Juventus, Milan and Inter in a league of their own

Never before had the Serie A title race been restricted to such a small number of teams as Juventus, Milan and Inter battled it out exclusively in a league of their own.

These three giants possess a strong financial muscle that gives them a clear edge over their nearest pursuers. There is an enormous gulf in spending power between the top three and the rest of the Serie A.

It was only at certain intervals that fourth-placed Fiorentina were consistent enough to keep up the pace with the leading pack. Otherwise, it was a three-team show.

Up to the end of the first round, Juventus were the undisputed leaders and some reckoned they had already made sure of their 29th scudetto by the halfway mark. They looked unbeatable and unstoppable as by the end of the first round, they had dropped only five points... a 1-3 defeat to Milan and a 1-1 draw with Lazio in Rome.

The Bianconeri did consistently well in their group stage of the Champions League even though their showings were not as impressive and as dazzling as they were in the domestic competition.

Juventus are currently embroiled in match-fixing allegations sparked by general manager Luciano Moggi's telephone conversations with high-ranking officials in the Italian game.

They experienced a dip in form in the period February-March. Fabio Capello's side, unlike Arsenal, their opponents in the Champions League, arrived at these two crucial months in a precarious physical state. No wonder that Juve were kicked out of Europe by an English side for the second year running.

It was also during this bleak patch that Juve found their way out of the Coppa Italia. But, with respect to the Champions League, the Italian Cup carries less significance.

But, all in all, Juventus did extremely well last season except for the last couple of months.

But, if they are to lift their third European Cup in future, they have to design a campaign in such a way as to peak at the right time. The way Capello projected these last two seasons was very effective in the domestic league but they got bundled out of Europe prematurely by non-irresistible opponents.

For the second successive season, Milan were so near and yet so far in winning a major honour. Last year, they were edged by Juventus in the title run-in before they lost the Champions League final to Liverpool in dramatic fashion.

In 2005/06, Milan did not reach the European Cup final as they were knocked by eventual winners Barcelona. In the Serie A, Carlo Ancelotti's Milan were far behind Juventus to pose any serious threats to the Bianconeri.

Milan's rally

It was only towards the end, with Juve running out of steam, that Milan got back in contention.

But it was all too little and too late for them to be crowned champions. Milan improved their tally by nine points over the previous year but they still finished empty-handed.

Such statistics amply demonstrate Juve's strength and consistency during the past season.

Much more was expected of players like Kaka and Alberto Gilardino.

True, the former scored 14 league goals and the other 17, but the impression was that both still have ample space for improvement.

Filippo Inzaghi was decisive for Milan in the last part of the season when the Rossoneri were chasing hard behind Juve.

The return to full fitness of the former Atalanta and Juve hit-man was a decisive upturn for Milan and the national team.

Like all seasons, Inter started the 2005/06 campaign full of promises.

But, again, it was not their season. At one stage, they looked good candidates for the scudetto but a series of negative results saw them losing precious ground and eventually finishing third, 15 points behind Juve and 12 adrift of city rivals Milan.

In the Champions League, Inter did very well in the first round before they went out to Spanish underdogs Villarreal. The absence of a team leader was evident again.

Adriano, the Brazilian ace who was supposed to lead Inter to glory with his goals, had a very poor season. The former Fiorentina and Parma powerhouse managed only 13 goals in Serie A (two from penalties) and for most of the time he was just a pale shadow of himself.

For the second year running, Inter found consolation in the Coppa Italia as they beat Roma in similar fashion as they had done 12 months before.

Inter were considered by many as favourites to win the league title but failed to succeed. That failure poses a series of questions about the operate of the club in general.