Trezeguet leads Juve's revival

European Leagues / Alsy / 05 October 2007 / Leave a Comment

Morgan in the driving seat - Alister Morgan tells us why Juve's aspirations to win Serie A aren't just a pipe dream

Six games into the new Serie A season and the top of the table has a familiar look to it. Roberto Mancini's Inter Milan have begun the season where they left off and remain one of only two teams undefeated team in the Italian top flight. Last weekend the Nerazzurri travelled to Roma for their first major test of the season. It was a game for the neutral observer as Ludovic Giuly's early sending off ended the game as a serious contest and Inter romped to a 4-1 victory.

While it may be business as usual for Inter at the peak of the summit, a quick glance down the Serie A table reveals a few interesting surprises. It's too early in the season to predict any final outcome but AC Milan has had a shocking start to their domestic campaign (W-1, D-4, L-1) and currently lie in eleventh place while the quality of Fiorentina's football, (who remain unbeaten) has surprised many.

However, the most compelling story in Italian football is not that Mancini has finally been told that he cannot add to his gargantuan squad of superstars. It's not even the mysterious affliction (perhaps a shooter on the grassy knoll?) that caused Milan's Dida to fall to the ground clutching his face when brushed on the shoulder by a Celtic fan. The real story of the season so far is the form of Juventus who currently lie in second place.

Ordinarily this wouldn't surprise anyone but this is a team who were demoted to Serie B and deducted nine points for match fixing last season. This is the team who were forced to watch as many of their best assets (including Vieira and Ibrahimovic) left the sinking ship. Everyone expected the Old lady of Italian football to take her time acclimatising to the top flight again but they're playing with the kind of verve and dedication that transmits a clear statement of intent. "We're back".

France striker David Trezeguet leads the Serie A scoring table with an impressive haul of seven goals while the form of veterans Pavel Nedved and Alessandro Del Piero has been nothing short mesmerising.

New coach Claudio Ranieri has the Bianconeri playing a new 4-3-3 system that is delivering instant success. Last week, Trezeguet's late winner during a 1-0 victory, against local rivals Torino, was the latest in a series of impressive displays for a team largely bereft of 'superstars and foreign imports.

Nine of the players who started that game were Italian while Nedved and Trezeguet have played in Italy for eleven and seven years respectively.

With this blend of home-grown youth and experience gelling so early in the season Juve's current price (9.2) to win Serie A looks criminally generous to my mind. Inter Milan (1.94) remain worthy favourites but I'm not tempted by AC Milan (6.8) and Roma (5.8) on current form.
Moreover, unlike their other domestic rivals, Juventus have no European football to distract them and will be able to concentrate solely on Serie A. Suddenly the impossible idea of Juventus winning on their first year back is not exactly certain but certainly not pie-in-the-sky. I'd be happy to back the Bianconeri at (9.2) for two good reasons. Firstly it's a great price that will diminish rapidly as Juventus continue to win and secondly the weight of expectation on Inter, to succeed in Serie A and in the Champions League, may just be enough to derail their domestic campaign.

If Inter Milan's squad is stronger than your faith in Juventus then hedge your bets and back Trezeguet (4.0) to win the Golden Boot. Either way I sense that the battle between Inter's 'galacticos' and Juve's young, home-grown players will extend far beyond this season.