The 2016-17 Serie A season is shaping up to feature one of the most competitive title races in recent years as Roma and Napoli continue to give Juventus a run for their money. There is a great deal of quality across Serie A now, and fans can start to feel more confident about Italian clubs’ chances of winning something on the European stage.
An Italian club has not won the Champions League since Jose Mourinho’s Internazionale put in a series of defensive master-classes to claim it at the expense of more heralded rivals in 2009-10. The last time an Italian club won the Europe League / UEFA Cup was in 1989, when the fabled Parma team thrashed Marseille in the final in Moscow.
But there is reason to be more optimistic than ever now. Juventus have emerged as the dominant team in Italy ever since Mourinho left and have scooped five consecutive league titles, and they could be ready to transfer that form onto the European stage. They reached the final a couple of years ago and acquitted themselves very well indeed, only to eventually lose 3-1 to heavy favourites Barcelona.
The loss of star midfielder Paul Pogba in the summer could have been viewed as a sign of Juventus falling down the pecking order on the European stage after he joined Man Utd for a world record fee. But Juventus proved they are not just a selling club by spending the bulk of the fee on Gonzalo Higuain, Italy’s deadliest striker over the past few years. They spent the rest on Roma’s Miralem Pjanic and look even more dominant this term. There have been some freak defeats, but overall Juventus deserve their lead at the top of the table.
The Champions League returns mid-February and Juventus have been rewarded for topping their group with a relatively comfortable tie against Porto. Leading online betting site 5 Dimes has odds for this tie and shows Juventus to be heavy odds-on favourites, and they should see off a struggling Porto side that finished below Leicester in their group. 5 Dimes has odds for the bigger picture too, and of 16 teams left Juventus are fifth favourites, behind only Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the betting. They have a magnificent defence, with Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonnucci having formed a wonderful relationship over the years. With Higuain and Paulo Dybala up top and the likes of Pjanic pulling the strings in midfield, they have every chance of claiming their first Champions League title since 1996.
Like many leading sportsbooks, 5 Dimes has odds for the Europa League too and it shows Roma are third favourites. Fiorentina are also in the mix, but it would be a tall order for them. Roma, however, have been superb in attack all season, scoring goals for fun in Serie A, and have tightened up their defence – previously something that frequently let them down – just in time for the business end of the season. Kostas Manolas leaving is a blow, but they are still solid and can have a real go at the Europa League. Only Man Utd and Tottenham are ranked heavier favourites for the competition, but Spurs are likely to be distracted by the Premiership title race, and at Man Utd the likes of Mourinho and Pogba might consider the Europa League beneath them, which could pave the way for a glorious triumph for Roma.
And the ambition shown by the likes of Inter – bidding €40 million for Manolas and clearly with money to spend – and AC Milan, the future looks very bright indeed for Italian football going forwards.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com