the far north of Norway have been pleasant surprises this year and if they win their game in hand, they would only be two points adrift of Viking and bitter rivals Bodo/Glimt at the summit of the Eliteserien table. Tromsø continue to have unremarkable metrics. They only average 1.13 xG per 90 mins which is the fourth worst of any team, whilst at the other end their xGA average of 1.41 is nothing special. They continue to overachieve at both ends of the field, to such an extent we almost can’t keep saying they are getting lucky. This is clearly a well-drilled side who are coached expertly and who take their chances really well. With Tromsø, you almost have to ignore the metrics and just focus on results. They are excellent at playing different phases of matches well. They defend when they have to but also find the right balance to strike offensively. This should on paper be a fairly straightforward home win. Sandefjord have actually had a recent upturn in form by obtaining seven points from their last three matches, but they have a horrendous defence which Tromsø will surely feast on. Sandefjord can only get points in shootout-type games where they rely on their set-piece ability and counter-attacking strength. The visitors may well get on the scoresheet here which makes over 2.5 goals a temptation. Sandefjord have an xGA average of 1.84 per 90 mins which is the second worst of any team in the Eliteserien. The visitors have conceded a huge 29 goals in their last ten games and have taken some severe beatings along the way. They know they can’t rely on their defence to get them points so must be attack-minded. Tromsø have won both of their last two home games 3-1 vs Lillestrom and Brann respectively. This is now a much easier game facing a softer defence. They should be able to score at least two goals whatever the result.

Both sides have been in good form since the resumption of the OBOS Ligaen from its summer break. Raufoss have won two of their last three games and will feel they should’ve won all three fixtures considering they blew a 2-0 lead to lose vs Jerv. They can be a tricky team to predict but have been operating with some lethal counter-attacking tactics and intensity of late. They look especially dangerous vs teams who take more risks and leave space, but they also proved last week they can break down opponents. They beat bottom club Skeid 2-1 and had to come from behind to prevail 2-1 thanks to a couple of late goals. They outshot Skeid an incredible 29-3 last week and had 66% possession but stayed patient and eventually got the three points. He didn’t hit the back of the net last week, but striker Andreas Helmersen has looked especially sharp since the summer break and his pace on the break is a huge asset. Start are a team known for being involved in high scoring matches. A massive 12 of their 15 matches have resulted in over 2.5 goals this season and their fixtures average 3.5 goals per game. As often happens, these sorts of streaks can sometimes end and Start were involved in a rare unders contest last weekend when they beat Sandnes 2-0. They have come back strong from the summer break with seven points obtained from three games. This could be a challenging fixture against a team who can catch anyone on the break. Start hav ea knack for being too adventurous and leave plenty of gaps at the back. They have conceded a total of 25 goals which is more than most teams in the current top ten. Raufoss won the reverse fixture 3-1 earlier this season and this isn’t a surprise. There is no doubt that this is a favourable matchup for them, and they can wait for Start to over-commit, leaving a possibility to strike quickly with some direct football. Over 2.5 goals can be backed at 1.57 which is big for any Start fixture. I am expecting both teams to contribute and there are many different ways that this match can go overs.