Tevez surprised by debut Juventus season

The Argentinian joined the Italian champions from Manchester City last June and has gone on to become the leading scorer in the division, with 18 goals in 29 outings. 

Tevez's goals have helped put Juve firmly on course for a third straight Scudetto, with Antonio Conte's side currently 14 points clear of second-placed Roma with just eight games to go, while they are also in the last eight of the UEFA Europa League. 

However, despite their continued domestic dominance, Tevez has insisted the Italian top flight has been tough, adding that he did not expect to hit the ground running so quickly in Turin. 

When asked by La Stampa whether he envisaged having such a strong debut campaign, he said: "In truth, I did not think so, I only had in mind to do my job, this is the first year in Italy, too.

"It is a very difficult championship. We played Catania (winning 1-0 at the Stadio Angelo Massimino last Sunday) in almost a climate of war, while it has been hard against Parma (in a 2-1 home win on Wednesday).

"These are games that allow you to win championships - the classics against Napoli, Milan and Inter also count, but playing and winning battles like those of last Sunday in Sicily is really important."

Juve can take another step towards the Serie A title on Sunday when they take on third-placed Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo.