The 2016/17 Serie A resumes this weekend after the international break with the clash between Napoli and Roma on Saturday afternoon considered to be the best match in programme.
Juventus are topping the standings with 18 points, four clear of Napoli. The champions have a good opportunity to extend their lead this weekend if they win their match against troubled Udinese and Napoli fail to beat the Giallo-rossi at the San Paolo.
Unlike last season, Juventus started this campaign strongly, collecting no fewer than 10 points more than they had after seven games in 2015-16.
This time a year ago, Massimiliano Allegri’s side had started on the wrong foot and by the end of October some pundits were also ruling them out of the title race.
However, a strong comeback ensured that Juve went on to claim their fifth Scudetto in a row and confirm their total supremacy on the domestic scene.
This time around, the ‘Old Lady’ started firing on all cylinders from the word go and if they maintain this kind of form, an unprecedented sixth straight Serie A title will come as no surprise.
So far, Juventus have won all but one league fixture – a 1-2 away defeat to rivals Inter.
That success was a rather isolated moment of hurray for Frank de Boer’s new-look Inter as they have already slipped seven points behind the leaders in the standings following a series of poor results, culminating in a 2-1 defeat at Roma in their last outing.
Compared to a year ago, Inter have five points less.
Only Fiorentina have done worse as Paulo Sousa’s team have 10 points less this year compared to last season. However, it is worth noting that Fiorentina have a game in hand as their away fixture against Genoa was postponed to December 15.
Comparing the first seven games of this campaign to the same number of fixtures of 2015, one finds that Roma and Palermo have each collected one point less, Lazio, Torino and Atalanta two less, Sassuolo and Empoli three less, and Sampdoria four less.
Udinese, who last week unveiled Luigi Delneri as their new coach, have exactly the same number of points they had 12 months ago.
In summer, Inter’s new Chinese major shareholders invested heavily to make a bold statement of intent that they mean business.
However, the decision to sack coach Roberto Mancini less than a fortnight before the start of the new season and replace him with De Boer, a novice to the Serie A, surprised many.
Inter have played some good games with De Boer on the bench.
The side rose to the occasion to beat Juventus but the Nerazzurri dropped vital points against modest opponents (a 0-2 defeat to Chievo and two identical 1-1 home draws with Palermo and Bologna).
In the UEFA Europa League, Inter seriously risk an early elimination in the wake of their defeats to Hapoel Beer Sheva (0-2) and Sparta Prague (1-3), results that left them anchored to the bottom of Group K.
Chievo, meanwhile, continued where they had left off last term and, so far, they are one point better off than 12 months ago.
Napoli also improved in terms of points won – two more with respect to last season.
Against all predictions, Milan have started strongly this season and, so far, they have four points more than a year ago when Sinisa Mihajlovic was in charge.
Genoa, now under Ivan Juric – the coach who led Crotone to their first ever promotion to the top flight – are the surprise package in the Italian top flight.
They have 11 points from six games and are already four better off than a year ago.