History On Juventus' Side
Copyright � 2000 Nando Media
Copyright � 2000 Agence France-Presse
MILAN, Italy (January 17, 2000 10:01 a.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - There are no prizes for being top of Serie A at the halfway stage, but current leaders Juventus will be hoping that they can follow the path of recent history.
In the past 10 seasons only twice has the midway leader not finished the campaign as champions. On the last three occasions Juventus headed the table in mid-January they have gone on to win the title.
But Juventus coach Carlo Ancelotti is well aware that his side, just a point ahead of second-placed Lazio and only five clear of fifth-placed AC Milan, cannot take honours for granted.
"Now comes the difficult part as we have to show that we deserved to be top at this stage of the season," said Ancelotti after Sunday's 3-0 home win over Perugia, "It is not only between ourselves and Lazio, we should not forget that Roma, Parma, Milan and Inter are also in the frame."
Such comments not only reflect Ancelotti's caution but the reality that this is one of the tightest championships for years, with the traditional "big six" all still in contention.
LAZIO STUTTER
Lazio have led through much of the season but have stuttered of late, largely due to the loss of form of influential Argentine midfielder Juan Veron.
Roma, which strengthened its squad with Japanese playmaker Hidetoshi Nakata last week, is just four points behind Juventus, level on points with Parma, who have recovered from a poor start to emerge as serious contenders.
Last season's champions AC Milan have been inconsistent, but as their hard-earned 2-1 win at Udinese on Sunday illustrated, they appear to be finding their form at just the right time.
Inter Milan are seven points behind Juventus and while not yet out of the picture, they will need to drastically improve their away form if they are to capture their first title for 11 years.
It may be tight at the top, but Juventus appear to have many of the ingredients for a championship side in place.
After a draw with Reggina in their opening home fixture, the Turin side have won every home game, compensating for surprisingly poor away form, where they have lost/drawn five matches.
The basis of their success so far has been a solid defence, marshalled by the experienced Ciro Ferrara, which has conceded just eight goals in 17 outings.
Having been steady and well-organised throughout the season, Juventus have recently found some flair, largely thanks to the return to form of French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.
Zidane, who suffered from injuries last season, now looks back to his best and his partnership with Dutchman Edgar Davids in the centre of midfield now looks formidable.
The only major disappointment for Juventus has been a lack of firepower. With just 22 goals in 17 outings, they have scored fewer than any of their main rivals. Alessandro Del Piero has managed just four this term.
One man who could provide the extra spark is Yugoslav striker Darko Kovacevic, who has been restricted to the bench for most of the league campaign, but has found the target 12 times in the UEFA and Italian cups.
Kovacevic scored his second league goal on Sunday, after coming on as a substitute, and Ancelotti believes he could play a key role.
"Kovacevic is an important player to us and these goals are enabling him to grow in confidence," said the Juventus coach.
