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The Euro Preview: Can anyone stop Juventus this season?

By Clemente Lisi

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, PIEDMONT/TURIN, ITALY - 2018/10/02: Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) celebrates during the UEFA Champions League group stage match between Juventus and Young Boys at the Allianz Stadium Stadium, Juventus won 3-0 in Turin, Italy on 2 October 2018. (Photo by Alberto Gandolfo/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, PIEDMONT/TURIN, ITALY - 2018/10/02: Paulo Dybala (Juventus) and Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) celebrates during the UEFA Champions League group stage match between Juventus and Young Boys at the Allianz Stadium Stadium, Juventus won 3-0 in Turin, Italy on 2 October 2018. (Photo by Alberto Gandolfo/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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Juventus remain undefeated this season and focused on another trophy-laden season. Will any team be able to stop them in Italy or Europe?

Serie A 

After a 3-1 home win against Napoli last Saturday, Juventus are again favorites to repeat as league champions. After such a strong start, Juve are also sending a message to clubs across Europe that they dosn’t just want to capture the scudetto, but also be considered a favorite for the Champions League.   

Acquiring Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been in the headlines recently after being accused of rape, from Real Madrid over the summer was all about being more competitive in Europe. Ronaldo has delivered so far, but only time will tell how this team can cope with a crowded fixture and the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

The domination the Bianconeri have exerted this season was clearly evident during Tuesday’s 3-0 win against Young Boys of Switzerland in the Champions League. 

“We played with the right serenity, with the right approach,” Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri told reporters after the game. “The early goal made everything much easier. If I had to find a negative, it is that we should have scored more goals because goal difference can be crucial for winning the group. But overall my team played well, they are continuing to grow.”

Juventus play on the road against Udinese on Saturday, looking to extend their six-point lead at the top of the table. Napoli, meanwhile, hope to keep pace and stay in the title chase when they take on Sassuolo on Sunday at home. 

“We have to keep improving under many aspects,” an unhappy but confident Carlo Ancelotti said in the post-match news conference in Turin, “but I am convinced we’ll be competitive right to the end.”

La Liga

Average starts by league champions Barcelona and Real Madrid have allowed several teams to stay in the title chase early on in the season. Barcelona and Real are tied for first with 14 points apiece, but right behind them are Sevilla at 13. Atletico Madrid and Real Betis round out the top five, with both teams tied on 12 points.

That means it remains wide open. The big match this weekend sees Atletico Madrid host Real Betis on Sunday at the always-boisterous Wanda Metropolitano, a game few would have suspected would have title implications when the calendar was drawn up this past summer.

Some are already saying the Rojiblancos are the team to watch out for this season. After last weekend’s scoreless derby draw with Real, it certainly looks as if Atletico can once again break the Barca-Real hegemony on the Spanish league title.

https://twitter.com/atletienglish/status/1046055774458433537

Real Madrid, 1-0 losers to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday, when they hit the woodwork three times, play on Saturday at sixth-place Alaves (overachieving this season). Expected to be in the lineup is striker Karim Benzema, who hasn’t scored a goal in six matches. It’s performances like this that have hurt Real so far this season.

The Spanish sports daily AS pointed out earlier this week Benzema is getting even fewer shots on goal now that Ronaldo is no longer in the lineup compared to last season. In the nine games so far this year, the Frenchman has had 11 attempts at goal for an average of 1.2 per game. Last season, he averaged 1.5 per match.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have a tough road game this Sunday against 14th-place Valencia (who are also underachieving this season). Despite Lionel Messi in top form, the start of the season has proven that anything can happen.

Next. West Ham looking like Europa League challengers. dark

Bundesliga

Unexpected is what you can call what’s happening in Germany after Borussia Dortmund took over first place last weekend. BVB lead the table with 14 points, while Bayern Munich are tied for second with Hertha Berlin on 12 points.

In what is expected to be a busy Saturday, Dortmund take on eighth-place Augsburg at home and Bayern hosts fourth-place Borussia Monchengladbach. Hertha Berlin, meanwhile, is on the road against ninth-place Mainz. For Dortmund, captain Marco Reus has been the nucleus of the offense, allowing a talented group of youngsters such as Jacob Bruun Larsen, Christian Pulisic and Jadon Sancho to form what has become one of the best attacks in the league.

https://twitter.com/Bundesliga_EN/status/1046481052930211840

While Hertha is the surprise side early this season, they have proven they can compete with anyone. They defeated Bayern 2-0 last weekend and could go tops should they win and BVB and Bayern take a misstep. Bayern are coming off a 1-1 draw against Ajax in the Champions League.

“We have no problem with the defeat and will not start seeing everything in a negative light,” Bayern Munich Niko Kovas said after the defeat. “Everyone who knows this club knows we will bounce back and we will be successful again.”

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