Inter Could Still Lose the Scudetto...to Napoli

Fairy-tales can come true, it could happen to you...

Scott Fleming would have you believe Serie A is all wrapped up with nice black and blue ribbons, signed and sealed for Jose Mourinho's Inter. His colleague James Sugrue agrees; not only will they win it, they will win it very, very boringly. Channel 4, being English, has succumbed to that peculiar English disease: calling the league title in mid-December after a hyped up top of the table grudge match.

Fleming says the reason Juve can't challenge for the title (let's not waste time getting geriatric AC Milan's hopes up) is because they "get by on sheer hard work and desire." In other words, they didn't look very organized in their 4-2 victory over Milan. Their goals "came out of nowhere." The implication is that Inter are a marvelously organized side who play top-notch tactical football (which would be surprising to Champions League 'giants' Werder Bremen or Panathinaikos), and Madrid-beating Juve won't touch them in Serie A. Summing up, when Inter score, they MEAN it; when Juve score, it's because of sheer hard work and desire.

It's true Inter are coasting through the league at the moment, but they're hardly untouchable. Only six points ahead of injury-prone Juventus, they've maintained a very good defensive record but are hardly knocking them in. One or two key injuries, an Ibra, a Maicon, would throw Mourinho's bare bones tactical plans completely out of whack. And if Werder Bremen can find holes in the Inter defense, there's no reason a Napoli or a Juve couldn't, making up for earlier losses this season.

And even with the injuries, Juve look good outside of some fairly hefty defensive issues. Amauri and Del Piero actually seem to have a bit of fun in the six yard box from time to time. But time and tiredness will inevitably kick in.

And who knows; a few Inter bumps down the road, and exertions from the Champions League on both Inter and Juve might leave room for a little club from the south of Italy to come waltzing into the upper echelons, IF they haven't lost half their talented kids to the bidet-less hotels of West London in January.

I'm just saying...