5 Games to Watch in Serie A This Weekend

Serie A returns this weekend, although Italian football has not been quiet this summer.

Cesare Prandelli's Azzurri performed exceptionally well to exceed expectations and reach the final of Euro 2012, while the Calcio Scommesse scandal has provided an equally big story in the buildup to the new season.

With Italy's biggest clubs all evolving over the summer, this weekend will be a fascinating watch as we get a glimpse as to how the season will play out.

Here are five matches that you should take time out to catch over the weekend.

The champions entertain the Gialloblu on the opening day of the season for the second consecutive season. Last year the Bianconeri triumphed 4-1 as Parma crumbled under the raucous atmosphere that greeted them for the grand unveiling of the Juventus Stadium.

The obvious connection between the two sides in recent history is Sebastian Giovinco, who rejoined Juve this summer after a breakout season with Roberto Donadoni's side. It is not clear whether Formica Atomica will start against his former team with Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri also vying for a place in the 3-5-2 formation. 

Kwadwo Asamoah will likely be the other debutant, with Mauricio Isla still sidelined with injury, in what looks to be a formidable side out to prove why they are champions in their pursuit of another Scudetto.

Meanwhile, the Crociati have acquired the exciting Colombian striker Dorlan Pabon, who finished as the third-top goalscorer in the most recent edition of the Copa Libertadores with Atletico Nacional. The partnership he will develop with Amauri, who was with Fiorentina last season, should be plenty potent enough to cause problems for the champions and keep the upset alive.

Roma enter the new season after scrapping their previous project under Luis Enrique. The DeBenedetto regime opted to fire the Spaniard and hired the Czech veteran manager Zdenek Zeman, for the second time.

Roma has intelligently invested this summer by signing Serie A proven players to ensure that Zeman's tactical philosophy has the best chance to prosper. Federico Balzaretti, Mattia Destro and Michael Bradley all enjoyed excellent seasons last year, while Greek midfielder Tachtsidis Panagiotis should be one of the outstanding finds of the season.

Catania experienced an incredible season under Vincenzo Montella, proving to be one of the surprise packages with their eye-catching, fluid football. Fiorentina prized away the young maestro and the Elefanti replaced him with Rolando Maran, who will offer a similar approach with a 4-3-3 formation.

The Giallorossi will be determined to get off to a good start and their fans will be excited at the prospect of Zeman's promise to deliver entertaining football. With significantly more talent at his disposal compared to his previous club, Pescara, we can expect great things from Roma again.

Needless to say, Roma will be one of the best teams to watch in Serie A this season; make sure to catch their first match of the season this weekend.

I anticipate this to be the most entertaining match of the weekend with last season's most entertaining side, Napoli, travelling to the Renzo Barbara, one of the most intimidating atmospheres in European football.

Palermo will be desperate to improve on last season's 16th place finish and will feel the expectations from owner Maurizio Zamparini who has promised Champions League football within four seasons.

Giuseppe Sannino is the latest manager to attempt to meet these unrealistic ambitions and will be fearful for his job, knowing that Zamparini has made 24 separate managerial appointments since his tenure began in 2002.

Fabrizio Miccoli can still produce moments of genius, but the capitano will need some help and it is not immediately apparent where it will come from. Abel Hernandez is the obvious candidate and the Uruguayan will look to replicate his countryman Edinson Cavani by using Palermo as a springboard for better things.

Napoli enter life without Ezequiel Lavezzi, while trying to hold on to their other talisman Cavani with only days of the transfer window remaining. Walter Mazzarri is in a confident mood though, as Lorenzo Insigne returns from an inspired loan spell with the Serie B champions Pescara.

The Partenopei have tweaked their trademark 3-4-2-1 formation by adding an extra central midfielder. This was deemed necessary after El Pocho's departure to bring the best out of Gokhan Inler. The Swiss international should be able to dictate the tempo of game more without Walter Gargano in the side, who has joined Inter on loan.

The defence has been strengthened with the arrivals of Alessandro Gamberini to add depth and Miguel Britos has returned to full fitness. Both will compete with Salvatore Aronica and Federico Fernandez for one place in the defence, given that Hugo Campagnaro and Paolo Cannavaro are integral to Napoli. 

Expect a raucous atmosphere for this clash with plenty of goals, the perfect combination.

This game is most interesting as we will be witnessing the next generation of Francesco Guidolin's Udinese. The Zebrette have sold Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Zapata, Gokhan Inler, Mauricio Isla, Kwadwo Asamoah and Samir Handanovic in the past two seasons, but continue to prosper.

The scouting network at the Friuli club is one of the best in the world and it should be expected that the latest recruits will be capable of continuing this amazing story. Udinese, despite losing key players, improved from their fourth place finish in 2011 to finish third in 2012 in the fiercely fought contest for the Champions League, a task made all the more difficult after Italy lost one of its qualification spots. 

Maicoseul, Willians, Luis Muriel, Favide Faraoni and Allan are the new members of this new-look Udinese, while the amazing Antonio Di Natale continues his remarkable career, hoping to fire Udinese back to a third successive Champions League qualification.

The defence is looking very solid due to possessing two of the most outstanding players in the league, Mehdi Benatia and Danilo, which will give Guidolin reason to be quietly confident of proving the doubters wrong again. 

Fiorentina will provide a stern test after a summer of upheaval triggered by a horrendous season which saw the Viola flirt with relegation. Among the arrivals are Borja Valera, Alberto Aquilani, David Pizzaro and Matias Fernandez who will lessen the burden on Stevan Jovetic, who seems to have been convinced to stay in Florence.

This is an intriguing match due to the fascination as to how much Milan have deteriorated since last season. The Rossoneri have lost a vast amount of talent, including many players who have been integral to the side in recent times.

Massimo Allegri is charged with the thankless task of continuing to challenge for major honours despite the club allowing Alessandro Nesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Clarence Seedorf, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Mark van Bommel, Antonio Cassano and Filippo Inzaghi to all leave or retire this summer. 

The signings that have arrived to replace the aforementioned are less inspiring. Riccardo Montolivo joins on a fee from Fiorentina, which is a clever piece of business. The Azzurri international will be one to watch given that he will be entrusted to initiate a more attractive style of football in the anchor position, which his predecessor van Bommel was heavily criticised for not doing.

News of another Alexandre Pato injury broke this week to rob Allegri of the talented Seleção star for more time. The arrival of Giampaolo Pazzini, despite coming at an exorbitant cost, is an adequate replacement for the time being. Pazzo will make his debut against his former club, where he last showed the majestic form that encouraged Inter to pay big money for his services.

Sampdoria, who returned from Serie B after only one season, enter the new season knowing that survival will probably amount to success, which is certainly achievable.

Ciro Ferrara will set up with a 4-3-3 formation that possesses useful wide options, such as Marcelo Estigarribia. This should be Samp's best way to hurt Milan with fullbacks Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonini's tendencies to attack, sometimes leaving Milan exposed defensively.

Samp will be looking for Maxi Lopez to provide the inspiration to spring an upset. The Argentine will be especially motivated to prove that the Rossoneri were wrong to discard him last season.

The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza faithful are bound to turn on the side if things do not start swimmingly, after a frustrating summer that seems to have taken the club significantly backwards. An unpredictable match awaits and is sure to be compulsive viewing.

Jack Alexandros Rathborn is a football analyst for Football Radar, follow him on twitter at @jackrathbornand @FRcalcioJack.