Just when Juventus looked to be running away with the Serie A title they slumped to a 0-0 draw at SPAL and allowed Napoli back into the race. Maurizio Sarri’s men are now just two points behind Juventus and it looks set to go down to the wire as they battle it out for glory. Both teams still have nine games to play, meaning there are 27 points apiece available, and their meeting on April 22 could decide the winner of the title.
As is so often the case, Juventus delivered a defensive masterclass to secure a 1-0 win against Napoli at the start of December. Gonzalo Higuain put them ahead in the 12th minute, and afterwards Giorgio Chiellini and co. were utterly resolute. That brought Juventus – who made a slow start to the season – back into the title race and since then they have been remorseless in hunting down Napoli and overtaking them. Before facing SPAL they had enjoyed a 12-game winning streak. Enormous credit must therefore go to Napoli for keeping pace with Massimiliano Allegri’s side. It is a two-horse race as they are well clear of third placed Roma, and the denouement to the season should prove to be fascinating.
Napoli’s form has dipped this month, as a shock 4-2 home defeat to Roma was followed by a 0-0 draw away at Inter. But they returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory against Genoa at the weekend and that should give them tremendous confidence heading into the latter stages of the campaign. Their next two games look eminently winnable: they travel to 15th placed Sassuolo before hosting 16th placed Chievo. Then they face an improving Milan team, followed by Udinese and then that crunch game away at Juventus.
Napoli have not beaten Allegri’s men since 2015, and they are on the road, so the odds will be against them. Check a review of Ladbrokes, find the best odds and you will see that Juventus are 4/11 to win the league, while Napoli are 15/8. Juventus have won the last six titles in a row, so they have the big game experience. They have shrugged off the loss of Leonardo Bonucci and retained admirable defensive impregnability. Going forwards they can call upon the wonderful talents of Higuain and Paulo Dybala. They have a two-point advantage and the big game against Napoli is at the Juventus Stadium.
But this is by no means a foregone conclusion. Juventus have a tricky run in to the season. They still have to play Roma, Inter, Milan and Sampdoria in their final nine games, along with Napoli. There are several potential banana skins there, and they also have to contend with a two-legged Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid, the team that destroyed them in last year’s final. If they make it through to the semis, they will be in for more huge clashes disrupting their title bid.
Napoli, meanwhile, can focus 100% of their efforts on Serie A. After the Juventus game, they face Fiorentina, Torino, Sampdoria and Crotone, and they could feasibly take 12 points from that run of fixtures. By that point teams like Fiorentina and Torino will have little left to play for, so Napoli could be in for a serious points haul in the coming weeks. It is currently advantage Juventus but it is likely they will have to be at the top of their game to stay in the lead. It is great for Serie A, particularly when you consider that Barcelona, Man City, Bayern Munich and PSG have all but wrapped up their league titles with several weeks to spare. Tension will remain high and it will be exciting to see which teams hold their nerves.
