Top of the table, playing great football despite a summer transfer campaign that was questioned by many, the team in black and white striped shirts are once again slicing through opponents with relative ease and look assured in possession of the ball. Their talismanic captain and number ten is both a hero and a club legend, leading them with poise and class while seemingly able to stave off the effects of age.
While the above applies completely to Antonio Conte's Juventus, those attributes - much like their place atop the Serie A standings - are shared with relative minnows Udinese, the only two clubs to remain undefeated after the first five rounds of the season. The Turin side may be writing many of the headlines thanks to an incredible improvement under the new coach and the team being almost as impressive as the new stadium which it calls home, but their Friulian counterparts have been equally great in these opening matches.
A discussion about Juventus inevitably leads to the work done in the summer in shaping the squad to suit Conte's tactical and mental approach to the game and similarly any debate regarding Italian football's other Bianconeri also quickly broaches the same subject. Unlike the Old Lady however, Udinese's mercato was largely one of exits rather than arrivals, the club making huge profits on the sales of Gökhan Inler, Cristián Zapata and Alexis Sánchez. Between them the trio scored 17 of the clubs 65 Serie A goals (26%) and contributed a further ten assists, seemingly leaving a huge hole behind them as the Zebrette prepared for a tough Champions League Playoff.
Yet as they always seem to, and without spending a significant portion of the fees received for those players sold, Udinese replaced them and gave a wonderful account of themselves against Arsenal. Once more they have managed to scour the globe and unearth talent in places other clubs simply do not look. Among their summer signings were players from leagues as diverse as Switzerland, Serbia, Romania and a couple of young Serie B starlets. It is tough to imagine Calcio's biggest clubs making those same moves and almost unthinkable that they would immediately see playing time in European football's biggest competition.
But Udinese aren't most clubs, in fact they are very much unique. Run incredibly well, with a scouting network that is second to none, the very philosophy of the club is alien to the rest of the peninsula. All of which makes their position alongside Juventus even more impressive and the closer we examine their start to the season, the more remarkable it becomes.
Last year they began the campaign with four defeats, finally breaking that run with a draw in week five. This time around they have three wins and two draws from the same number of fixtures giving them eleven points; a tally they took until week 9 to reach last season. They have also scored seven goals, a total they needed twice as many matches to amass in 2010-11.
As impressive as they have been in attack - Di Natale netting four goals already speaks for itself - it is at the back where they have most clearly improved. Despite regularly shifting formations - sometimes with three defenders, other times playing with four - they have kept four clean sheets. Indeed the only league goal they have conceded to date came away to champions Milan as Stephan El Shaarawy grabbed a second half equaliser for the Rossoneri.
Other facets of their play have also caught the eye; they are averaging just 46% possession but completing 80% of passes, showing both their tendency to play on the counter and also the excellence at which they do just that.
Five of their players average more than 2.5 interceptions per game, while the same number have yet to lose an aerial challenge this season. In addition, ten different players are averaging over 7.00 in the WhoScored.com system, double the number achieving that benchmark at Juventus.
The names may change, the stars may be sold on to allow the club to compete in the manner in which it does, but if the Friuli side prove one thing, it is the importance of clear direction, good management and a strong team ethic. Next summer it could well be the turn of Gabriel Torje, Mauricio Isla and Dušan Basta to be sold, but Udinese will remain and it would be no suprise if they got even better.
