Conte declares Juve '50 per cent champions'
Antonio Conte has declared Juventus "50 per cent champions of Italy" following Sunday's 1-0 victory over Fiorentina.
Kwadwo Asamoah scored the only goal of the game three minutes before the break as Juve stretched their winning streak at home to a record-equalling 14 consecutive victories.
And coach Conte is confident his side, who sit 14 points clear of closest challengers Roma ahead of their trip to third-placed Napoli later on Sunday, are heading for a third straight top-flight title.
"We did well to win the first Scudetto unbeaten (in 2011-12), while last season only Inter and Sampdoria got the better of us," he is quoted as telling Sky Sport Italia.
"There are still 11 rounds to go, but we are 50 per cent champions of Italy. We're going at an extraordinary pace, but they're not letting up behind us either.
"What do I tell the fans about the future? Nothing, as we should focus on the present, because confirming our status would be extraordinary and historic."
Reflecting on Sunday's match, Conte was pleased with his team's efforts to restrict Fiorentina - the only side to beat Juve in Serie A this season with a 4-2 win back in October - to just one genuine goalscoring opportunity.
"We played the first half at a high level, then after the break we dropped back in part due to fatigue after international duty," he continued.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"We allowed Fiorentina only one chance to score, rarely ran risks and held out pretty well."
The encounter was the first of three between the sides to take place over the next fortnight, with Juve and Fiorentina set to meet in the UEFA Europa League last 16, and Conte feels Sunday's win was the perfect way to begin a testing period.
"It won't be difficult to prepare for that game because we have reference points and know them well. It will be a battle," he added.
"It was important to win today because this is Serie A and with victories over Milan and Fiorentina we've put pressure on the chasing pack."