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2019-20 preseason Serie A power rankings: Everybody is chasing Juventus

By John Vaccaro

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini (3) kisses the Serie A soccer title trophy after the Serie A football match n.38 JUVENTUS - VERONA on 19/05/2018 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Matteo Bottanelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini (3) kisses the Serie A soccer title trophy after the Serie A football match n.38 JUVENTUS - VERONA on 19/05/2018 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Matteo Bottanelli/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /
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STADIO OLIMPICO GRANDE TORINO, TURIN, ITALY – 2019/08/08: Andrea Belotti (L) of Torino FC celebrates with Simone Zaza after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round football match between Torino FC and FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk. Torino FC won 5-0 over FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
STADIO OLIMPICO GRANDE TORINO, TURIN, ITALY – 2019/08/08: Andrea Belotti (L) of Torino FC celebrates with Simone Zaza after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round football match between Torino FC and FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk. Torino FC won 5-0 over FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images) /

10. Cagliari

When Cagliari let Nicolo Barella leave for Inter, it seemed like they’d be destined for another relegation battle, but I actually think their team has gotten stronger this year. The nice thing about letting Barella leave is that it allowed them to keep the rest of the squad intact while still adding a few nice pieces. Nahitan Nandez, Marko Rog, and Radja Nainggolan are all strong additions to the midfield who will be able to serve as replacements for Barella. They’ve got a few young players who should continue developing this year and the team should improve as a whole. I actually think they’ll be closer to the top of the table than the relegation zone this year.

9. Fiorentina

Fiorentina was Serie A’s biggest disappointment last season. Before the season started I thought they had a real shot at taking one of Italy’s Europa League spots. Instead they ended up only finishing 3 points above relegation. Still, I think they are a much better team than they showed last year and added some pieces that should fix their issues this season. Kevin-Prince Boateng will help solve some of their issues up front like he did at Sassuolo in the first half of last season and Franck Ribery will add a stabilizing veteran presence to the squad that still has something left in the tank. Pol Lirola was also a solid pickup for their defense. As long as they don’t lose Chiesa tomorrow, Fiorentina actually has one of the strongest squads in the league from top to bottom. Their performance will match that talent this year.

8. Roma

It was a rough fall for Roma last season. Over the course of one season they went from the semifinal of the Champions League to barely holding onto a Europa League spot.Their abysmal defense shouldered most of the blame for the disappointing season and that defense got worse this summer. Without Kostas Manolas, I really don’t know how Roma will stop anyone from scoring this season. I liked their signings of Leonardo Spinazzola and Pau Lopez, but I really just can’t see them overcoming their center back issues. I wouldn’t be shocked if they dropped into the double digits in these rankings for stretches of the year, but when all is said and done they should definitely be a top 10 team.

7. Torino

Torino starts off the class of teams who will head into this season with real aspirations of making it to the Champions League. They were surprisingly strong last season, with a stout defense and a return to form by Andrea Bellotti. They spent most of the second half of last season hovering around a Europa League spot and they’ll be hoping to at least make it back to that competition this year. I think they have what it takes to claim one of those spots and they look like the 7th strongest team right now, but I don’t think they’ll be able to push much higher than that.

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