Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Let?s see if the month of February can get a little better. No matter what the result of the second Derby d?Italia ended up being, the next few games after that massive rivalry matchup for Juventus were looked to be very favorable ones. They were not only against provincial sides, but also ones who were very much struggling and toward the bottom of the Serie A table. It was, in theory, a way to either keep pace with Inter or potentially change the scope of the Scudetto race.

Well, my friends, the plans from a few weeks ago seem to have changed.
Juventus? didn?t win the Derby d?Italia against Inter Milan, allowing the current league leaders to expand their lead from a single point to four. And not only did that lead grow with Juve?s slip-up on Monday, but it also saw the Bianconeri?s stranglehold on second place over AC Milan shrink even further. So now, as Juventus gets set to make the trip to Verona to face another relegation battler in the form of Hellas Verona, ending a three-game winless streak isn?t the only major thing at stake Saturday evening at the Bentegodi. There is now pressure on them from the team in third place which is in much better form than Juve currently is, and there?s the simple fact that Inter?s thumping of Salernitana on Friday further extended their lead atop the Serie A standings to 10 points. There?s also this: Juventus just need to get back on the horse ...