Whenever you think of Serie A, of its illustrious history and pedigree, thoughts of the ‘old lady’ of Turin and the role she has played in the Italian football story are never too far away.
That is still the case as we move ever nearer to the league’s return.
First, of course, we have the matter of the Coppa Italia final in midweek where, after scraping past Milan, Juventus are looking to add to their record of 13 crowns in the 73rd edition of the competition.
Win that and the momentum will firmly be with them in pursuit of a league and cup double (and I’ve not even mentioned the Champions League yet).
Before Covid-19 halted football, Juve were on a tear with only three defeats in 2020, including a fine victory over Derby d’Italia rivals Inter Milan that maintained their narrow lead at the top of Serie A.
They have been so good, so unstoppable at times domestically, that they deserve all the credit they receive and now are in pursuit of a ninth successive Scudetto.
Who knows, perhaps there will be some fans back to see them in action before too long after the Ministry for Health in Italy said he hopes to have fans in Serie A stadiums by August and September, and won’t rule out July either as the pandemic eases.
So exactly what state are the Bianconeri in as Maurizio Sarri and his team return to league action and Serie A highlights?
It will be fascinating to see just how much influence Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to exert. Early reports suggest he has returned from Madeira in formidable form, and there is little doubt he will have benefitted greatly from the pause from a physical perspective.
Sarri has much to consider.
Paulo Dybala, Blaise Matuidi and Daniele Rugani all tested positive during the stop before shaking off the coronavirus; Gonzalo Higuain and Giorgio Chiellini were hurt just a few days after returning to training, while Douglas Costa has again failed to feature regularly throughout the season due to various injuries.
Considering that the leaders have the oldest squad in the league, Sarri will need to be careful with managing the physical condition of his players, especially with a thriving Lazio hot on their heels and only one point off the pace.
The mentality will also be just as important as the end of the 2019/20 campaign is crammed into a six-week period.
With several players, including Higuain, Miralem Pjanic, Federico Bernardeschi and Adrien Rabiot linked with moves away this summer, management will need to ensure all those involved are firmly focused on the job in hand.
What’s more, there are now reports Juve could be willing to sell a player they only recruited last summer in Aaron Ramsey with suggestions the club is looking to cut the Welshman as a result of the financial ramifications of the coronavirus crisis.
Sarri is said to be unconvinced by the former Arsenal man who failed to make the matchday squad for the club’s first game back, that Milan Coppa Italia tie on Friday.
On the face of it, it appears the Welshman has done very little wrong to be one of the names earmarked to leave Juve this summer. A combination of injuries, a lack of game time owing to competition in midfield, an unconvinced manager and the financial constraints of an unprecedented situation have all served to damage Ramsey’s chances of success in Italy.
Regardless of the future of Ramsey and other players though – and how such speculation could affect the mood inside the camp – what Juventus have shown already this term is an ability to handle unusual circumstances.
Take, for example, their win over Inter Milan in early March – a result which all but ended Inter’s title hopes.
Yes, it can be natural for players to lose focus and forget what is at stake when you play after a long pause in an empty stadium in the middle of June.
But remember, Juventus did just that in the Derby d’Italia and put in arguably one of their best displays during their 2-0 success in an empty Allianz Stadium.
Never mind that they did barely enough to see off 10-man Milan on away goals in the Coppa Italia semi-final, they did what they needed to and are now just 90 minutes away from claiming the silverware which Lazio won 13 months ago.
The SBOBET Serie A betting odds still make them favourites to retain the Scudetto.
If they do so, it will arguably be their toughest achievement overcome to date.
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