Despite the presence of Ronaldo, Napoli will fancy their chances against Juventus
There promises to be fireworks at the Allianz Arena this weekend as Juventus hosts Napoli in the marquee fixture of matchday 7 in Serie A.
It is a top of the table clash, as just three points separate Juventus in first from Napoli in second. The match would carry extra significance, after the exciting crescendo of last season where Napoli took Juventus all the way to the finish line in an enthralling Serie A title race. In the end, Napoli finished with 91 points (the record points tally for a team that didn't win the league), just four points behind Juventus.
Both teams are set to slug it out once more for the title this season, as they have already set the pace for others to follow, with Juventus top of the pile on 18 points following their perfect start to the campaign, winning six out of six.
Napoli are not too far behind, lying three points behind on 15 with their only bump thus far coming in a shock 3-0 loss to Sassuolo on matchday 3.
The Bianconerri are undoubtedly the favourite of the pair, as they are so significantly ahead of everyone else in Serie A that they have won the league title in each of the last seven seasons, including the last four doubles of league and cup.
The addition of Ronaldo to their ranks has significantly increased their strength, and Juve would expect the Portuguese record goalscorer to lift them to even higher heights, with his proven track record of delivering when it really matters.
Despite all these, the Partenopei would fancy their chances of causing an upset at the home of their rivals, as on their day, Napoli can hurt any team in Europe.
They also have very recent history to draw inspiration from, as last season, with only five matches of the season left and sat four points behind Juve, Napoli went to the Juventus stadium and completed a shock win. Kalidou Koulibaly headed home in the 90th minute to give the Naples team their first victory at the stadium in over a decade and reduce the deficit to just one point.
The record Italian champions have forged a reputation of having one of the tightest defenses in the world, a strong knit unit drilled in the art of defending and synergy, having mostly played together for almost a decade.
However, Napoli are no slouches themselves when it comes to attacking, and in 2017 scored a whopping 94 goals, which is the record highest in Serie A's 120 year history.
They possess an array of attacking threats such as Arkadiusz Milik, Dries Mertens, Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne who are all more than capable of causing Bonucci and Chiellini problems.
Their remarkable hassling of Juventus last season would also put belief in the player's minds that Juve is not that much better than them, and their quest to write the wrongs from last season and deliver the Pertenopei faithful their first Serie A title in 28 years is also to serve as extra motivation.
Perhaps the most significant factor which could swing the pendulum in favour of Napoli is the presence of Carlo Ancelotti on their managerial bench.
The 59-year-old is one of the most revered managers in football history, having won a multitude of titles across different countries including three Champions League crowns as manager of AC Milan and Real Madrid.
The Italian tactician also has invaluable experience, serving as coach of Juventus between 1999 and 2001 during which he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999, so he would have some useful information about the club to pass onto his players.
Juventus' chief attacking threat is Ronaldo, and here Ancelotti comes in handy once more, as he managed the 33-year-old for two seasons at Real Madrid and maintains a cordial relationship with him till this day, so he might have a few pointers for his defenders as to how to stop the goal machine.
Juve have the pedigree and better players in their favour, while their status as defending champions and the addition of Ronaldo should see them triumph. Nonetheless, Napoli would have different ideas, and if those ideas come to fruition, then Juventus might well find themselves beaten for the first time this season despite the addition of Ronaldo.