Leaders Juventus scored two first-half goals on Saturday to inflict a 2-0 defeat on Lazio and maintain their domestic dominance.
Thanks to this victory, which halted Lazio’s run of eight straight wins, Massimiliano Allegri’s side are almost certain to claim their fourth successive Scudetto and 31st overall.
With seven games to go, the Bianconeri have a seemingly unassailable 15-point lead over Lazio and Roma.
Such a healthy advantage in the championship should enable the two-time European champions to focus on their Champions League commitments.
Tonight, Juventus will attempt to reach the semi-finals of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since season 2002-03 when they face Ligue 1 outfit Monaco in the return leg in Monte Carlo. Back in 2003, Juventus had ousted Spanish giants Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.
In the first leg, played at the Juventus Stadium last week, Arturo Vidal scored the all-important goal from the penalty spot to give the Italian champions a slender advantage ahead of tonight’s trip to the Stade Louis II Stadium.
Juventus are playing with great confidence lately.
Two weeks ago, at the Artemio Franchi Stadium, a makeshift Juventus team crushed Europa League hopefuls Fiorentina 3-0 to advance to their 15th Coppa Italia final – their first since season 2011/12.
The Turin giants have not won this competition since beating Parma 3-0 on aggregate in Marcello Lippi’s maiden season in 1994/95.
Juve meet Lazio in this year’s Coppa Italia final, to be played at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
So far, the date of the final is June 7. But this could change if Juve progress to the Champions League final, scheduled for June 6 in Berlin.
If this were to happen, it would be Juve’s first appearance in a European Cup final since going down to Milan, in the only all-Italian final to date, following a penalty shoot-out at Old Trafford 12 years ago.
Allegri has applied a rotation system whereby all the squad players feel that they are important to the cause
After their convincing wins against Malmo (2-0) and Borussia Dortmund (3-0), Juventus are seeking their third away win on the trot in the Champions League tonight.
In their most recent visit to France this time last year, Juventus overcame Lyon 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Monaco, who have reached their only Champions League final in season 2003/04, have never lost against Italian opponents in Monte Carlo. Their only upset against a Serie A outfit was a 1-3 reverse to Inter in the first round of the 1963/64 European Cup. The game was played in Marseille.
Even Lippi’s Juve lost to the principality outfit (3-2) at the Louis II Stadium en route to reaching the 1997/98 Champions League final, which the Italians eventually lost (1-0) to Real Madrid in Amsterdam.
However, in the first leg, Juventus had claimed a comprehensive 4-1 win over Jean Tigana’s Monaco which ensured their qualification to the final 6-4 on aggregate.
Conte vs Allegri
Juventus have been brilliant on all fronts this season.
Antonio Conte, now in charge of the Italy national team, was a big motivator and steered Juventus to three straight domestic titles between 2012 and 2014.
However, under his stewardship, Juventus seldom made inroads in Europe.
Only last year, Juventus failed to make it through to the Europa League final which was played at their own stadium. In 2012, the Bianconeri lost 2-0 to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final.
Apart from winning three consecutive titles, Juventus claimed two Super Cup triumphs under Conte, at the expense of Napoli and Lazio in 2012 and 2013.
Allegri, though, looks to have given Juventus an extra dimension particularly in Europe. The former Cagliari and Milan mentor has been instrumental in changing the side’s mentality when playing on the continent, according to current Juventus director Pavel Nedved.
The Juve players are now delivering more because they are playing more at ease under Allegri.
By contrast, Conte had created a siege mentality in Europe.
This was a major stumbling block for Juventus to replicate their domestic dominance in the Champions League.
Allegri has also been shrewd enough to keep all his players on their toes.
Furthermore, he has applied a rotation system whereby all the squad players feel that they are important to the cause and, consequently, no-one is indispensable.
No wonder that Juve maintained their positive run despite the notable absences of Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo in recent weeks.
Juve have won nothing yet but they are definitely on the right track to complete a memorable campaign.
The Scudetto is almost theirs. But this is only the beginning.
Other triumphs may be just around the corner, albeit it is still premature to say whether Juve are capable of going all the way and emulate the great Inter side of José Mourinho who, in season 2009/10, completed a treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia.