With Juventus coming off a fourth-place finish for the third time in the past five seasons, the Italian giants are seeking to return to dominant form under the reigns of head coach Igor Tudor.
How realistic is the prospect of the Bianconeri returning to glory this season remains to be seen, although it may not be as out of reach as some might think. However, all the stars are going to need to align if they want to take the crown from defending champions and overwhelming favorites Napoli.
Napoli prepared to defend crown
Former Juventus boss Antonio Conte is looking to steer Napoli to their third Scudetto in just four years, and be the first team to win back-to-back since Juve achieved that feat in 2020.
If Juve want to regain the crown, Naples are the biggest obstacle as they managed to hold on to their key players from last term and made some major signings this summer like Kevin de Bruyne, Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca.
Inter vying to win back the Scudetto
After finishing in first place two years ago, Inter Milan were pipped at the post by just a single point last season following a wobble.
Inter finished Serie A as the highest scorers with 79 goals, just beating Atalanta's impressive tally of 78, with goal grabbers always likely to be in the mix to become title contenders.
Yet Inter have only made a trickle in the transfer market compared to the splash made by many of their rivals. Simone Inzaghi, who led them to their most recent Scudetto and a top three finish every other season during his managerial stint, was on Juve's shortlist bu switched to the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal FC.
With a disappointing finale to last year's Serie A and an unexperienced head coach in Cristian Chivu, who arrived from Parma to replace Inzaghi, leaves Inter facing some uncertainty about being serious title contenders.
Other clubs in mix for a top four finish
Other threats to Juventus are those ambitious teams who are chasing a Champions League berth by claiming a place in the top four at the end of the Serie A 2025/26 campaign.
AC Milan is an enigma under ex-Juve chief Max Allegri where a top 10 finish is acceptable but a Champions League place is expected. They have lost stars Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders, replaced by Croatia veteran Luka Modric and US ace Christian Pulisic. Allegri's last stint at the club led to a Scudetto, but to repeat next season seems improbable.
AS Roma slipped up in their bid to secure a Champions League place, finishing one point behind Juventus. This season they have Gian Piero Gasperini at the helm, having moved from Atalanta, and a fast paced youth driven strategy to finish inside the top four this upcoming season.
Gasperini was on Juve's shortlist to take over this summer, but went to the capital and where his high-energy tactics and penchant for scoring goals may take more than one season to develop its full potential.
Como's promotion to Serie A turned out to be one of the most exciting aspects of the Italian top tier last term under emerging head coach Cesc Fabregas. Their rise is hard to ignore, although they may not be ready to compete at the top of the table just yet despite the big bucks being splashed during the summer transfer window.
Juventus always have high expectations
The Bianconeri are realistically looking at a top five finish, and maybe sneaking into the Champions League. Failure to secure a top four finish, and the financial reward, could leave Tudor in trouble with the club's hierarchy. The difference between finishing first and finishing fifth is massive, in terms of money and prestige.
One of the biggest question marks is whether Tudor is the right man for Juventus, having originally arrived as a cheap stopgap solution. Regardess of results this term, there is bound to be debate over his suitability and whether he should stay or be replaced.
Although the manager's position is pivotal to success, there are question marks over his squad. Their potential will be judged in Champions League action, and if they fail may be better suited to the Europa League next season.
The Juve frontline is where the biggest questions are being asked. Solidifying the attack will be a big step through the rest of the transfer window for the Bianconeri, who are still looking to bolster their attack. There are high expectations from Canadian goal poacher Jonathan David, who managed to break his duck in the pre-season friendly at Atalanta.
There is no further concrete news on the future of Dusan Vlahovic, the club's top goal scorer for the past three seasons, although Spanish sides Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Villarreal have spotted a bargain for a proven center forward.
On the upside, the Juve defense is often one of the best in Serie A. Their high possession and passing style of play is a major plus. Last season the defense finished in the league's top three in terms of shots on target against, goals against, tackle percentage and clean sheets.
Juventus still has many uncertainties with the season less than a week away, but they have the potential to easily be Napoli's top competition for this year's Scudetto if slightly tweaked. Whether they can put the pieces together early enough in the forthcoming campaign, and have the players to battle it out to the season finale should make the 2025/25 term exciting for Juve fans.