RADIO
A quick look at the Italian Serie ‘A’ table after ten games will shock you, if you are a Juventus fan, as the four-time defending champion is languishing in 10th position on 15 points. However, that only tells half of the story. After a wretched start that saw them flirt with the bottom five, Old Lady is slowly catching up with the league leaders.
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A little credit for this anticipated renaissance must be accorded to Paulo Dybala. The 21-year-old Argentine striker, who moved in the off-season to Juventus, has been used very sparingly by Juve manager, Massimiliano Allegri, so far. The fans were getting impatient at not seeing more of their young striker and so when he was handed a rare start a few weeks ago against Atalanta, it was a golden opportunity for him and one that he didn't waste.
A goal and an assist from Dybala earned Juventus a 2-0 win and full points. The Argentine showed sublime skills to shrug off criticism of his form and the goals were a welcome distraction for Dybala while the points were a huge boost for Allegri and his team.
Why did we call it a distraction? For Juventus, this season has, thus far, been littered with numerous issues and nothing highlights their issues better than the use of Dybala. The striker was the club’s most expensive summer signing but has been used sparingly and in a world where the usage of a player is directly linked to his market value, there was criticism from all quarters.
The striker is undoubtedly in sublime form, highlighted by his goal, but Juventus’ problems do not start and end with Dybala. The form of Paul Pogba, ever since he moved into the number ten role, the fitness of many players and the lack of a bustling midfielder in the mould of Arturo Vidal are just some of the problems facing Allegri.
Put simply, the departures of Vidal, Pirlo and Tevez are hurting the team more than the use (or otherwise) of Dybala. However, we feel that many of these problems will be quickly erased if the youngster starts regularly. Known for their consistency in raking up points, inconsistency has been a major problem this season and Allegri will have to quickly unleash Dybala if he wants Juve back in the mix.
Inter Milan are back in that mix and the fallen giants are trying to reclaim their lost place amongst the contenders. Under Roberto Mancini, the team seems to have found a way to score points. Among the top 12 teams, Inter have scored the least amount of goals but have also conceded the fewest and although their games could be boring for neutrals, keep an eye on their results.
Their neighbors, AC Milan, are also trying to get back into the reckoning. Slowly but surely they are trying to move up into the top-half and for a team that is mired in mid-table for some time now, anything from here is a bonus. Milan could well turn out to be the dark horse in the race for Serie A.
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