Juventus wary with rivals hot on their heels
CLOSE CONTEST With challengers looking wellprepared, manager Allegri feels the defending champions will have to be on top of their game from the first match
Juventus’ Serie A season starts on the back of an apology from striker Gonzalo Higuain, and coach Massimiliano Allegri warning of obstacles as they face a potentially tougher title defence.
“We’re not in top form yet but we have to be ready because the new championship is about to start and we can’t afford to make any more slip-ups,” Allegri said following a shock 3-2 loss to Lazio in the Italian Super Cup final.
Barely three months after a chastening 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League final capped a record third consecutive double-winning season, Juventus host Cagliari in a championship-opening clash hoping it will lead them to a record-stretching seventh straight scudetto.
But last week’s reverse — which prompted out-of-sorts Higuain to post an apology to fans on Twitter — is being seen as a portent that “unstoppable” Juve are finally ready to be toppled.
Despite Roma finishing only four points behind in runners-up spot last term, resurgent AC Milan could claim to be front of the queue. Amid a busy summer spending spree that has yet to end, the seven-time European champions struck a major blow by luring highly-experienced Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci to the club.
The capture of Porto starlet Andre Silva, Ivorian striker Franck Kessie (Atalanta) and, possibly, Fiorentina marksman Nikola Kalinic in the coming days, means Vincenzo Montella’s men can start dreaming of challenging for a first title since Allegri led them to the 2011 scudetto.
While Higuain’s record move from Napoli to Juventus was the transfer saga of last summer, Bonucci’s shock switch to Milan on a five-year deal has rekindled memories of Italy great Andrea Pirlo’s move the other way — from Milan to Juventus — in 2011.
And like Pirlo, Bonucci, who immediately took over the captain’s armband from midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, wants to make a lasting impact. “I’m ready for the season and as ambitious as ever. I’ll give everything for Milan, and more,” said Bonucci. LAST SEASON:
Serie A-Italian Cup double, Juventus have had to deal with infighting and the departures of Leonardo Bonucci and Dani Alves.
Massimiliano Allegri, however, has again made shrewd purchases in the off season. Douglas Costa brings Champions League experience from his time at Bayern Munich, while Federico Bernardeschi is one of Italy's top young players. Those two wingers will link up with
Paulo Dybala, just behind Gonzalo Higuain.
to maintain their grip on the Serie
A title but could be distracted by their desire to win the
Champions League. LAST SEASON:
in the transfer market since but haven’t signed big names as of yet.
they have recruited defenders who can pass well and feed speedy wingers to set up centre forward Edin Dzeko, who led the Italian league with 29 goals last season.
has failed to replace Mohamed Salah, who left for Liverpool, they now have more strength in depth.
It to be seen how coach Eusebio Di Francesco will make the step up to a top team and deal with the pressure of the Champions League. Di Francesco, who played for Roma, arrived from Sassuolo before guiding them from
Serie B in 2013 to a sixth-place finish and
Europa League qualification in 2016. LAST SEASON:
flair saw the team score 94 goals last season on their way to setting a club record for points. But, while they arguably played the best football in Italy, they only managed to finish third.
So, possibily, this could be the year for Napoli.
and Lorenzo Insigne have signed new contracts, Arkadiusz Milik will be fully recovered from a knee injury which sidelined him for four months last year, and Marek Hamsik is only three goals away from breaking Diego Maradona’s scoring record for the club.
coach Maurizio Sarri will have a group of talented players who are hungry for success, high on confidence and well drilled in his system. Juventus to AC Milan Fiorentina to Juventus FC Porto to AC Milan Atalanta to AC Milan LAST SEASON:
without any appearances in Europe, they are looking to regain their place among the game’s elite.
consortium that purchased Milan from Silvio Berlusconi for $800 million in April has infused the club with cash and splashed out more than €200 million in the off season.
defender Leonardo Bonucci, Milan also brought in forward Andre Silva (FC Porto); midfielders Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Franck Kessie (Atalanta), Andrea Conti (Atalanta), Hakan Calhanoglu (Bayer Leverkusen) and Lucas Biglia (Lazio); and defender Mateo Musacchio (Villarreal).
goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma agreeing to extend his contract until 2021, Milan could be in position to challenge for their first Serie A title since 2011. LAST SEASON: not only lost out on a spot in the Europa League to AC Milan, but they have also been forced to watch as their city rival signed several star players. have been low key but they have brought in defender Dalbert from Nice and Borja Valero from Fiorentina. The creative midfielder is expected to provide more opportunities for forward Mauro Icardi. should provide some much-needed stability to a club after a tumultuous campaign last season that included four managerial changes. last year were complicated by the departure of coach Roberto Mancini two weeks before the start of the season. 9:30pm 12:30am (Sun) LIVE ON Sony Ten 1 & Ten 1HD Fiorentina to Inter Milan