Amici sportivi, Serie A restarts this weekend, and with it the reasonably popular OTF prediction league.

But before we get down to business, our traditional tribute to last season's very worthy Champion*



Unlike anything else involving Italian football, the rules for our competition don't change every year.** We will post five matches a week (no later than Friday morning, we hope, and trying to include "big" games and all major derbies) and ask you to submit 1X2 "Totocalcio style" (i.e., home win=1, draw=X, away win=2) predictions for each of them, along with score predictions for the two matches highlighted in bold.

Correct result predictions earn you one point; correct score predictions get (a total of) three points. The maximum score in any one week is therefore nine points, which has never been recorded in the history of the competition. We try to post each week's results and a current table no later than Tuesday.

Participants shouldn't worry about being seriously disadvantaged about missing a couple of weeks of picks, as nearly everyone (including us) manages to do so over the course of the season.

And here are this week's matches (starting times are in CET):

Siena - Milan (Sat 20h45)
Lazio - Atalanta (Sun 20h45)
Catania - Sampdoria (Sun 20h45)
Genoa - Roma (Sun 20h45)
Palermo - Napoli (Sun 20h45)

And just to get things started, here are my picks:

Siena - Milan X (1-1)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria X (1-1)
Genoa - Roma 1
Palermo - Napoli X

Bocca a lupo to everyone.

* Lodzu, we would be happy to send you a mounted hard copy of this memento for your trophy room, just pm me a postal address.

** As a few of you know already, one thing that will be changing this season is our physical location, as the time has come for us to return to the US. That is likely to mean that I won't be around here as much as I have been in recent years, but both ursus minor and I are committed to keeping the prediction league going as long as there is sufficient interest.

I'm a sucker for any prediction competition, so count me in.

Siena-Milan 2 (0-1)
Lazio v Atlanta 1
Catania v Sampdoria 2 (1-2)
Genoa v Roma X
Palermo v Napoli X

Hey, you're repatriating! Don't do that, America is in secular decline. (Then again, so is Italy.) Well, pick a good neighborhood at least.

Siena - Milan X (1-1)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria 1 (1-0)
Genoa - Roma 1
Palermo - Napoli 1

Siena - Milan X (0-0)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria 1 (2-0)
Genoa - Roma 2
Palermo - Napoli 1

Siena - Milan 2 (0-1)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria X (0-0)
Genoa - Roma X
Palermo - Napoli X

Many thanks to Ursus and the collective for keeping this going at such a busy time. Hope you'll manage to find time for us once you've made the move, as well.

After last year's poor performance, only saved from relegation by people dropping out, I can only encourage others to take Ursus' advice about not being too concerned about missing the odd week or month.

Edit: And yes, congratulations to Lodz, like all real champions, he makes it look so easy.

Siena-Milan 2 (0-1)
Lazio v Atlanta 1
Catania v Sampdoria X (0-0)
Genoa v Roma 1
Palermo v Napoli X

Siena-Milan 2 (1-2)
Lazio v Atlanta 1
Catania v Sampdoria 1 (1-0)
Genoa v Roma X
Palermo v Napoli 1

Yes, many thanks Ursus family. Good luck with the move and with finding the time to come on the boards still.

Congrats again, Lodz, it is a cracking trophy indeed.

Siena-Milan X (1-1)
Lazio v Atlanta 1
Catania v Sampdoria 1 (2-1)
Genoa v Roma 1
Palermo v Napoli 1

Congratulations again to Lodzubelieveit, an inspiration to us all.

Hope the move goes well for the ursus family. Hopefully, you'll be able to keep posting semi-regularly, your contributions will be highly missed. Thanks for keeping the prediction league going and don't be shy in shouting for help if you need it.

Thanks guys *bashful, blushing thing*

Well in Lodz - that's some goooood predictin'

Siena - Milan 2 (0-3)
Lazio - Atalanta X
Catania - Sampdoria 2 (0-1)
Genoa - Roma 2
Palermo - Napoli 1

Siena - Milan 2 (1-2)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria 1 (2-1)
Genoa - Roma X
Palermo - Napoli 2

Siena - Milan 1 (2-1)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria 1 (2-1)
Genoa - Roma 1
Palermo - Napoli 1

ursus minor:

Siena - Milan 2 (1-2)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria 2 (1-3)
Genoa - Roma 2
Palermo - Napoli 1

Right you are, ursus minor. Siena-Milan ends 1-2. (brace from Pato)

Fiorentina only managed a 1-1 draw at Bologna.

Milan are now top of Serie A.

Enjoy it while you can Bruno.

The Viola have not won an opener away for a dozen years, and Prandelli has never won one, so I wasn't expecting much.

Bruno, you only backed them for a draw! For shame or reverse psychology?

Did they play well?

Given their preseason form of 8 straight losses my expectations were tamped down a smidge. And in light of that form they played pretty well today, against not the strongest side. Dictated the pace of the game well, and Ronnie had a hand setting up both goals with through balls and even had a bicycle shot on target that the keeper was just able to tip over the crossbar. Pato nearly had a hat trick.

Huntelaar was serving a residual La Liga suspension. For me the bright spot was Thiago Silva, who looks very confident indeed alongside Nesta and came up with numerous important stops. It's ridiculously early, but I would tentatively venture to suggest that Nesta & Silva could prove the strongest defensive pairing in the league this season. Obviously you need a back four not just a back two, and our fullbacks are old and on the slow side, if not entirely spent (and of course both highly experienced internationals).

The midfield of Pirlo Gattuso Flamini looked good. Leo went with the Ancelotti 4-3-1-2 'diamond' with Dinho as the trequartista.

And please people, let's not rule Milan out before David Beckham makes his triumphant return next January.

Yes, I wouldn't have been too surprised if they had drawn at Siena, who IIRC had a decent home record for most of last season.

Thiago Silva, on the occasions saw him in preseason, looked a fine player. It is great to have Nesta back.

Pato is marvellous and that midfield is fine with Flamini in it.

Siena - Milan (Sat 20h45)
Lazio - Atalanta 1
Catania - Sampdoria X (1-1
Genoa - Roma 1
Palermo - Napoli 1

Thanks Ursus for running the league again.

I hope to knock Lodz 'off his fucking perch' as some red nosed Scotsman once said. Mind you missing the first prediction doesn't really help.

The results of last night's games were:

Lazio-Atalanta 1-0
Catania-Sampdoria 1-2
Genoa-Roma 3-2
Palermo-Napoli 2-1

The current table will be up shortly.