5 Reasons why Serie A is the most competitive league right now

Having shrunk to a somewhat diminutive league in the shadows of the wealthy Premier League and a star-studded La Liga, Italy’s top flight, Serie A, has slowly but surely been reassembling itself in the background and is now awakening. With new sides vying for the Scudetto and looking to break the dominance of Juventus at the top, this season’s Series A campaign is gradually unfolding as one of the most competitive ever.

No other league has seen such development as the Italian top tier in the last couple of years and, perhaps with the exception of a seriously flagging Benevento side, Serie A is packed with quality from top to bottom and it really has become incredibly difficult to predict.

Why though has this sudden rebirth materialised and how? Let us then take a look at five reasons why the Serie A is now the most competitive league on the continent…

#1 The Emergence of Napoli

Although there has never been any doubt surrounding the talent embedded within the Italian top flight, there's certainly been an aura of predictability about it, given that one has to go back six years to the last time that Juventus didn't win the Scudetto.

Consequently it has raised many an eyebrow this campaign to see Napoli emerge as genuine title contenders in the early stages of the season, having now won 11 of their opening 13 matches, leading second placed Inter Milan by two points.

Not only do Napoli look fearsome in terms of statistics (they are unbeaten and boast the best goal difference in the division), but the club from the Naples have also been getting results, whilst playing incredible football. The interchangeable frontline of the much sought-after Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and José Callejón would be a dream for any manager, whilst there is strength in depth too, with the likes of youngsters Amadou Diawara and Piotr Zieli?ski knocking at the door for game time.

Although Napoli have already defeated both Rome clubs this term, their biggest challenge will be Juventus at the very start of next month, where we will perhaps see the true emergence of a club capable of challenging for the title.

#2 An improved eagerness to spend

André Silva was among Serie A's most impressive imports this summer

It's perhaps the worst kept secret in football that money talks. In order for a club to now be the greatest, they need to spend big and even then success isn't guaranteed. It's therefore common logic that in order for a league to develop and become more competitive, it needs financial injection and Serie A seems to have had just that.

According to Transfermarkt, the combined total market value of the four highest value clubs in Serie A has increased from £1.08 billion in 2014 to £1.405 billion this campaign. Although general inflation must be taken into account, it is evident that the value of Serie A squads has risen and bigger and more financially lucrative deals are presenting themselves in Italy's top tier.

This summer window alone, AC Milan forked out a whopping £175 million to revamp their squad, albeit not particularly successfully, whilst even smaller clubs like Atalanta and Sampdoria have eclipsed £35 million in their summer spending, which isn't a great deal compared to their Premier League counterparts, but it shows significant development for Serie A.

Not only has the 'eagerness' to spend improved amongst Italian clubs, but the array of talent being drawn to Serie A is also greater than ever. This summer alone, young starlets André Silva and Hakan Calhanoglu switched life for Milan whilst big names such as Leonardo Bonucci and Gonzalo Higuain have also opted to stay put in Italy.

#3 Managerial Masterclass

Sarri has been likened to greats Pep Guardiola and Arrigo Sacchi

It may be considered somewhat of a cliché, but, in general, anyone can beat anyone in Serie A at present (once again, Benevento should perhaps be outlined as an exception there). Already this season we have seen Juventus remarkably overturned by Sampdoria 3-2, who only at the end of September were on the wrong end of a 4-0 drubbing by Udinese, who themselves lost 3-2 to Serie A debutants SPAL.

Whilst other factors play their part, the high quality of football managers in Italy's top flight has to be taken into account when considering why Serie A has become so competitive; the tactical intelligence of the division has improved as a whole.

Napoli's manager Maurizio Sarri has drawn parallels with the great Pep Guardiola in his tactical approach, whilst some have gone as far as to compare him to club legend Arrigo Sacchi, although Sarri modestly rubbished such claims. Sarri is thought to have been among the first to use drones in training sessions to monitor player movement in drills.

Sarri himself is up against a host of other master tacticians such as Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus, who has reinvented the club after multiple departures across the past few seasons, Lazio's Simone Inzaghi, Inter's Luciano Spalletti and Roma's Eusebio Di Francesco, formerly of Sassuolo.

All of the aforementioned gaffers have instilled more competition into Serie A through their man management and tactical capabilities.

#4 The Slight slump of Juve

Allegri has a lot of work to do this season with Juventus

Although Allegri has, as just mentioned, done an incredible job at Juventus and rightfully warranted the three-year contract extension this summer, the Old Lady has not been as convincing as usual in the early stages of this campaign.

It is still early days and the club are only four points off the top, but it's fair to say that the improved competitive nature of Serie A this term is as much down to the quality of the others as the slight demise of Juventus. Whilst Inter Milan and Napoli sit unbeaten, Juventus have already lost twice and have conceded the joint most goals in the top five.

Defeats came against motivated, well set-up sides Sampdoria and Lazio, whilst in the draw with Atalanta and a slender victory over whipping boys Benevento, the team looked unconvincing.

The loss of Leonardo Bonucci at the back has proven problematic, whilst there seems to be some uncertainty surrounding Allegri's best eleven, with Juvenuts alternating between 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 set-ups respectively.

Juventus are undoubtedly too strong an outfit with too formidable a contingent of players to fade out into obscurity, but it's likely this will be their hardest title charge in many a season.

#5 The Predictability of the title races in other leagues

Other leagues, such as Ligue 1, are being dominatedWhilst Serie A itself now appears to have several clubs which can realistically challenge for the title, the other big leagues across the continent are not looking so exciting.

Under the steady stewardship of Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona are leading La Liga at present, having won eleven of their opening twelve matches. Valencia may be snapping at their heels, trailing by just four points, but their inexperience renders them unlikely to sustain that challenge and third-placed Real Madrid are ten points off the pace. Barcelona's name may as well be etched on the trophy now.

Perhaps most surprisingly of all is the unpredictability of the Premier League this campaign, where Manchester City currently lead at the top by eight points as the only unbeaten club in the division. The title seems pretty much guaranteed at this early stage.

Meanwhile, in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 respectively, both Bayern Munich and PSG have re-established themselves at the top, with the former leading by six points and boasting a goal difference nine goals superior to the next highest. PSG meanwhile are unbeaten also, storming to a six point lead and boasting a goal difference of +34 themselves.

Compared to Serie A, where just five points separates first from fourth, the other top flights are not matching the competition and unpredictability of Serie A by a long shot.