At Turin, they have become used to glory and victory. No one could have expected that mighty Juventus would have had such an irregular start to Serie A. The “Vecchia Signora” fans could not assume how a team that had been Italian league winners for four consecutive times could now be fighting to avoid relegation positions.
However, a 2-1 win over city rivals Torino has now led Juventus to a fantastic spell of results with seven consecutive victories. Now Massimiliano Allegri’s side are fourth in the table, just three points behind leaders Inter Milan.
Early season struggles of Juventus
A home defeat at Juventus Stadium against Udinese in their opening match of this league season was considered an accident. Allegri’s side were thought to bounce smoothly back from the shocking loss as they have reigned in Italy for four consecutive seasons. In spite of that, the team did not achieve their first victory until matchday four, and regardless of that result, Juve were in the bottom half of the table. A couple of weeks later the situation did not change, and the hopes of winning the Serie A once again seemed to have vanished away even before the turn of the year.
Last season, Juventus had only suffered three defeats throughout the entire season, whereas now the club had already lost four games, a desperate situation for the side that could have even finished with Allegri been sacked. Luckily for him, an impressive winning streak, together with the inconsistency of leaders Inter has allowed them to dream of winning the “Scudetto” for the fifth time in a row.
Turning Point Against Torino
A dramatic 2-1 victory over Torino with a late goal scored by Colombian star Juan Cuadrado in injury time gave the team a massive boost. Since then Juventus have won six consecutive games and once again put in practice an attractive and effective football. The amazing comeback has been led by the club’s new star Paulo Dybala. The Argentinean striker with eight goals has turned out to be an essential player for Allegri. Now Juve is just two points away from the Champions League positions and just three points behind Inter. The Italian giants have become the favourites to win the Serie A once again, but if they are willing to accomplish that goal, they will have a tough way ahead of them. Inter, Fiorentina, and Napoli will surely put up a fight until the end of the championship.
Future challenges
Last season Juventus led the Serie A since practically the start of the tournament leaving its rivals with no real possibility of even attempting to dethrone them. This season, as said before, is quite different, but if Juve’s positive winning streak continues, it will be difficult for their competitors to follow their rhythm. A remarkable comeback that will have surely surprised those who thought that Allegri’s side would even suffer to qualify for the Champions League. Juventus are back, and they are here to stay.