Earlier this week, Serie A giants Juventus and Milan, settled for a 1-1 draw. Having yet to record a single win since the start of the Italian league, Juventus sits at the 18th spot with just two points from four matches.
It has been some 60 years since Juventus has not won the first four matches in its domestic league.
While the odds may seem to be against Juventus in the early days of the season, it is one team that you cannot write off.
The club has sprung surprises in the past and is expected to get back in shape in the coming matches.
The Milan clubs, Inter and AC, sitting comfortably at the second and third spot of the standings respectively, continue to lead the way, as they did last season.
Despite the resounding win over an in-form Bologna over the weekend, Inter Milan is still finding its rhythm under Simone Inzaghi. The team is also still coping with the loss of Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi.
Inter will have a couple of testing encounters on the horizon against a resurgent Fiorentina midweek, and Atalanta this weekend.
AC Milan has got to cope with a growing injury list, but the fixture seems kind to them with several winnable games coming up, namely against Venezia and Spezia.
Roma and Jose Mourinho have been on fire since the season started, winning six games – three in Serie A, and three in the Conference League, including qualifiers.
But its dominance was cut short following a 3-2 defeat to Hellas Verona.
Lazio has found life difficult after the international break, winless in three games across all competitions. The team is coping with a tactical change, from 3-5-2 adopted by previous manager Inzaghi, to Maurizio Sarri’s 4-3-3.
Lazio would face a tricky opposition midweek – a Torino team that has won their last two matches.
Napoli could be the biggest winners of the title-chasing teams. The club faces Cagliari on the weekend (Monday, 2.45am, Malaysian time).
It is the only team with a 100 per cent win record in the league thus far, and could continue being the leader of the table.
This weekend (Monday midnight, Malaysian time) will see the first Rome derby of the season – Roma v Lazio. It is arguably one of the most heated and intensely contested derbies in the world.
An interesting sub-plot – it will also be ex-Roma player Pedro’s first derby against his former club, the same club that kept him away from joining the rest of the squad during pre-season as they considered him to be dispensable.
The form book will go out of the window in a game that neither dread to lose.
