Am I crazy to suggest that outside of Barcelona, Juventus represent the next best shot at lifting this season’s Champions League? The bookies must think I am, ranking them 5th favourite for the world’s biggest club tournament which resumes this week.
Juventus successfully negotiated one of the hardest groups in the first phase of the competition emerging unbeaten and having conceded just 4 goals from their 6 matches. Only PSG fared better defensively, letting through 3, however they were pitted against much gentler opposition than most.
In a group which also contained Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk and Danish champions Nordsjaelland, Juventus generated more shots than any other team in the Champions League while conceded the 6th fewest.
That were ranked within the competition's top third for tackles, and 6th overall for intercepted passes.
Juventus’ domestic form has been even more impressive, leading the Serie A by 5 points while possessing a goal difference of +34, having scored the most goals as well as conceding the least.
Juventus top every major statistical category in Italy this season thanks largely to a very talented midfield anchored by one of the world’s very best, Andrea Pirlo and a consistently efficient defence.
Juventus’ Achilles heel as the competition enters its tougher phase may pertain to not having one reliable 'go-to' scoring threat. In the serie A this season there’s no less than 16 players who have scored 8 or more goals. None are from Juventus.
What may however work to Juventus’ advantage is that their goals have mostly arrived via committee this rather than a sole marksmen or two.
This season they’ve no less than 8 players who’ve scored 4 or more goals. In the group stage of the Champions League, 5 different Juventus players found themselves on the score sheet.
In addition, the 'Old Lady' of Italian football will also be able to call upon the services of French legend Nicolas Anelka whom they recently signed on load from Chinese Club, Shanghai Shenhua.
Juventus were lucky enough to have drawn Celtic for their round of 16 fixture, and though the Scots famously beat Barcelona back in November, one would think knocking out the 28-time Italian Champs would likely constitute even more of an upset.
Yes, Barcelona deserves their favortism for Europe’s biggest tournament, but Juventus may well represent the best chance of knocking the Catalans off come late May.
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