There’s little to write about regarding the scudetto race of the Serie A now. A commanding 3-0 win by AC Milan over Inter has seemingly decided that this season we will have a new champion. The scudetto is now for Milan to lose, and after the solid display the rossoneri put on for the San Siro, they won’t let this five point lead slip.

Going into the derby, not much was mentioned regarding AC Milan and the Brazilian duo which would play up front. Pato and Robinho were almost cast aside, with people doubting their ability to combine and create against this frail Inter defence. Instead, eyes were focussed on the lack of a big Swede, and people were fearlessly talking about how the Serie A would reopen if Inter won.

Before the derby Leonardo said:

“A derby goes beyond any tactical reasoning, there are many feelings especially because the two top teams of the table are facing each other, at a distance of just two points.”

This mentality was Inter’s undoing in the derby. While AC Milan were well organized, marking Sneijder and Eto’o tightly and very calculative in their movement, Inter was unprepared on a tactical level. Leonardo’s calm and romantic style of play wasn’t enough to break down this AC Milan side which defended rigidly and attacked quickly. And while Sneijder was silenced by van Bommel throughout the match, Pato and Robinho were given plenty of time and space to work their Brazilian magic.

From there, Pato scored two goals thanks to poor marking. While Ranocchia was doing his best to keep Inter in the game with some great interventions, when his central partner Chivu was sent off, there wasn’t much the young Italian defender could do. Pato was slipped through thanks to a wonderful pass by Robinho, and Chivu clipped Pato just enough to make him fall. As the last defender, Chivu had to go. The rest of the match was highlighted by brilliant saves by Julio Cesar, and a strange cameo by Cassano in which he scored a penalty, celebrated by taking his shirt off, and then got a second yellow and was sent off.

Ignoring Cassano’s strange ten minutes of play, AC Milan were unparalleled on the field. Mark van Bommel was brilliant in shutting down the Inter midfield, and Robinho and Pato were always dangerous with their quick movement. Massmiliano Allegri must be praised for setting up a well-oiled machine which had little difficulty in defeating the current champions.

The 3-0 derby victory puts AC Milan three points clear of second placed Napoli, and five points ahead of third placed Inter Milan. The possibility that AC Milan drops enough points for Inter to claw their way back to first seems slim, and as long as AC Milan keep focus, the scudetto will be theirs.

The current Serie A season has seen a trio of clubs compete for the Scudetto with Milan ahead by a small margin over Inter and Napoli respectively. The Milan-Inter showdown, set after the international break, will determine to a large extent the direction of the title. From an individual standpoint, there have been very few influential signings this season who can be credited with shaping the fortunes of their respective clubs.

Milan’s capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on a loan deal likely to be made permanent at end of season, must rank as the season’s best transfer with the talented Swede carrying the club on his shoulders for an extended stretch earlier in the campaign. Ibrahimovic currently has 14 goals and 11 assists in the league alone. The former Juventus and Inter striker had an unimpressive spell with Barcelona, yet he has been firing on all cylinders with the Rossoneri. The knock on Ibrahimovic is his habit of disappearing on the big stage, with one major exception being his decisive goal for Barca in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid last season. In recent weeks, the Swede has been underperforming and his reckless side surfaced leading to his sending-off against Bari. This resulted in a three-match ban which could be decisive due to his absence from the much anticipated Milan derby.

Another success story has been Napoli’s striker Edinson Cavani who is having a remarkable campaign after his loan move from Palermo this summer. Cavani, who is only 24-years-old, is having the best season of his young career with a tally of 22 goals in 30 league appearances as well as another 7 strikes in just 8 European games. Cavani scored two goals against Cagliari over the weekend but his best achievement this season must be the hat-trick he managed against fallen giants Juventus. He also managed to score both goals in a 2-0 in over Roma to show he can rise to the occasion when needed. His two goals against Cagliari halted a recent slump in front of goal which included a missed penalty in recent weeks. Cavani will be one of the players to keep an eye on in the upcoming years as he has the potential to keep improving.

Finally, Juventus winger Milos Krasic deserves to be mentioned because he was instrumental in the early season push by the club before the Bianconeri started their plunge in the standings early 2011. Krasic’s drop in form coincided with Juve’s fall but he cannot be the one to blame for everything and he is clearly not the main reason. In recent weeks, coach Luigi Delneri has on more than one occasion subbed Krasic without a clear indication to the reasons despite the Serb’s critical role in providing much needed width. Krasic managed 5 goals in 26 league appearances which might seem as a low number but one must remember the Serb is not a striker. The winger provided 6 assists which ranks highest amongst his Juve teammates in Serie A. Krasic must also be dealing with fatigue since the Russian season’s schedule and his lack of rest must have exhausted him prior to joining the Bianconeri.

Considering various factors such as results, the importance of certain goals and the team’s progress, Ibrahimovic might be considered the summer’s best signing ahead of Cavani while Krasic’s stock has fallen as a result of Juve’s poor performances.

# To discuss your choice of Serie A’s best signing of the season or anything related to Italian or European football, feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter

Milan remain on top of Serie A yet their hold has become more tenuous than ever with city rivals Inter lurking just two points behind. The Rossoneri have some of the league’s most talented individuals such as Robinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Antonio Cassano, but along with that talents comes a lot of baggage and unpredictability.

Robinho has often missed chances which would make even those again the Rossoneri shake their head in disbelief while Ibrahimovic has often disappeared when needed the most. Zlatan was having a fantastic season and for over two months he was the main reason behind Milan’s rise to the top as his goals were decisive. In recent weeks, the talented Swede has looked like a shadow of the player who tormented Serie A defenders earlier in the campaign.

As for the Nerazzurri, the club parted ways with former coach Rafael Benitez and hired former Milan boss Leonardo as a replacement. Benitez cannot be blamed for all of Inter’s early season problems as injuries, fatigue from having key players such as Wesley Sneijder involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, the departure of Mourinho and the lack of signings contributed to the inconsistency prior to 2011. With players such as Andrea Ranocchia and Giampaolo Pazzini added to the squad along with the change in the coaching staff combined with Sneijder’s return to form, fans and pundits have witnessed Inter’s slow yet methodical surge in the league standings.

With eight rounds remaining, the Rossoneri and Nerazzurri will most likely keep the title in the city of Milan for another season. Third place Napoli are just one point behind Inter yet their schedule includes hosting Lazio, Udinese and Inter as well as trips to face Palermo and Juventus. Napoli’s tricky fixtures could potentially rule them out of the title race unless the two Milan clubs draw in their upcoming clash while Napoli grab all three points against Lazio. This could give the Partenopei the much needed boost as they have struggled when facing the top sides, losing twice to Milan and once to Inter. It is hard to envision Inter losing to Napoli a week prior to the end of the season because the Nerazzurri have a winning mentality and can cope better with pressure.

Going back to the Milan-Inter clash in the next round, this could be decisive in the title race (and you can get tickets for the Milan derby on TixDaq). A victory for the Rossoneri will effectively eliminate Inter from the race. A draw would not change much but would probably favor Inter despite being two points behind their city rivals. The Nerazzurri have momentum on their side, particularly after the stunning comeback win in Germany which ousted Bayern Munich to retain Inter’s hopes of defending the Champions League trophy.

In addition, Inter’s results have improved since the loss to Juventus with the club winning five out of the last six matches. On the other hand, Milan are struggling following a draw with Bari and a defeat to Palermo. The Rossoneri have also been eliminated from the Champions League and their star player Ibrahimovic was sent-off against Bari prompting a three-match ban which sees him miss the clash with Inter.

One other factor playing to Inter’s advantage is the fact Leonardo has experienced coaching a big club before, ironically with Milan, while Massimiliano Allegri is having his first coaching job at the helm of a powerhouse. Leonardo is familiar with some of the Rossoneri’s weaknesses and will be plotting for the downfall of his former team.

Finally, Milan’s new faces such as Cassano and even Robinho have yet to completely get on the same wavelength as the rest of the squad. Inter have the same core players and their new acquisitions have blended well with the squad.

Once again the key to the Scudetto race might be the Milan derby with the Rossoneri having much more to lose since the Inter players are playing with confidence, a fact backed by current form in Serie A and the progress in Europe. For those who argue Inter’s players will be tired from playing two more matches in Europe, the point is negated by the fact these same players have successfully dealt with this issue last season. Moreover, continuing to win in Europe will build confidence as opposed to early elimination.

April 2nd will be a decisive clash for both clubs but more emphasis will be on Milan not losing because playing away at Udinese on the last day could prove to be a daunting task under the pressure of achieving a positive result.

To discuss Milan-Inter clash or Serie A in general, feel free to contact me on Twitter @RamiSoufi

It had been a long time that the Serie A wasn’t as interesting as it is now. The vacuum left by Inter’s downfall  was filled with a tempestuous AC Milan which is now beginning to slow down. Along with AC Milan, Juventus have also begun to lose their knack of outscoring their opponents, especially noticeable in their 3-0 loss to Napoli. Roma were also unable to win, and now there are rifts beginning to form between Francesco Totti and Claudio Ranieri. How will it all finish?

1. Di Vaio Never Stops Scoring

Talk about consistency. Marco Di Vaio has had a lengthy career around Europe, and at the age of 34 he still bangs in goals which keep Bologna alive in the Serie A. With his latest goal against Bari he has now reached eleven goals this season, making up about 57% of Bologna’s goals in the Serie A! At the beginning of the season I wondered whether Di Vaio would continue to score so many goals, and he hasn’t slowed down a bit. With Bologna all the way up in 10th place, they shouldn’t have much trouble escaping relegation. Now the question springs into my mind, can Di Vaio continue this record for the rest of the season?

2. AC Milan trudge on after 4-4 draw

This was the most exciting match so far of this season in my opinion. An exciting 4-4 draw at the San Siro, with two goals coming in the final minutes of the match. While AC Milan started well and created opportunities, Udinese scored the first goal with Antonio Di Natale. As the first half drew to a close, Pato equalized with a simple tap-in delivered to him by Ibrahimovic. The second half saw Udinese go 3-1 up with a diving header by Sanchez and a fantastic run with a curling finish by Di Natale. With 12 minutes to go, AC Milan get lucky when Benatia heads a cross past Handanovic and into his own goal. Cassano replaces Seedorf and Denis replaces Di Natale, and both of the substitutes light up the match. Cassano serves Pato a great assist for the equalizer at 3-3, and then Denis scores a tap-in in the 89th minute to make it 4-3. As AC Milan fans filed out of the stadium in disgust, Cassano conjures up another sublime assist, filtering a pass through the Udinese defence for Ibrahimovic to score.

At 4-4, Allegri is happy to escape without a humiliating loss. The late equalizer will help hide the fact that this AC Milan side is unbalanced and concedes goals. If AC Milan concede this many to Udinese at the San Siro, how many will they concede to Tottenham at White Hart Lane? Hopefully Massimiliano Allegri will find a way to balance the side, or else AC Milan could be facing humiliation in the Champions League.

3. Edinson Cavani the hat-trick hero against Juventus

When Cavani joined Napoli from Palermo, I was slightly skeptical about his ability. While I thought that he wouldn’t be able to score as much without the brilliant Javier Pastore providing assists, I was completely wrong. Edinson Cavani has now scored 13 goals in the Serie A, with three in Napoli’s latest game against Juventus. All three goals were headers, showing that although Cavani can dance around defences and score with both feet, he can also use his tall frame to find the back of the net.

After this win, Napoli is now just four points from first placed AC Milan. If AC Milan continue to concede goals like they did against Udinese, and Napoli continue to provide Cavani assists, the title race could be between these two clubs.

4. Leonardo wins again as Inter return to form

Inter Milan’s second victory under Leonardo was a tough one. The nerazurri travelled to Catania where they went a goal down after 70 minutes of suffering. But in just ten minutes Leonardo’s side had turned the result around with two quick goals by Cambiasso. The first was a good finish after being served a sublime assist, and the second was a header which was served on a silver platter by Maicon’s outside of the foot cross. It’s a positive result for Inter who will now have to make up two of their matches which were postponed due to the FIFA Club World Cup. If they do win both of their games in hand, they’ll be just six points from their rossoneri cousins at the top of the table.

5. Both Roman sides lose

Lazio and Roma were unable to take advantage of AC Milan’s slip against Udinese. Lazio were defeated at home 2-1 by Lecce, and Roma lost by the same scoreline to Sampdoria. While Roma started well, with Vucinic skimming through Sampdoria’s defence and pounding the ball into the goal, the game changed when Julio Sergio was sent off ten minutes into the second half. The Brazilian goalkeeper’s rough challenge also gave Sampdoria a penalty which Pozzi smashed into the roof of the net. The winner was Juan’s mistake, he knocked the ball back towards substitute keeper Doni, and Guberti pounced striking the ball into the back of the net for the winner.

Lazio on the other hand were unable to function when their mastermind Hernanes had a bad day. Lecce went ahead first with a shot hitting the post and bouncing off of Muslera’s back and into the goal. An unlucky own goal which was equalized when Mauri awkwardly pushed the ball into the back of Lecce’s goal. But it was not to be for Lazio, Lecce showed great spirit and Grossmuller tapped in the winner, his first goal for Lecce.

What are your thoughts regarding the weekend of action? Will AC Milan pick themselves back up after their draw? Can Napoli continue to win and fight for the title? Share your comments below!

After the sad news that Fabio Quagliarella will be out for the rest of the season, Juventus got a replacement in record time. It’s Luca Toni who will be replacing Quagliarella (out for 4-6 months with a torn cruciate knee ligament), the World Cup winner leaving Genoa to sign a one and a half year contract with the bianconeri. It was a free transfer from Genoa to Juventus, and Toni makes sure to thank Enrico Preziosi for letting him join Juventus.

“I’m extremely happy, it’s a dream to wear this jersey… I thank Preziosi for this opportunity, at Genoa there were some problems, the marriage [between the club and the player] didn’t end well.”

Toni continued talking about the transfer,

I didn’t hesitate in joining Juventus, it is an adventure which fascinates me. I know the group, I know that every player wants to win. I believe… The Scudetto? We will try to win all the games and then we will see what happens, there’s a lot of will to return to the win.”

While Toni is 33 years-old, the tall striker was a useful player for Roma last season in their attempts to win the Serie A. Juventus’s next match is against Napoli at the San Paolo, a tough match after their 4-1 defeat to Parma at home. Quagliarella had to be substituted just three minutes into the match after injuring his knee, and he was replaced with Amauri. But the Italian/Brazilian had another dry night, goalless as his side suffered Giovinco and Palladino’s wrath.

Toni says he is ready to play, and after seeing what Amauri provided up front (little to nothing), Delneri could try and spark the team this weekend with his new signing. Here’s what Toni said regarding his possibility to play this weekend, and what he hopes to do at Juventus.

“I played 90 minutes yesterday with Genoa, I’m ready to play against Napoli, but Delneri will decide. I did my best to come to Turin, in 2007 I was a step away from Juventus but then I went to Germany. To play here I turned down offers which were economically more beneficial, I’ve cut my wages because I want to show my value here”

“I’m ready to play at Naples. I will find myself well, I’m a man of the penalty box and I can count on two strong wingers. I chose the number 20 even if I like 9 and 30, they were already taken.”

While this is a big move in the Serie A for this January transfer window, there’s a possibility of more to come from Juventus. It seems like they aren’t happy with just Luca Toni, especially after seeing the poor display of Amauri and Del Piero. Marotta didn’t say yes or no to whether Juventus will try and find a more similar forward to Quagliarella in hopes of replacing him.

I’m unsure about how Toni will do. While he won’t have a major part in Delneri’s plans, he will be a a useful player who will provide some goals. Krasic’s excellent service will finally be put to some use with Luca Toni often being a commanding presence in the box.

How do you think Toni will do at Juventus? A good or a bad signing for the bianconeri? Share your comments below!

During the winter break Serie A fans got to contemplate many things. How will Cassano do at AC Milan? What new signings will we see in the January transfer window? And how will Leonardo do at Inter Milan? The last question seems to be a little clearer after Leonardo made his debut on Inter Milan’s bench in their 3-1 win against Napoli.

It was a big test for Leonardo, having to face Napoli in his first match. The pressure of the San Siro weighed upon the new coach, the fans unhappy with the previous reign under Rafa Benitez. Yet Leonardo put out an organized and inspired side which scored just minutes into the match. A quick give-and-go between Thiago Motta and Stankovic, with the former spanking the ball diagonally into the bottom corner.

The San Siro went wild as did the players, celebrating after their good start to 2011. Yet Napoli’s response was quick, just minutes later Cavani had a goal disallowed because of an offside in the build-up, and then Napoli managed to score the equalizer. Pazienza snuck behind a distracted Inter defence on a corner, and he headed past a fumbling Castellazzi to make it 1-1.

But this Inter side is different from Benitez’s depressed group of injured players, Leonardo has truly inspired them. Cambiasso pops up with an opportune header in the 37th minute, putting Inter Milan in front. It was Maicon’s cross which was placed expertly on the Argentine’s head, and the Brazilian fullback had a strong game with the right wing his territory.

In the second half there was more of the same, with Inter not allowing Napoli breathing space. Ten minutes into the second half Thiago Motta bests himself with another beautiful goal. A pinpoint header from a corner, the ball perfectly thumped into the top corner for the final goal of the match. Inter held onto the match for their first three points of 2011.

While Inter Milan played well, Napoli allowed Leonardo’s side freedom in the midfield. Mazzari wasn’t happy on the sideline, and he was often found yelling at inanimate objects and colleagues. It’s an important win for Inter, and although they’re still 13 points from AC Milan at the top of the table, they have two games in hand to make up against Cesena and Fiorentina.

Is this a complete revival for Inter Milan? Will Leonardo be able to continue succeeding? Share your comments below!

With the Champions League and Europa League draws having taken place, the rest of the season is slowly drifting into a more predictable mush. There’s just one last weekend of Serie A action (this weekend), and then there’s a solid two weeks and a bit of break from the Serie A. I certainly find it refreshing, not only for the teams in the competition which will have time to replenish, but for myself as well.

The draw for the Round of 16 matches in the Champions League did not go too well for the Italian teams. Here are the three fixtures which the Serie A sides will be playing in the first round of the knockout stages.

Roma – Shakhtar Donetsk

AC Milan – Tottenham Hotspur

Inter Milan – Bayern Munich

It seems like Roma have the easiest opponent in Shakhtar Donetsk, but the Ukrainian side topped their Champions League group which included Arsenal. They managed to win all of their games in the group stages except one, which they lost away to Arsenal, so it seems like Roma will have a tough time with them.

AC Milan instead get the team which haunted Inter during the group stages, Tottenham Hotspur. The newcomers to this competition did wonderfully well in the group stages, finishing above Inter Milan in the group after some spectacular attacking play. This match looks to be extremely exciting along with it being very difficult to call. While in my mind AC Milan should be able to defeat Tottenham, which have been conceding tons of goals this season, there is a doubt that Allegri’s side falls short to the task.

Inter Milan – Bayern Munich is a strange match-up in my opinion. Both teams which won their domestic leagues and cups, and met each other in the Champions League final last season are now doing poorly in the Serie A and the Bundesliga. Inter Milan are seventh in the Serie A, and Bayern aren’t doing much better in sixth in the Bundesliga, but this clash still looks to be exciting in my opinion. Bayern Munich will undoubtedly want revenge for last season’s final, and they could knock Rafa Benitez’s slowly assembling team out of the competition. Whichever way this match goes, a big team won’t be progressing, and lets hope that it isn’t Inter which goes home from Europe early.

Among all this Champions League talk, I’ve almost forgotten about the horrible draw which Napoli got in the Europa League! Walter Mazzari’s side which barely managed to qualify for the Round of 32 of the Europa League were drawn with Spanish side Villareal. The Spaniards have been doing excellently this season in La Liga, and they’re in third behind – guess who? – Barcelona and Real Madrid. It’s certainly a tough challenge for Napoli, and they’ll truly need to be at their best if they want to progress to the Round of 16. With no other Italian sides left in the competition, lets hope that Napoli show that the Serie A still has much to offer in Europe by overcoming this big initial obstacle.

If you’re interested in seeing the complete Champions League and Europa League draws, you can click here. What are your thoughts regarding the Champions League and Europa League draws? Share your comments below!

While in the Champions League all Italian sides made it through to the knockout stages, there was a fear that in the Europa League there would be no Serie A teams. Luckily, Napoli managed to qualify with a 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest, thanks to a very late goal by Cavani. And there was more good news for Italian sides around the world, Inter Milan were victorious in their semi-final of the World Club Cup, and they’ll be playing African champions TP Mazembe in the final of the tournament.

Napoli desperately needed a win at the Stadio San Paolo, or else they would not qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. But Steaua Bucharest came to defend with grit, staying turtled up in their own half, soaking up Napoli’s pressure, and then striking on the counter-attack. Napoli did their best, pushing well on the flanks and through the middle, eventually creating a great opportunity which Cavani put over the bar. Steaua had opportunities to score as well, and going into halftime, the two teams were fairly even.

The second half continued like the first, with Napoli slowly chipping away at the resolute Romanian side. Walter Mazzari’s team created more and more chances, with Cavani even hitting the post. The ending became more and more tense, with insults being thrown to and fro from players on the field to the ones on the benches. Both Steaua and Napoli were getting frustrated, creating goalscoring chances which weren’t finished properly or were saved by a pair of outstanding goalkeepers. Yet Napoli believed until the very end, and in the 92nd minute of the match Edinson Cavani scored what he calls, “a miracle goal”. The young Uruguayan managed to flick a corner from the near post with his head, sending Napoli through to the knockout rounds of the Europa League. Yet the tension was still high, and Paolo Cannavaro got sent off before the final whistle after receiving a second yellow card.

The other Italian sides did surprisingly well considering their previous poor form in the Europa League. Palermo defeated Lusanne Sports 1-0 away from home thanks to a late goal from Munoz, and Juventus got a good 1-1 draw against Manchester City, with some youngsters on display for the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico. Sampdoria though weren’t able to win or draw away against Debrecen, and lost 2-0. It’s nice that Napoli have managed to qualify for the round of 16, and hopefully they’ll receive a good draw and go deep in the tournament.

Inter Milan were in Abu Dhabi, where they defeated Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa 3-0. This victory was an important one for Rafa Benitez, because the team is slowly recovering from injuries positively, especially Diego Milito who scored and assisted the other two goals. However there was a slight setback for Inter in this match; in the first minutes Wesley Sneijder received a tough tackle and had to be replaced. He won’t be able to make the final, which will be played against TP Mazembe, the first African side ever to reach the FIFA World Club Cup final.

The final is being played this Saturday, and while some don’t really consider this tournament as very important, if Rafa Benitez could manage to win it, it could be a turning point for his team. There have been many doubts over whether Benitez would stay much longer at Inter, and it seems like Massimo Moratti has calmed the voices by prasing the Spaniard regarding the team’s performance. But no matter how much praise Moratti heaps on Benitez, the president wants the coach to win this tournament, and transfer the momentum to the Serie A and Champions League campaigns.

What are your thoughts regarding Napoli’s qualification and Inter Milan’s solid win? Share your thoughts below!

Juventus suffered last season following one of the worst campaigns in their glorious history. There were multiple reasons behind their collapse such as instability due to coaching changes, a number of injuries to key players, the management’s bad decisions in the transfer market and the age factor catching up with star players among other factors. Fast forward to this season and the Bianconeri look completely different in terms of their performances on the pitch, in particular their fighting spirit which has been visible in a number of games.

Against Fiorentina, the Bianconeri struggled to score yet the players refused to give up and Simone Pepe was able to grab a late and deserved goal to earn a precious point. Last season, Juventus would have quit and would have probably ended up on the losing side given the same circumstances but this is a different Juve and the results back this up. Last weekend, the Bianconeri managed to snatch a late and precious win over Lazio to rise to second place ahead of Lazio and Napoli on goal difference. So what are the main factors behind the return of Juve as a force in Serie A?

One of the most important factors is the change in the management which has enabled the Bianconeri to make the right decisions when it comes to hiring a new coach and getting involved in some shrewd player signings. New coach Luigi Delneri has shown he is not just a capable tactician but also one who can motivate his players to get the best out of them. The Bianconeri squad is lacking in terms of full-backs and is in need of a striker capable of scoring between 16 and 20 goals a season, but Delneri has been able to revive the career of Felipe Melo and Alberto Aquilani while getting the best out of other players. Juventus lost only twice in Serie A this season and have an impressive against the top teams including wins against Milan and Lazio as well as draws with Inter and Roma.

Another reason for the revival is down to the summer transfer campaign which might have disappointed some but turned out to be a positive one with loan signings Aquilani, Simone Pepe and Fabio Quagliarella all contributing this season. One of the best summer transfers in Serie A must be Milos Krasic who has been a difference make for the Bianconeri. Besides the players brought in, Juventus did even better in terms of dispensing of some of the unwanted squad members such as Jonathan Zebina and Tiago while Fabio Cannavaro did not get a renewal offer after a dismal campaign. The outgoing players were a combination of aging and underachieving names so the Bianconeri did benefit tremendously by offloading players who could have had a negative influence on the squad.

There are other factors which have helped the recovery process and the re-emergence of Juventus, yet for the Bianconeri supporters the fighting spirit and commitment shown by the players on almost every weekend must rank on top of the list. The Old Lady prided itself on the dedication and never die attitude of the players, both of which were hallmarks of the prestigious Juve squads prior to the Calciopoli scandal which hit the club hardest.

Delneri and the likes of Krasic could signal the beginning of a new era of success in Turin as long as a couple of other players, in particular a full-back and a goal scorer, are added to the squad. Obviously, a talented Milan side spearheaded by former Juve striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic might also stand in the way between Juve and immediate success in Serie A. However, the future does look bright for Juve with Leonardo Bonucci maturing in his defensive role as a partner for Giorgio Chiellini while the squad includes a host of players who are still in the mid 20s such as Krasic and Aquilani.

The Serie A is getting more and more exciting, especially after these recent results, and the matches which will be played this Sunday. Napoli got an important 1-0 win away against Genoa, Palermo came back to beat Parma 3-1 at the Renzo Barbera, and Udinese also completed a comeback win at home, 2-1 over Fiorentina. While we had three important matches today, there’s plenty more action to come tomorrow when AC Milan travel to Bologna and then Juventus host Lazio.

Napoli defeated Genoa 1-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, and what separated the two sides was a bullet header by Marek Hamsik. It was Gargano’s free kick on the 25th minute, swung in with great pace, which Hamsik flicked wonderfully past Eduardo. Genoa created opportunities, but they weren’t able to capitalize on key chances. This win puts Walter Mazzari’s side in second place, equal on points with Lazio who will be facing fourth placed Juventus tomorrow. The bianconeri are three points behind Lazio and Napoli, so if Juve can manage to win, there will be three teams equal on points in second place.

Palermo hosted Parma at the Renzo Barbera stadium, and Parma coach Pasquale Marino was unable to see his side take the lead due to his mother’s death. It was a header by Lucarelli which hit the back of the net after a well placed corner. The first half lacked the usual inspiration which Javier Pastore provided for Palermo, and Delio Rossi eventually decided to take the Argentinean off at halftime. Instead it was the Chilean Pinilla who took his place, scoring the equalizer just five minutes into the second half, and then assisting Miccoli for Palermo’s second goal. Kasami secured the result when his header bounced off of Zaccardo’s head, and into the back of the Parma net for an own goal.

And in the third match today, Udinese came back against Fiorentina to win 2-1, and it was a match filled with wonderful goals. Santana struck first, a low, long-range effort which Handanovic had fallen asleep on allowed the visitors to take the lead. But in the second half Guidolin’s side reacted, first with Pablo Armero’s thunderbolt strike from far out, and then Di Natale’s goal which was preceded by some beautiful one-touch build-up play. An important win for Guidolin’s side which is making up for their bad start to the season, and right now Udinese are 8th in the table.

What are your thoughts regarding these matches? Plenty of exciting play, moments, and goals, and hopefully more will come tomorrow when Juventus and Lazio face off. Share your comments below!