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The 2015/16 season in Serie A has proved to be one of the most unpredictable affairs in recent memory and has spruced up some really intriguing talking points midway through the campaign.Inter Milan are the surprise leaders heading into the New Year but have been deprecated for their mundane brand of football. Reigning champions Juventus made a disastrous start to the season but have eventually picked themselves up and are firing on all cylinders again.At the other end of the table, promoted sides Frosinone and Carpi look set to return to Serie B much sooner than they would’ve hoped, whereas Hellas Verona, who sit rock-bottom of the table, hold an ignominious distinction of being the only side amongst Europe’s top 5 leagues to be without a single victory at this stage.The season has seen only 1 hat-trick so far compared to four at the same stage last year while the division has also seen the highest number of managerial changes with as many as 6 managers getting sacked till now.With that and much more to chew over, let’s get to the bottom of the major talking points from the first half of the 2015/16 Serie A season.
#1 Juve\'s quality may eventually put them through
Defending champions Juventus appeared to have worn out after last season’s exertions of winning the domestic double as they made a stuttering start to the new season, winning only once from their opening 5 games. Their long held domestic hegemony was dying out and just when they were about to be written off from the title race, the Bianconeris put pedal to the metal and got back in the hunt.
A run of seven consecutive wins has seen them take a giant leap to canter into the top four and look like a force again which certainly doesn't spell good news for their rivals. The likes of Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic are forging a very menacing attacking partnership, whilst Paul Pogba too is returning to his best. The defence, that looked so porous at the start, is regaining it’s solidity and coach Massimiliano Allegri is the happiest man in Turin right now.
The exodus of star players such as Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal supposedly took a toll on The Old Lady which is why the faltering start, but they’ve gradually acclimatized and the new additions to the roster have successfully stepped into their shoes.
Juventus are once again brimming with supreme quality, and that may eventually help in clinching the Scudetto for the fifth year running.
#2 Rudi Garcia walking on shaky ground at Roma
Embattled AS Roma coach Rudi Garcia has been on the receiving end of relentless flak from the Curva Sud (the South End of Stadio Olimpico where Roma fans congregate), who are constantly demanding for his head.
With only one win in the last five league games, the wheels have come off for Roma. The capital club have dropped to fifth in the standings, and their abject display in the Champions League has resulted in a clash with Spanish leviathans Real Madrid in the last 16. Moreover, La Maggica have also been dumped out of the Coppa Italia after losing to second tier side Spezia 4-2 on penalties at home.
Garcia has drawn fingers at himself for his bizarre team selections in vital games and has also failed to beef up the Roma defence that has been leaking goals at a preposterous rate. The Frenchman had promised the fans to secure the Scudetto for them the last term, but failed. And it seems as if the promise will remain unfulfilled this season too.
The knives are already out for the former Lille gaffe, and needs to get Roma’s faltering season back on track sooner rather than later, if he’s to save his job.
#3 Sturdy defence bailing out Inter
The Nerazzurri may have been the biggest surprise of the season, going into the new year as the leaders for the first time in five years, but the jury still remains out on the Milan outfit. Eleven wins from the opening 17 games has accounted for a bright start, but Inter Milan still haven’t been convincing enough.
The series of 1-0 victories has led to their style of football being branded as boring and monotonous, and the fans are clamouring for more dynamism in their approach. Barring the 4-0 victories over Frosinone and Udinese, La Beneamata have won the remaining 9 games by a slender 1 goal margin.
Their fine start to the season has been largely built on the foundations of an obdurate backline that has been beaten only 11 times thus far. The likes of Samir Handanovic, Juan Jesus, Jeison Murillo, Miranda, Danilo D’Ambrosio and Yuto Nagatomo are all doing a commendable job at the back, having registered 11 clean-sheets including against Juventus, Roma and Milan, and have one of the meanest defences in Europe.
Manager Roberto Mancini’s emphasis precisely on maintaining a rigid defence may not have pleased everyone, but that still shouldn’t ruffle his feathers as long as his side keep racking up favourable results.
#4 Higuain revoking memories of Maradona
The last time Napoli celebrated the Scudetto triumph, Diego Maradona was manning the tiller for the Naples outfit. The Argentine legend left Barcelona for the Serie A side and guided them to their only two league successes in history – in 1987 and 1990. Since then, the Partenopei haven’t found such a talisman to lead them to the summit of Italian football. But in Gonzalo Higuain today, the search may be finally over.
The former Real Madrid man is on a hot scoring streak that has revoked the fond memories of El Pibe de Oro. In 17 appearances, Higuain has racked-up 16 strikes already, leading the scoring charts in the division, and has accounted for a whopping 51% of Napoli’s goals in the league thus far. The stats only underline his significance in Gli Azzurri's encouraging first-half to the season.
Maurizio Sarri’s troops currently lie third in the standings, a position adrift of Fiorentina only on goal-difference, and have also taken the Europa League by storm. At the heart of all this is the 28-year old, who may bring back those good ol’ glory days of Maradona back to Stadio San Paolo this term.
#5 Luca Toni staring at a doomed farewell
When the 2015/16 Serie A draws to a close, the league will see one of it’s most prized possession go off into the sunset. Italian stalwart Luca Toni is all set to pull the curtains on his much-travelled career come May. The 37-year-old has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers in Serie A and has decided to call it a day when he finishes the campaign with his side Hellas Verona.
“I hope to celebrate it by keeping Verona safe in Serie A”, said the forward while divulging about his retirement to a press conference. However, the way the season is panning out for Gli Scaligeri, that wish seems far-fetched.
After 17 rounds, Verona have drawn 8 and lost 9. Not one win to celebrate, and are rooted at the foot of the table. This has been one of the worst ever starts to a season in Serie A, and the club’s catastrophic run of results has also led to the sacking Andrea Mandorlini, but to no avail. Even the new manager, Luigi Delneri, has been helpless in trying to stop this downward spiral.
Verona still have another 17 games in hand to turn things around, and hopefully give the departing Toni a farewell he deserves.
