5 reasons why Juventus can win the Champions League

Italian football has for the last decade seen a slow and steady decline, going from the lofty height of being labeled the best league in Europe and sporting household names to becoming a league marred with tension and controversies.No team has seen the best and worst of this phase like the Turin giants Juventus. Stripped of two Serie A titles after the 2006 Italian Football Scandal and then relegated to Serie B, they came back to the top tier of Italian football to do it all once again. That’s why they have been able to carve a niche for themselves in the Italian game like no other club.Sometimes lauded, sometimes chided, but no matter what they are subjected to, Juventus are not ordinary. The stronghold that the Bianconeri have had on the Italian game is undeniable. They have created a kind of monopoly in terms of silverware too which seems hard to break – with 31 (33 if the rescinded Calciopoli titles are included) domestic titles to their name and two European championship, it is no doubt that they stand tall as the most successful Italian club.Now, they find themselves once again on the cusp of regaining those lost moments of glory, having bagged the Serie A this season for the fourth year running.The Champions League tells another story for the most established club of Italy. Unlike AC Milan, who are runaway winners when it comes to European success when it comes to Italian teams (seven championships), Juventus have been relatively ordinary in showcasing their European supremacy. A haul of five runners up trophies and just two titles makes it evident that there is still work to be done for them. But with their clinical play, this season Juventus are looking to shake the European voodoo for once and for all and go back to the old glory days. Their 2-1 win over Real Madrid yesterday has given them renewed hope, and although winning the semifinal is still going to be a tough ask, Juventus certainly have the ability to do so, and maybe even go beyond.Here’s a look at how Juventus can win the Champions League – 

#1 Lean and mean defence

The semi-final on the broader terms would be a match-up between this Italian defensive stability versus the Spanish attacking volatility. Madrid’s attack line is well documented, but they will have their work cut out against Juventus.

One of the meanest defences in Europe’s major leagues, with only Bayern Munich and Barcelona ahead of them in terms of goals conceded, Juventus have a tough but achievable task to keep the high-flying Los Blancos attack quiet. With 19 goals conceded in the Italian League, the least for the league, Juventus have to thank a stout and well-gelled back line for all the accolades.

Bonucci, Barzagli and Chiellini have, like always, shored up the Juventus defence and they have the tall figure of Gianluigi Buffon behind them to mark the goal. With Allegri’s arrival, this established back line has got a new dimension that sees them move from a back five, which was perhaps a staple of Conte era, to a back four without much of a fuzz.

Allegri has been able to change the back line as per the requirement, which has been made possible by experienced heads in the shape of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra.