The future of Serie A is still in mayhem as the governing authority of Italian top division football is yet to confirm a restarting date since the postponement back on March 9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The return of Serie A took a massive blow a few days back after Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte deferred a previous decision to restart top-flight football without even mentioning any dates.
Reports earlier this week suggested that all 20 Serie A clubs have voted unanimously in favour of completing the league season. But Italy’s sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora’s recent comments on the cancellation of League 1, has only created a new turmoil in an already gloomy sky of Serie A.
Spadafora has admired the French authority for their bold decision to cancel the league, giving preference to the safety-first attitude.Â
However, a recent report from an Italian news daily, La Gazzetta Dello Sports has predicted that Italian football will lose around €440 million from TV revenues if the league is cancelled and that Serie A could resume as early as mid-June, with players expected to take the training ground from May 18.
Juventus were sitting at the top of the Serie A table prior to the halt back in March. The Bianconeri were just one point clear of second-place Lazio, who have 62 points. Maurizio Sarri’s men were in a rich vein of form, winning four of their last five Serie A matches and looked all set to gain the upper hand in a tightly contested league season.
So, without further ado, let’s have a look at three reasons why Juventus are favorites to lift their ninth straight league title.
#3 Easier remaining fixtures
Although it is rightly said that matches can only be won on the field and not on paper, when it comes to predicting the future, one cannot overlook the permutations and combinations that lies on the paper. And on paper, Juventus have a much easier task ahead as compared to their closest rivals Lazio and Inter Milan.
Juventus have already played most of their so-called tough away matches against likes of Inter, Atalanta, AS Roma and SSC Napoli. The only tough fixtures that await the Bianconeri on the road are AC Milan and Genoa.
Although Juventus are yet to take on fellow title challenger Lazio on home territory, Maurizio Sarri’s men will have no shortage of confidence, given the track record they have at the Allianz Stadium this season, winning 12 out of the 13 league matches at the venue.
Meanwhile, Lazio have a lot rougher road ahead as they have to contend with a long list of demanding home and away fixtures. Atalanta, Fiorentina, Torino, AC Milan, Juventus, and SSC Napoli are the so-called big names which await Lazio.Â
Besides, Lazio’s performances at the back have been a subject of constant headache for manager Simone Inzaghi. They have already conceded as many as 13 times in only 12 matches on the road.
However, all eyes will be on the Juventus vs Lazio fixture at the Allianz Stadium on match-day 34 as it has all the ingredients to be a season-defining 90 minutes for both teams.
In the meantime, Antonio Conte’s Inter, who are currently holding the third spot on the table with 54 points in their kitty, having played a game less, will have the arduous job of keeping pace with the league leaders. Inter are scheduled to face AS Roma, Fiorentina, Genoa, SSC Napoli, and Atalanta in the last five league fixtures and are expected to drop points given their inability to turn up on big games.
#2 Unreal squad depth
If the recent reports are anything to go by, players might have to cope with the daunting task of playing three times a week. And it is no rocket science to understand that they are bound to get injured, given the extra minutes they will have to be on the field on a weekly basis. So, a team with a better pool of players will have an additional advantage over the others.
Juventus are miles ahead of the rest Serie A sides when it comes to squad depth as the Old Lady are blessed with a host of world-class talents in their ranks. In almost every position, Sarri will have the difficult task of choosing one over another and as a manager, it is a very good headache to have in situations like this.
On the other hand, Lazio have struggled with the lack of squad-depth throughout the whole campaign. Lazio captain Senad Lulić remains side-lined with no return date as of yet after undergoing surgery on the left ankle back in February.
Midfielder Lucas Leiva is yet to recover after going under the knife due to a meniscus problem that has troubled him throughout the whole season.
Yes, Simone Inzhagi is not dependent on a single player and is a firm believer in the team game, but the absence of senior players will somewhat tie his hands in the upcoming crucial period of the season.
Meanwhile, despite having an excellent squad of their own, Inter are still no match for Juventus. Antonio Conte has done well in rotating his squad, but the prospect of a fixture pile-up when the season resumes will test their squad depth to the fullest.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
In the upcoming decisive weeks of the season, the Cristiano Ronaldo factor might come handy for the Old Lady of Turin. Arguably, there is nobody in this world who can perform the way Cristiano Ronaldo does in crunch situations.
The Portuguese superstar’s track record in the second half of the season for the last three-four years have been nothing less than sensational.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has already racked up 21 goals in just 22 league appearances and is currently second on the Serie A goalscoring charts. The consistency he has shown throughout the whole season is truly astounding for a 35-year old attacker.
The Portuguese ace averages a goal in every 93 minutes in the league this season, only second best to Ciro Immobile’s 81 minutes-per-goal ratio.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s ability to pop out of nowhere to turn a game on its head will certainly help Juventus to get out of jail in some of the closely contested Serie A fixtures.
The mere presence of the former Real Madrid superstar in their ranks makes the Bianconeri the favourites to go on and claim their ninth straight Scudetto title. Not to mention, a well-rested Cristiano Ronaldo can prove to be very lethal in Serie A once the season resumes.
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