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Amalfitano: why Juventus are back among Scudetto favourites
out. Deep down, you know it must surely be just a blip in the system that has been characterised by complete dominance for the past four seasons. Players both left and arrived. Injuries occurred. New tactics were tested. Games were won and lost.
However, all of that is behind the Old Lady now.
We can finally say Juventus have really begun to show their old selves, tasting victory in
their last five Serie A matches, the first time since October 2014.
With their consistent form and stumbles by other Scudetto contenders, it’s more than fair to say the Bianconeri are slowly cementing themselves in a great position to fight for the title and to hoist their fifth consecutive league trophy.
Although the Juventus defence has steadily improved – keeping a clean sheet for 431 minutes of action – the attacking phase needs to develop to really solidify their position as Scudetto favourites as the season progresses. €40 million man Paulo Dybala has been their sole difference maker among the club’s forward line this term, and this may grow to be a larger issue if he is hampered by injury.
Capable of changing a match in an instant – a quality bossed by ex-striker Carlos Tevez during his time in Turin who contributed to 27% of the club’s offensive output in all competitions last season – the ex-Palermo forward is the club’s leading goalscorer with 8 strikes in all competitions.
Early outings for the Old Lady of Italian football depicted the struggles and growing pains of a new side going through the meticulous process of forming chemistry with each other.
But when did the tide turn for Massimiliano Allegri’s side?
Rock solid centre-back Leonardo Bonucci has the answer: in the dying seconds of the derby win over Torino at the Juventus Stadium, new arrival Juan Cuadrado etched his name in club history with the goal, but more importantly, gave Juve the belief to finally surge past their early struggles. The club’s motto, fino alla fine – until the end – couldn’t have described a more perfect moment.
Next followed an away trip to Empoli who have displayed a knack for taking points off big sides during the past two campaigns. The Bianconeri went under through their first shot conceded, with Massimo Maccarone’s effort edging past Gianluigi Buffon’s fingertips.
Despite the early shock, Juve would come back with conviction, winning 3-1. Following that, victories against Milan, Palermo and Lazio would continue their hot streak. The results have sailed them to fifth in the table, just six points back from leaders Inter and four from third-place Napoli.
Over the past two weekends, the other league contenders have dropped 13 out of 24 points, allowing Juve to seamlessly reinsert themselves right into the mix.
The biggest culprit has been Roma. Coach Rudi Garcia appears to have lost the ability to motivate his side, with big changes needing to bring the Giallorossi back on the right track. The squad is filled with quality, but their recent performances have demonstrated a lack of personality, hunger and fight, losing 2-0 at home to Atalanta before drawing 1-1 away to Torino. Will a new manager be the right remedy for Roma to improve from here on out?
Next come Napoli, who saw an 18-match unbeaten run snapped by Bologna in a 3-2 loss. After climbing to the top of the table for the first time in 25 years, nerves were tested away in Emilia-Romania. A poor display coupled with individual mistakes meant it was a match that had to be ground out in order to salvage any points. Late heroics from Gonzalo Higuain couldn’t save his side, but coach Maurizio Sarri sees the defeat as useful for his men to rediscover their focus. The Partenopei have struggled in recent years against the provinciali. Will Sarri do enough to change their mentality?
Fiorentina, on the other hand, were held to draws against Empoli and Sassuolo in recent weeks, but easily dispatched Udinese 3-0 on Sunday. Pauolo Sousa’s side play an intense brand of football and concerns remain whether the Viola will be able to sustain it for a long period of time without faltering, especially given their lack of depth. Will January reinforcements be enough to prolong their winning formula?
Although an inspired second half performance for Inter against the Partenopei did not result in added points, they returned to victory against Genoa. The Nerazzurri have also taken back the record as the best defensive side in Italy’s top flight. Roberto Mancini’s men have recorded eight 1-0 victories thus far, while also creating the fewest chances out of the Scudetto contenders. Will their defensive solidity be enough to keep them among the top places come May?
All in all, we’ve yet to reach the halfway point of the season but it’s clear that Juventus will not be missing out on the title race this term. They’re rapidly gaining momentum through consecutive victories while other sides are feeling the pressure.
The question remains: will anyone be able to stop them?
