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Serie A preview: 5 storylines to watch for this season

By Clemente Lisi

JUVENTUS STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2017/05/21: Gonzalo Higuain (L) and Paulo Dybala of Juventus FC celebrate the victory of the Italian Serie A 'Scudetto' at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and FC Crotone. Juventus won their sixth consecutive and 33th official Serie A title. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
JUVENTUS STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2017/05/21: Gonzalo Higuain (L) and Paulo Dybala of Juventus FC celebrate the victory of the Italian Serie A 'Scudetto' at the end of the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and FC Crotone. Juventus won their sixth consecutive and 33th official Serie A title. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JULY 26: Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus celebrates 0-1 goal during the International Champions Cup 2017 match between Paris Saint Germain and Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JULY 26: Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus celebrates 0-1 goal during the International Champions Cup 2017 match between Paris Saint Germain and Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium on July 26, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Getty Images) /

Juventus will again battle on multiple fronts

We know Juventus can win the Scudetto. They’ve done that the past six seasons (in addition to also capturing the Coppa Italia last season). The bigger question is whether the Old Lady can pick up the pieces after last season’s loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final and go one better. It all depends on whether players like striker Gonzalo Higuain can elevate their game further and come up big when it matters most. That’s something the Argentine has been unable to do in recent years. If Higuain should falter going forward, players like Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa (on loan this season from Bayern Munich) could make up the difference.

The loss of Leonardo Bonucci will certainly hurt them. Juve’s backline was impressive last season, both domestically and during the Champions League, and this season needs to replicate that following the addition of Mattia De Sciglio from AC Milan. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is still going strong at age 39 (currently second overall in Serie A appearances with 619 and on track to surpass all-time leader Paolo Maldini at 647), while defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli provide both skill and stability to a side that gave up a mere 27 goals in 38 games last season en route to the title. The 3-2 loss to Lazio in the Italian Super Cup this past Sunday was highlighted by defensive lapses and a wild finale. While the loss may not mean anything in the end, it does represent another loss in a final for a team hungry for wins.

“Lazio deserved the win, because they played better, they fought much more,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri told reporters after the match. “Apart from the final 30 minutes, we practically didn’t play and that should make us think, that should bring us back to earth. There are no excuses. I hate losing and especially losing like this … It was really an ugly performance and we lost the first objective of the season. The league starts on Saturday and we need to start winning.”

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