StadiumPosts Logo
Stay upto date with notifications from Stadiumposts
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences

SCUDETTO CHARGE: LUCIANO SPALLETTI WARNS JUVENTUS TO PEDAL HARDER IN THE 2026 TITLE RACE

Luciano Spalletti challenges Juventus to embrace the Scudetto race. Can the Old Lady close the gap on Napoli and Roma?

Scudetto Charge: Luciano Spalletti warns Juventus to pedal harder in the 2026 title race
Juventus should never be afraid of its own historic greatness

Luciano Spalletti isn’t shy about it. He says Juventus shouldn’t be scared to jump right into the Scudetto race. But he’s also not sugarcoating tonight’s challenge against Cremonese—it’s going to be a battle everywhere you look on the pitch.

Juventus has a real shot tonight. The top three all drew over the weekend, so there’s a big chance to close the gap. If they grab a win, they’ll move up to 39 points, right alongside Roma and Napoli. Sure, Antonio Conte’s team still has a game in hand, but that just adds to the drama.

Spalletti wants to keep everyone fired up. “We dreamed about having this bike; now we’ve got to pedal even harder,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “When you’re up against teams chasing the Champions League, you’ve got to make your mark.”

Is chasing the title instead of just a top-four spot going to give the Old Lady an extra push? Spalletti thinks so. “We need to keep pushing naturally, stay ambitious, and remember that wanting to improve is part of what made this club great. There’s no reason to be afraid of stepping up and becoming part of that story.”

They’ll have to do it without Francisco Conceicao, Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, and Arek Milik, who are all still sidelined. On the bright side, Lloyd Kelly is back to strengthen the defence.

Fabio Miretti gets another run as the trequartista, playing just behind Jonathan David—who finally broke his goal drought with that 3-0 win over Sassuolo.

Cremonese, with Davide Nicola at the helm, have been surprising people this season and have taken down some big names. Spalletti knows they can be tricky. “Football teaches us a lot. We’ve got great young coaches in Italy, and sometimes it’s their intuition that changes everything.”

He wants his players to step up and take control. “They’re the ones who decide things out there. It’s about winning those ten battles all over the field—whoever comes out on top tips the game in their team’s favour.”

DERBY D’ITALIA: LEAGUE LEADERS INTER MILAN HOST JUVENTUS IN A VALENTINE’S DAY BLOCKBUSTER

Inter Milan hosts Juventus on Feb 14. Discover team news, the combined XI controversy, and Lautaro Martinez's quest for 15 goals.

top-news
The Nerazzurri aim to settle the score after September’s 4-3 defeat

Inter Milan, sitting comfortably at the top of Serie A, welcomes a fired-up Juventus side on Saturday. This match has all the ingredients for drama. Inter’s got an eight-point cushion (58 from 24 games), while Napoli, still clinging to their status as defending champions, sit third on 49 points, just three ahead of Roma, who’ll be coming to town Sunday.

Juventus, wedged inside the top four, roll into Milan with only one loss in its last ten games. But Inter look scary right now; they’ve won five league matches in a row and just hammered Sassuolo for five goals last weekend.

Juventus have a chip on their shoulder, too, thanks to Corriere dello Sport stirring the pot this week. The paper claimed only three Juve players would make Inter’s starting eleven: Gleison Bremer, Khephren Thuram, and Kenan Yildiz. A little disrespect? Maybe. However, it shows that Juventus have quality in every part of the pitch.

Last weekend, Juventus showed they can dig deep. Down 2-0 at home to Lazio, they clawed back for a draw – not the points they wanted, but the fight will boost their confidence.

And don’t forget how Luciano Spalletti’s Juve tore Napoli apart two weeks ago with a 3-0 win. That one stung.

Now, Napoli gets ready for Roma with a real sense of urgency. Roma’s new loan signing, Dutch forward Donyell Malen, is on fire with three goals in four games under Gian Piero Gasperini. Gasperini’s already warning people: Malen’s going to rack up goals this season, as long as Roma keeps feeding him the ball. He’s got a whole bag of tricks up front.

Napoli are still dealing with injuries, but Antonio Conte’s got his team fighting. Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay, both former Manchester United players, have brought the energy Conte loves. The title defence isn’t easy. Conte admits being nine points back makes it tough—but with Roma in town, the atmosphere should be electric.

Looking elsewhere, AC Milan, currently second, head to Pisa on Friday night. Mike Maignan’s in top form in goal, while Luka Modric keeps things ticking in midfield.

Como, one of the season’s surprises, sits sixth. They host Fiorentina, who are desperate for points, on Saturday. And then Como travels to AC Milan midweek for a game that got bumped because of the Olympic opening ceremony.

Keep an eye on Lautaro Martinez this weekend. The little Argentine has 14 league goals already, and with Inter’s attack firing—57 goals in 24 games—he’ll be a handful for Juventus.

Here’s what’s coming up (all times GMT):

Friday: Pisa v AC Milan (1945)

Saturday: Como v Fiorentina (1400), Lazio v Atalanta (1700), Inter Milan v Juventus (1945)

Sunday: Udinese v Sassuolo (1130), Cremonese v Genoa, Parma v Verona (1400), Torino v Bologna (1700), Napoli v Roma, Cagliari v Lecce (1945)

Monday: Cagliari v. Lecce (1945)

MILAN STAY? NICLAS FULLKRUG "DESPERATE" TO LEAVE WEST HAM FOR PERMANENT ITALY MOVE

Niclas Fullkrug is desperate to stay at AC Milan. Discover if the Rossoneri will trigger the buy option for the West Ham loanee.

top-news
Niclas Fullkrug fights to convince AC Milan after Lecce goal

Niclas Füllkrug doesn’t have a future at West Ham. He wants to stay in Italy and keep playing for AC Milan after this season at least; that’s what Milan News is saying. Now it’s just a question of whether Milan actually wants to keep him around for good.

Milan can sign him if they want. So far, he’s only scored once in seven games, so he still has some convincing to do. He’s not exactly tearing it up, but there’s still time for him to make his case.

He’s technically under contract with West Ham until 2028, but let’s be honest, neither side wants a reunion. West Ham already brought in two new strikers. There’s no way Fullkrug gets much game time if he goes back. It just makes sense for him to move on and find a permanent home elsewhere.

West Ham wants to move him on, too. They don’t want him sitting on the bench taking up space, especially since he’s not in their plans anymore. Back in the winter window, they slapped a price tag on him before letting him leave on loan.

So, can Fullkrug convince Milan to keep him? He’s got experience and could add something to their squad, but it’s up to Milan to decide if he’s worth it. West Ham paid €26 million for him, but they won’t get close to that now. They’re probably looking at a loss.

Fullkrug needs a fresh start, and staying in Italy could be perfect for him. Regular minutes at Milan might help him rediscover his old form. He’s shown what he can do in Germany, and there’s no reason he can’t make an impact in Milan, too.

Now it’s all down to what happens over the next few months. Füllkrug has to step up, play well, and give Milan a reason to make the deal permanent.

Premier League Standings

WhatsApp Read More News