Juventus: The Turin Giant's Resurgence

A quarter of the way through the Serie A season, Juventus sit on top of the league ahead of both Milanese clubs,  Napoli and big spending Roma. For the first time since returning to the top flight and having to sell all of their top talent in a fire sale (including Ibrahimovic, Emerson, Thuram and Cannavaro among others), the Turin giants are legitimate title contenders. Unbeaten thus far in their 9 games the side have taken on Milan and Inter already alongside Parma and Palermo with Napoli awaiting them this Sunday night.

Conte: The man at the helm

The side's resurgence has been down to a number of factors for one Antonio Conte; the manager. A surprise and much questioned choice (given that the same policy had failed to massively when Ciro Ferrara was appointed), Conte has brought a renewed sense of steal that the club has failed to possess since its return to the big time. There has been a sense of continuous apologising at the club with a fear that any on field aggression would not be taken kindly.

The recently opened Juventus Stadium has also been a hugely important factor in the side's success. The club decided some years ago that it needed to downsize, the Delle Alpi was simply too big at 70,000 and the playing surface too far from the fans given the massive running track built around it. The new Stadium while only 40,000 in capacity has already created a more imposing atmosphere than the Delle Alpi ever did, with the fans genuinly now able to play the so-called 12th man.

Matri: Juve's star man up front

Finally, quality signings have made a huge difference. Stephen Leicteiner has provided the side with a genuinly top draw right back for the first time in 6 years when Zambrotta was sold to Barcelona as part of the Calcopoli Scandal. Arturo Vidal and Allesandro Pirlo provide a quality central midfield partnership with skill, guile, creativity and power that the likes of Tiago, Sissoko et al. never truly could. Finally up front Alesandro Matri up front is a killer. A forward of genuine quality already top goalscorer in Serie A as well as chalking up the assists.

Whether Juventus can stay the course and stay top of the table in May is going to have to be seen but there is little doubt that the Turin giants are back in the top echelon of Italian football where they deserve to be.