After two weeks of Serie A action, the top two sides in the table will most likely be the ones who are occupying those spots come the end of the season.
That is, of course, if early indications are anything to go by.
Those teams are Juventus and Napoli and although Lazio and Sampdoria also boast 100% records at this early stage, it is the top two who most expect to be challenging for the Scudetto this season.
The Bianconeri are the reigning champions and justified favourites to retain their title and although Napoli, Inter and Roma have all been touted as real challengers to wrest the Scudetto from them, the Partenopei’s early form suggests it is they who will be most likely to do so.
In their two games so far, only Juventus have scored more goals than them and but for a bounce on Stevan Jovetic’s shot off the horrible San Paolo pitch, they would have two clean sheets to show for their early form too.
They have been in scintillating form in both their games so far and although not too much can be read into early season fixtures, they did this in two very tough fixtures.
Walter Mazzarri’s side easily and ruthlessly dismantled Palermo on the opening day with a clinical attacking display in which they made the Rosanero look very ordinary indeed.
Traditionally, the Renzo Barbera is a difficult venue for any team to visit but fine goals from Marek Hamsik, Christian Maggio and Edinson Cavani sent out a real statement of intent.
Critics had pointed to the departures of players like Ezequiel Lavezzi and Walter Gargano during the summer would hurt Napoli this season but they had a productive mercato as far as incoming players go by bringing in Fiorentina pair Alessandro Gamberini and Valon Behrami as well as Bruno Uvini and Giandomenico Mesto.
In attack, Lorenzo Insigne is back at the club after impressing in Serie B last year while the best bit of business the club carried out was probably extending Cavani’s contract that will tie him to the club for the next five years.
The new arrivals have slotted in well when taking to the field and Napoli picked up their second win of the season against Fiorentina on Sunday night, a victory perhaps all the more impressive when you take into account the opposition they were facing and the state of the San Paolo pitch.
President Aurelio De Laurentiis said that the horrible conditions of the field were caused by a virus combined with high temperatures although he has assured fans that it will be back to its best within a month.
Nevertheless, the Azzurri were undeterred by the playing surface and went on to secure another important win thanks to goals from Hamsik, who has arguably been the club’s best player so far along with Maggio, and Blerim Dzemaili.
They could likely have won by more than the 2-1 they did was it not for the pitch which stopped a few decent counter-attacking opportunities, most notably when the ball stuck in the ground before it reached Cavani who was baring down on goal.
Napoli though have definitely shown enough though to prove to people that they will be a serious contender to Juventus’ title this season not least because of their strong performance against the Old Lady in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Were it not for the now infamous two red cards that Goran Pandev and Juan Zuniga picked up during that game, then they could likely have gone on to win the game.
Last season, they came closest to being the only side to beat the Bianconeri all season when they raced into a 3-1 lead at home but ultimately went on to draw the game.
They also beat the Scudetto holders in the Coppa Italia final in May thanks to a 2-0 win in Rome and, their nightmare performance in Turin towards the end of the season notwithstanding, they are clearly a team who are unafraid of Juventus and always look dangerous and confident against the current early league leaders.
Although the likes of Roma and Inter are also setting their fans’ pulses racing as they dream of possible league triumphs for their sides but on early evidence, neither will be able to push Juventus like Napoli will.
The Giallorossi, predictably, were excellent in attack as they swept the Nerrazzuri aside at the weekend but were too often found wanting at the back as they were against Catania and will need serious defensive work especially when it comes to their persistence in playing the offside trap.
The team they beat at the weekend looked fantastic against Pescara on the opening day, beating them 3-0 but this was a score equaled by Torino against the Delfini which perhaps puts it into context.
They failed to create enough clear cut chances and lacked a real threat in the final third against Roma on Sunday night while Fredy Guarin and Gargano looked out of sorts and poor creatively at the heart of the Beneamata midfield while at the back were cut open too easily at times, admittedly against a strong Roma attack.
If these early performances are anything to go by, then Napoli look best equipped to mount a serious challenge to Juventus and possibly take the Scudetto away from them while even Lazio look like dark horses at this stage.
De Laurentiis has also spoken of how his club now have enough strength in depth in their squad to mount a serious title challenge this season while also attempting to give their best in the Europa League.
This season, Juventus now have Champions League football to contend with and this is a competition in which they will want to give their best which could be a major factor in seeing sides get closer to them than last year.
Napoli will be waiting to pounce should they show any signs of struggling to cope with the demands of meeting expectations in both tournaments and could be the team to finally take down a squad of players who continue to look invincible.
