The Scudetto contenders: Final Part
A.S. Roma and Napoli are the dark horses of this Scudetto debate. Roma are oozing with confidence following their derby victory and are now starting to put together a string of good results. After lying in the relegation zone after six games, the Giallorossi were written off as contenders for the Scudetto, but after a traditionally shaky start to the season they are climbing back up the table.
Any side that has the likes of Francesco Totti, Jeremy Menez, Mirko Vucinic and Phillipe Mexes, will be working their magic but is also likely to mix it with moments of pure madness, without mentioning Adriano of course. The team has players who have great experience when it comes to a title fight, but there is one problem, all of them have been on the losing end of a title fight.
Napoli was the talk of the town during Diego Maradonna’s time in Naples. The Neapolitans are making a very bold comeback to the Serie A but Walter Mazzarri’s team is a very intriguing bunch of players. They have a hit man in their ranks who can match the goal scoring prowess of Samuel Eto’o in Edinson Cavani, while Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamsik have undoubted match-winning skills. The team is a lot like Juventus in the sense that they have kept themselves in contention so far but are yet to show their best.
Napoli have made the fans dare to dream of glory, but the question still hangs in the air. Is the current Napoli team good enough and has it got enough strength to emulate the era of Diego Maradonna and bring back the glory days?
With all their shortcomings and frailties, these teams are making sure that this season’s Serie A is going to be a memorable one and will surely go down to the wire till the last day of the season. Let’s have a look at players who would be vital for their respective teams’ bid to take the Serie A crown.
Andrea Pirlo (A.C. Milan)
The Italian playmaker is yet to give his best performance this season but judging by his record, a great performance might just be in the making. However, the ageing factor of Gattuso has seen him become more vulnerable in midfield, a point that was evident during his teams’ home defeat at the hands of Juventus, when he was quickly closed down by Felipe Melo time and time again. Pirlo needs to have someone who can provide him that cover so that the midfield maestro can once again show his creativity and vision for Milan.
Milos Krasic (Juventus)
The Serbian summer signing is still very young but has matured and taken on responsibilities more quickly than everyone expected. The versatile playmaker has added creativity and vision to the Juve midfield and his performances have been instrumental on the road to Juventus’ revival this season. His presence has taken some pressure off Alessandro Del Piero and has also given Alberto Aquilani more confidence in himself. The 24-year-old just needs to do what he has been doing so far this season and Juventus might just win the title this season.
Mirko Vucinic (A.S. Roma)
The Montenegrin striker has taken a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and after cementing his place in the starting XI last season, the striker has turned out to be an inspirational figure for the Roman giants. His great form has made Francesco Totti’s life much easier, as the veteran has reached the twilight of his career and isn’t as quick as he used to be. The Montenegrin striker is definitely the key to A.S. Roma’s ambitions in the Serie A season and will be looking to win a trophy for his club.
Marek Hamsik (Napoli)
The Slovenian international is already on the Manchester United radar and chances are that this season might be the 23-year-olds’ last season at Napoli. His creativity and ability to find a striker has helped Edinson Cavani and Lavezzi in scoring goals for Napoli this season and might be instrumental if Napoli are to win the Scudetto this season.
Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)
The Dutch playmaker is in the form of his life but that’s not the case with his teammates bar Samuel Eto’o. The Dutchman would be the driving force behind Inter Milan’s push to at least win the Scudetto in order to prove they are no ‘paper champs’ as some pundits have suggested.
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