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Summary With the player strike put off, the scudetto race can finally begin, albeit two weeks late.
Reigning champions AC Milan head into the new Serie A season as unsurprising favourites following a summer of relative inactivity that has done little to spice up the coming campaign.Milan beat off the challenges of Inter Milan and Napoli last season and it is hard to see anything having changed significantly in the summer to upset the apple-cart.They won the title on a foundation of the meanest defence and moments of brilliance from their star-studded forward line to turn tight games in their favour.There has been a slight regeneration in defence ahead of this season with the arrivals of Philippe Mexes and Taye Taiwo meaning the Rossoneris mean backline should only get meaner.They have also added Italy internationals Alberto Aquilani and Antonio Nocerino to bolster their aging midfield, meaning the likes of Gennnaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf could well be heading into their swansong seasons at the club.Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes their new signings has ensured they remain favourites.Were still favourites, weve strengthened in this transfer window, he said.Were better than we were last season, Im happy with all the signings weve made.The objective then is for the rest to catch them and yet no-one seems to have taken any significant strides in doing so.Their main challenge will undoubtedly come from Inter who, without the distraction of the Club World Cup, should be more focused this season and as long as they dont give themselves a mountain to climb with a poor start, as they did 12 months ago, then they should at least push Milan closer this time around.But it is hard to see how they will have improved, not least due to the departure of Samuel Etoo, their best player last season, to Russians Anzhi Makhachkala.They werent helped by a long-term injury to centre-back Walter Samuel but Andrea Ranocchia proved an able understudy who has even done enough to earn a regular starting berth in the Italy national team.New coach Gian Piero Gasperini is set to employ a three-man backline, which could take time to gel and is certainly a risk.Etoos loss is probably the most signifcant change and despite the additions of Diego Forlan and Mauro Zarate, Etoos advantage was his seering pace and the fact he could operate out wide as well as through the middle.
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