Nothing, I mean nothing, in this Serie A season is going as planned. Fiorentina are currently at the top of the table, despite having just one or two players that a casual fan might recognize. Inter’s drab and dreary style has them fighting for the title, though that’s now an anomaly in a league more focused on getting forward. Even Chievo Verona, after years of boring us to death, is scoring with gusto. That makes the Flying Donkeys competitive, fighting for a European spot with other strange bedfellows, like Sassuolo and Atalanta. Meanwhile, Milan’s revival has sputtered once again, but even odder is the fact that Juventus sit just below the rossoneri, in 14th.

No one expects the Italian race to shake out this way. Juve may be closer to the drop than to the top, but the nine points separating them from Fiorentina is in no way insurmountable. Like second-place Roma, who overcame a less than stellar start to the season, Juventus can get themselves back into the scudetto race. Come Christmas, we could see the standings shift into more comprehensible form, in which Roma and Juve are fighting it out for the title, and Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina and Lazio are shooting for the bronze medal.

SEE MORE: Lazio’s progress report after seven games of the Serie A season.

Yet in order for either side to live up to their potential, something’s gotta give. Because the level of competition has risen this season, both Juventus and Roma will need to decide just how important a strong Champions League showing is for their club.

It would seem like Roma’s choice would be a simple one. Having not won the scudetto since 2001, and with just three titles to their name, a domestic triumph would send half of Rome into utter ecstasy. The Champions League may already be considered a wash: despite an encouraging draw in Barcelona, Roma fell 3-2 to BATE last round, leaving them last in their group. And with Juventus failing to dominate the way they have over the past three seasons, the giallorossi have a legitimate shot at glory there.

Yet while the title would bring local adoration, Roma’s ownership group are undoubtedly seeking more. Partially owned by Americans and with an American president at the helm, the club’s actions over the past few years — from bringing in big names to spending summers in the US — have made it clear they want their brand to extend past the peninsula. That means a Champions League presence. Having failed to progress past the group stage last season, the pressure is on head coach Rudi Garcia to cause more of a stir this time around.

It seemed like Roma were more prepared to do battle on two fronts this season. They brought in various forwards on loan and reinforced the defense with the likes of Lucas Digne and Antonio Rüdiger. Trouble is, they did nothing to pad the midfield. Miralem Pjanić is looking back to his best and Radja Nainggolan helps to mop up trouble, but they’ve yet to find a replacement for Kevin Strootman, who continues to be sidelined with left knee troubles. Injuries at the back, where they’ve still not brought in enough cover, have meant Daniele De Rossi is being forced back into defense to cover.

Roma still has an attack to be reckoned with, and having brought in a traditional No. 9 in Edin Džeko makes them more formidable. Their recent victories — 5-1 over Carpi, 4-2 over Palermo and 3-1 over Empoli — demonstrate that they’re coping with a weakened defense by relying on their offense. Trouble is, while that’ll work against the low-level Italian sides, they’re going to get caught out once they start dealing with stronger teams. Those differences will be more glaring if Garcia continues to depend on Gervinho and Mohamed Salah to carry the attack, as we know from experience that both start to fade as the season wears on.

Juventus, meanwhile, is likely to get stronger. Sami Khedira is finally back from injury, and as his performance against Sevilla showed, he’s the key to unlocking Paul Pogba’s world class talents. The 2-0 victory put Juve top of their Champions League group, making it even easier to imagine that this slow start to the season is just a blip on Juve’s way to a fifth straight title.

SEE MORE: Serie A’s added some much-needed uncertainty at the top of its table.

But despite their current standing atop Group D, the bianconeri, too, could benefit from making less of an effort in their midweek matches. This is a changed team, after all, struggling to cope without Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal. Much has been made of their midfield mess, and while putting Pogba and Khedira around a recovered Claudio Marchisio certainly has them looking better, it’s not a miracle cure, as evidenced by Pogba struggling once again in the goalless draw with Inter this past weekend.

Then there’s the danger in relying on Khedira to keep healthy, which is no mean feat for the fragile star. In recent years, this problem wouldn’t seem so great. After all, Juventus have plenty of midfield backup, and the likes of Mario Lemina, Stefano Sturaro, and even Simone Padoin would be able to cope with Italy’s lesser sides.

Those lesser sides have proved themselves a threat this season, though. Normally, after Juventus face Borussia Mönchengladbach midweek, they’d rotate against Atalanta, but this Atalanta side has three wins in four, which is more wins than Juve have recorded in Serie A thus far. Letting down their guard against fifth-placed Sassuolo also seems foolish, as would be sending a lesser squad out to face Torino, who’d love a second straight victory over their rivals.

Still, it’s unlikely Juventus will back away from a Champions League fight. After all, this is a side that made it to the final last year, and a club who believes a European Cup is well within their grasp. Instead, Massimiliano Allegri will continue to juggle his side, hoping to find enough magic combinations and formations to allow them to continue to compete in Europe while finding some teeth in the league.

Roma should be rushing in to fill the vacuum left by Juventus, but they’re likely to be tripped up as well, devoting too many resources to the Champions League and winding up spent when facing Serie A opponents. But while the situation may be frustrating for these two sides, it’s a thrill for other clubs. Smaller teams are getting a chance to shine, throwing a spotlight on their players and tactics. The likes of Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina, all of whom have been hanging around the top five for the past few seasons, look to be legitimate challengers this year. And Inter, almost irrelevant for the last five years, are finally shoving their way back into the big-boys club.

While it may be unwise for Juventus and Roma to keep fighting on multiple fronts, the majority of those watching Serie A will be thrilled by such a decision. The league has become interesting once more.