ROME – After Napoli succumbed to a late defeat against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, Juventus fans around the world could afford to celebrate, as the gap at at the top of Serie A turned into an unassailable lead for their side. This year will mark the fifth successive season in which the Old Lady has retained her crown at the peak of the Italian game.

 Juventus’ 2-1 victory against Fiorentina the previous afternoon, had placed the Turin outfit on the cusp of the title, with Napoli knowing anything short of a win in Rome, would fail to prolong their title chances. As it turned out, a late goal from Radja Nainggolan would prove pivotal, ensuring a 1-0 win for Roma and handing the Scudetto to Massimiliano Allegri’s side with three games to spare. This victory also equals a record that Juventus set in the 1930s for most titles in a row, winning the league in every season between 1931 and 1935.

 Contrary to some of their recent Scudetto triumphs however, which have been won at a canter, this season has defined the old adage of a tale of two halves. An uncharacteristically slow start to the season left the Bianconeri sitting in 12^th place after the opening 10 games. Rewind four months and it would have seemed impossible that a manager who had guided his team to the Serie A title and the final of the UEFA Champions League, could be facing any sort of pressure early the next season. Nevertheless, after what can only be described as a dismal haul of 12 points from the opening two months of the campaign, Juventus President Andrea Agnelli issued a stark warning.

 “We knew the process of renewing the squad could create some problems, but it's not a justification for our current place in the table," said Agnelli, intimating that despite the previous season’s success, Allegri’s team need to climb the table, and quickly!

 The beginning of the 2015/16 season was always going to pose a challenge for the Old Lady, who lost midfield talisman Andrea Pirlo to the advances of Major League Soccer in the United States, and their top goal scorer Carlos Tevez to his native Argentina. Furthermore, after the departure of midfield enforcer Arturo Vidal to Bayern Munich and a late injury to Claudio Marchisio, the Bianconeri were forced to start the season with only Paul Pogba from the midfield, which had taken them to the final of Europe’s premier club competition in May.

 It could be seen that the pressure of being Juventus’ go-to man weighed heavily on Pogba, whose form dipped in the opening weeks of the season. However, the Frenchman’s fortunes have rather resembled his team over the course of the season, as he has now returned to his dominant best, alongside the aforementioned Marchisio and Sami Khedira, who also returned from injury midway through the season. The German was known for suffering injury problems at former club Real Madrid, yet his quality has never been in doubt. Juventus are yet to lose in Serie A with Khedira in their starting XI.

 Indeed, the concept of any domestic loss has become somewhat foreign to Juventus in recent months. Since a defeat to Sassuolo left the Old Lady in 12^th position on October 28^th, the team has gone on a remarkable run, winning 24 of their next 25 matches, with the only dropped points coming in a 0-0 draw against Bologna. A late 1-0 victory of their own against Napoli on February 13^th allowed the Bianconeri to leapfrog their rivals at the top of the Scudetto and Allegri’s team hasn’t looked back since.

 “It’s amazing,” said the manager to Sky after hearing of Napoli’s loss in Rome. “Winning 24 out of 25 games is unique. At Christmas the goal was to be six points off the top, and in March it was to be second. I have to say we did even better than predicted.”

 Much of Juventus’ success this season can be attributed to their prolific strikers. The Argentinean Paolo Dybala has responded to critics who commented at the start of the season that he wasn’t the best choice to replace his countryman Carlos Tevez, by scoring 16 goals and assisting eight more. Spanish youngster Alvaro Morata has also been in impressive form for the Old Lady, netting 11 times in all competitions.

 However, it must once again be noted that the form of Paul Pogba has been one of the crucial catalysts in Juventus’ success this season. The 23-year-old Frenchman, who will star for his country at the European Championships this summer, has long been courted by footballing heavyweights including Barcelona and Real Madrid. According to sources in the Italian media, the Madridistas are lining up a deal for Pogba, which could include an exchange for the Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez. Whether or not this proves to be the case, it is likely that Juventus will want their starlet to decide on his future within the coming weeks, as any choice could have a big impact on Juventus’ transfer policy this summer.

 Should Pogba, or any other of Juventus’ now title winning stars decide to move on in the transfer window, they will at least have another chance of glory, as the Old Lady face old rivals Milan in the Coppa Italia final May 21.

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