Italian champions Juventus seem to be experiencing a difficult spell lately after a bright start.
After winning the platonic title of winter champions well before the end of the first round, the Bianconeri have suddenly seen their advantage dwindle to three points.
A shock 1-2 defeat to 10-man Sampdoria and a 1-1 draw to Parma at the Tardini Stadium on Sunday put Juve’s supremacy in Serie A in question.
Antonio Conte’s team now have Lazio snapping behind their heels as the team from the capital, buoyed by a nine-match positive run (seven wins – the last four in a row – and two draws) are riding on the crest of the wave.
Last weekend, critics contended that Juventus are running out of steam following a very convincing take-off to their title defence and their qualification to the knock-out stages of the Champions League at the expense of Chelsea.
Some others argued that the Bianconeri are leaving their best until they resume their European commitments on February 12 when they travel to Glasgow to take on Scottish champions Celtic.
In my opinion, and that of most others, Juventus are by far the best team in Serie A this season.
The gulf in quality between the Turin giants and the rest is so evident that coach Conte can afford to see his team go through a dark patch and concentrate on their Champions League commitments.
Conte, however, still has a blunt attack to deal with.
Despite the fact that Juventus boast the most prolific attack in Serie A (41 goals), the strikers in their squad have contributed to less than half the goals scored so far – Nicklas Bendtner (nil in eight appearances), Mirko Vucinic (4/17), Sebastian Giovinco (6/18), Fabio Quagliarella (6/14) and Alessandro Matri (3/10).
Now, Conte is being urged to sign a prolific striker in this month’s transfer window, a player capable of hitting an average of 15-20 goals per season.
The Juve forward line’s difficulties in front of goal is costing the side valuable points.
Bringing in a quality forward would not only bolster their championship aspirations but, if eligible for Europe, would also give them a better chance in the Champions League which they have not won since 1996.
Juventus already have what it takes to make it to the latter stages of the elite UEFA competition for clubs. However, the Bianconeri are still considered among the second-best group when compared to the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and, perhaps, even Bayern Munich.
Conte will be urging his men to start delivering the goods in the Serie A again to stave off the challenges from Lazio, Napoli and Inter, all pushing for a top-three finish and an outside shot for the top prize.
The 2012/13 scudetto is there for the taking for Juventus but they surely need to arrest their recent slide to enter the decisive title run-in with a cushion lead over their rivals.