Juventus

Juventus remain on course for a sixth successive Serie A title and third successive domestic double. The Old Lady sit top of Serie A after 20 fixtures with 48 points, a point clear of Roma. The champions’ four defeats this season have all come away from home against Inter, Milan, Genoa and most recently Fiorentina.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri changed the team’s formation to a 4-2-3-1 in order to fit Juan Cuadrado, Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandžukić, and Gonzalo Higuaín into the first eleven. The effects were immediate with Juventus securing a comfortable 2-0 home victory against fourth-placed Lazio on Sunday.

On Saturday September 26, Juventus suffered their third defeat of the Serie A campaign and were left licking their wounds as their title defence lay in tatters.

For them, the opening six games of the season had delivered just one win and five points and serious questions were being asked of a side that had been so dominant just a few months previous – a la Chelsea in the Premier League.

Unlike the Blues of England, though, the Old Lady of Turin has got her house in order and responded positively to a period of adversity and uncertainty.

Italian club Juventus have confirmed that manager Antonio Conte will remain at the club into the next season as well. The future of the 44-year-old has come under intense speculation given that he has not signed a new contract yet. His current contract runs out next summer and due to the demand for quality managers, he has been linked with several big jobs over the last few months. Conte led the club to a third successive league title, which is an impressive feat considering that he also helped them get back from the second division.

Andrea Pirlo has made it clear he is hoping to sign a new contract with Juventus despite being linked with a number of European giants in recent weeks. The Italian midfielder is nearing the end of his current deal with Juve, leading some to speculate the 34-year old could be on his way in the summer, with former club AC Milan rumoured to be battling it out with Real Madrid should Pirlo decide to leave Juventus.

The 2006 World Cup winner has been a key part of Juventus’ success this season, proving he is still one of Serie A’s best midfielders by playing an important role in the club sitting nine points clear at the top of the table and heavy favourites with Betfair to win the title for a third straight year.