The case of Juventus

• The Guardian, Tuesday, September 25, 2007 4:15 PM

After Juventus earned a 1-1 tie with Roma in its first big test since returning to Serie A after its year of punishment in the second level of Italian soccer, the Italian papers immediately began to make Juve a title favorite. "Juve for the Scudetto," blared Corriere dello Sport, while "Juve can win it all" was the headline in Tuttosport.

Is the hype justified? While Juventus might have won at Roma if Alessandro del Piero had not missed a second-half penalty, there are questions about the Bianconeri in the back. They have allowed six goals in four league games, and Portuguese defender Jorge Andrade is sidelined after tearing knee ligaments.

Fortunately, Juve has Gianluigi Buffon in goal. He kept the Turin club in the game with a string of superb saves.

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