There's really no time to catch a breath. After three games in one week (all won), Juventus are ready to play again. This week the Wednesday night game won't be a Champions League one, but a League match. The first of four midweek rounds is on, and Juve play at home against Catania.
Catania were the last team Juve faced in Turin last season, and one of only two teams able to finish the season without ever losing to the Bianconeri. Del Piero saved the day near the end in both of those matches. And it's on the basis of those two games that this new clash has been prepared:
"Last year, both at home and away, they were winning 1-0 and we were forced to come back near the end – Ranieri recalled during today’s press conference - . I believe Catania will come here with that same spirit, they only have one point less than us and they did well at San Siro against Inter Milan. Besides, they have a good Manager such as Zenga, who has always tried to improve himself; he went abroad and was able to win a lot. I wish him all the best".
After reaching the top of the League, and two wins against Udinese and Cagliari, the Bianconeri want to continue winning and, most of all, confirm how much they've improved. Step by step, Ranieri is seeing “his” Juve coming out.
"We're not fluid yet, but it's ok. The old players are allowing the new ones to settle in. We're getting close to being synchronized in our movements, but we're lacking fluidity in game play, we're not maintaining the right distances and we make some small mistakes, but we'll improve by playing.
And we must focus on one game at a time. Leaving out all the rest is the only way to keep maximum concentration. We've been tighter in these first few games, our strikers helped out more and we’ve been allowing fewer chances to our opponents".
After only three League games, the papers seem to have found a main theme in the new duel between Juventus and Inter Milan, who currently share the top spot. But Ranieri thinks it's too early to talk about a two-team race.
"There's a long way to go and Roma, AC Milan and Fiorentina are all just behind. Plus there are teams like Lazio, Napoli and Sampdoria who can take away points from anybody. It's going to be an exciting tournament, more hard-fought than last year's one".
"It'll be decided at the end and I hope Juventus will still be up there fighting with the others by then. Inter Milan remain the favourites, but at the moment we're more of a team, because Mourinho, being new, is forced to do what I did last year".
Juventus.com
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