Serie A returns on Saturday, with Milan looking to retain their title after a first Scudetto triumph in 11 years.
The Rossoneri have brought in Belgium duo Charles De Ketelaere and Divock Origi to bolster Stefano Pioli s squad as they prepare to face another challenge from rivals Inter.
Simone Inzaghi will have his own Belgium international striker Romelu Lukaku to call on again after he was brought back on loan from Chelsea.
How will those clubs fare, who is likely to be their closest challengers, and who will be fearing the drop from Italy s top flight?
Stats Perform AI has predicted the outcome of the campaign, estimating the likelihood of teams finishing in each position informed by their expected results in each match.
These are calculated using betting odds and Stats Perform s team rankings – based on historical and recent team performances – and have thrown up some interesting results, with a heavy favourite for top spot.
INTER TO TAKE THEIR TITLE BACK WITH FAMILIAR FACE ON BOARD
In the end, there were just two points in it.
A fascinating battle between Milan and Inter last season saw Pioli s men edge the title with 86 points after a 3-0 win at Sassuolo on the final day.
Despite the impressive way Milan closed out that title, the data makes Inter 47.97 per cent favourites to regain it in 2022-23.
The return of Lukaku is likely to be a big reason for that, with the 29-year-old having scored 47 goals in 72 Serie A games prior to joining Chelsea last year, and he played a major part in Inter s Scudetto win in 2020-21.
Milan s chances are surprisingly not even second best, with the data suggesting there is a 16.43 per cent likelihood of them retaining their title, with Juventus judged to have a slightly better 17.93 per cent chance.
Napoli are deemed to have a 13.75 per cent chance, with no other team being considered to have any more than a two per cent chance, including Jose Mourinho s Roma at 1.99 per cent.
TOP FOUR FIGHT EXPECTED TO BE MORE OF THE SAME
There was very little drama in the race for the Champions League spots last season, with Napoli and Juventus well out of the title fight but clear of fifth place with multiple games to go.
Stats Perform AI expects the same four teams to take up those spots again, albeit in a different order, with Juve in second, Milan third and Napoli fourth.
The positive numbers for the Bianconeri are likely to be a result of Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic having a full season to lead the line, along with big name additions of Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria.
Napoli could be the most at risk after losing several key players since the end of last season, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens, but they are still given a 73.09 per cent chance of Champions League qualification.
In the chasing pack, Roma are given a 30.18 per cent chance of a top four spot and Stats Perform AI believes Mourinho s men are the likeliest team to finish in one of the two Europa League places, with no team given a greater chance than the Giallorossi s 19.58 per cent.
Atalanta have a 20.64 per cent chance of getting back into the top four, though are still deemed likely to improve on last season s eighth place as favourites for sixth and qualification for the Europa League (18.56 per cent).
That leaves Lazio with a 17.09 per cent chance of seventh and a Europa Conference League spot, though Fiorentina (11.10), Hellas Verona (8.45) and Sassuolo (8.34) are not counted out entirely.
CREMONESE UNLIKELY TO RISE TO THE TOP
It is not too much of a surprise to see the promoted teams are predicted to be facing a tough task to stay up.
Cremonese are the favourites for the drop at 63.41 per cent, with Lecce (47.10 per cent) also expected to head back to Serie B at the end of the campaign.
Second favourites for relegation, though, are last year s 17th place team Salernitana, who avoided relegation by a single point ahead of Cagliari. Davide Nicola s side are handed a 58.10 per cent chance of failing to escape this time.
Monza came up through the play-offs and have made a number of new signings, including former Inter players Andrea Ranocchia and Stefano Sensi, which could be why they are given just a 27.92 per cent chance of going back down, slightly ahead of Empoli at 25.17 per cent.
Only four teams are given a zero per cent chance of relegation, which unsurprisingly is last season s top four.
