Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus face a key test of their ambitions to clinch a 10th consecutive Serie A title in a packed month of soccer in Italy after a stuttering start that has left the holders sixth in the league.
Serie A has returned this weekend, after a break for Christmas, with a tight schedule this month.
Today, Juventus host Udinese before taking on three of the top four this month, with six Serie A fixtures in addition to Coppa Italia and UEFA Super Cup commitments.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The two Milan clubs — the only teams apart from Juventus to have won the league in the past two decades — are on top as they look to bring the title back to Lombardy.
AC Milan are flying high, one point ahead of Antonio Conte’s Inter, with AS Roma in third, six points off second place.
Juventus are sixth, 10 points adrift of the top, but having played a game less.
After Udinese, Juventus on Wednesday visit AC Milan at the San Siro, before hosting fourth-placed US Sassuolo in Turin followed by a trip to play Inter.
Despite topping their UEFA Champions League group, Juventus have struggled for consistency on the domestic front, relying on Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals.
The Portuguese striker has scored 12 of Juventus’s 25 league goals this campaign.
In the league, they have six draws and six wins, falling to their first league defeat of the season: 3-0 to ACF Fiorentina at home before Christmas.
“Sometimes it happens that we’re not 100 percent. Now we have to start again with desire, thinking about the mistakes we made and carrying out our project,” Pirlo said.
The former Italy and Juventus star can take heart from the fact that in the 2015-2016 season, they were 12th after 10 matches, but powered back to win the title.
“It’s premature to talk about the title,” Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. “Juventus remain favorites, a team that in the past nine years have won as many titles and have many champions, but there is also Inter, who came within one point of Juve last year and spent a lot of money in the transfer market. In addition, Inter have no European commitments.”
Both Milan teams return against two promoted clubs.
AC Milan, without injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a seventh consecutive league game, look to continue their unbeaten run at mid-table Benevento, as Inter host struggling Crotone.
Behind the leaders, Roma host former coach Claudio Ranieri’s UC Sampdoria, who are in 11th place.
Fourth-placed Sassuolo travel to Atalanta BC, in seventh place, for a clash between two attacking teams targeting European soccer.
Fifth-placed SSC Napoli look to end their three-match winless run at Cagliari, but without injured forward Dries Mertens, defender Kalidou Koulibaly and striker Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian having tested positive for COVID-19, having been sidelined since November with a shoulder injury.
Radja Nainggolan said that he wants to have an impact on 15th-placed Cagliari after rejoining on a second loan from Inter.
“I arrive in Cagliari with great desire, after three difficult months where I never saw the pitch,” the Belgian midfielder said.
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