Milan Clubs Lead the Way
Inter, seeking a fourth consecutive title, continue to set the pace following a fine 2-0 away win over Palermo thanks to a double from Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic that takes his Serie A goal tally to seven.
AC Milan remain just a point behind in second place following a 1-0 home win over Chievo, who dropped down to last place. A first half strike from Brazilian superstar Kaka was enough to secure three points for the ‘Roseneri’-the red and blacks- and keep the pressure on their city rivals.
With fellow Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho getting close to regaining his best form, Milan look far better equipped to sustain a title challenge than in recent years.
Juventus Hit Top Form
Juventus beat Genoa 4-1 to continue their rise up the table. Goals from Grygera, Amauri, Iaquinta and an own goal gave the ‘Bianconeri’-the black and whites- a comfortable win that saw them move above Napoli, Lazio and Udinese, who all suffered defeats, into third place.
Striker Carvalho de Amauri, with six Serie A goals already, has formed a prolific partnership with the classy veteran Alessandro Del Piero, with the pair having scored fifteen goals between them in all competitions.
This was Juventus’ fifth straight Serie A win, a superb run of form has helped turn around a season that, only last month, looked to be going nowhere for the Turin based side.
Just four weeks ago, as coach Claudio Ranieri prepared his side to take on Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Champions League, the club languished in mid-table on nine points from their opening seven games, following four consecutive Serie A matches without a win.
All the talk in Italy was of a club in crisis, with many of their massive worldwide fan base calling for Ranieri to be replaced.
The 2-1 home victory over the Spanish side was the catalyst for an upturn in form that started a winning streak that now stands at seven matches and also includes a famous 2-0 victory in the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, which ensured qualification from Group B with two games to spare.
Injuries
That this has been achieved without the injured pair of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, widely regarded as the world No.1 and French striker David Trezeguet, who netted twenty Serie A goals last season, gives further cause to suspect that Juventus are in the title race for the long haul.
Dramatic Title Race
With the three biggest clubs in Italian Soccer at the head of the table and all looking capable of mounting a sustained challenge it looks like fans of Serie A are in for a treat this season.
