Juventus' Recent Performances Show Perfect Blueprint for Borussia Dortmund Tie

Currently sitting a comfortable 14 points clear at the top of the Serie A table, it seems Juventus are all but certain to secure a fourth consecutive league title at the end of the season.

There have been numerous accusations about the lack of a genuine challenger, but with five Italian teams still competing in the Europa League, it is clear that football on the peninsula is on the rise once again.

That neither the great Giovanni Trapattoni nor Marcello Lippi managed to lift more than two championships in a row speaks volumes about the quality within the current side, possessing an insatiable appetite for victories. However, what those two iconic coaches did accomplish was to exert Juve’s dominance on the continent, each lifting the European Cup during their hugely successful tenures in Turin.

When he replaced Antonio Conte in the summer, Massimiliano Allegri knew that he too would be required to advance as far as possible in the Champions League, such was the level of domestic success enjoyed by his predecessor. Indeed, it was a point the former Milan boss expressed at the initial press conference following his appointment, telling reporters that “Juventus must be among the top eight teams in Europe,” per the club’s official website.

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Calling that aim “our duty,” Allegri was fully aware that progression in the elite competition was how his impact would be measured and set about making changes to the side’s playing style to help him achieve that aim. Out went the 3-5-2 that had been the foundation of Conte’s success, the three-man defence seen as ill-suited to coping with the attacking styles of Europe’s biggest clubs.

In its place came a more orthodox back four, although the coach was loathe to label it as a 4-3-1-2 formation when asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport back in August. “Often I say 4-3 and then we’ll see,” Allegri said (h/t Football Italia), adding that clearer definition “depends on the characteristics of the players.”

He first switched to a four-man defence in November, earning wins over Parma and Olympiakos after a minor slump, going on an excellent run of results that saw Juventus secure a place in the knockout stage in the Champions League—an achievement that had eluded Conte in 2013-14.

Indeed, the former coach's only success in the competition came in the season before that, reaching the quarter-final after a kind last-16 draw paired his side with Scottish champions Celtic. There would be no such luck for Allegri this time around, however, as he was handed a nostalgic tie against Borussia Dortmund, a club who regularly clashed with the Bianconeri back in the 1990s.

Jurgen Klopp’s side reached the final of the competition in 2013 but have endured a tumultuous year, finding themselves in the relegation places when the Bundesliga took its winter break. The first leg of the clash went well for the Italian giants however, emerging 2-1 winners as they won a tough encounter at Juventus Stadium.

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They travel to Germany for the return clash on Wednesday looking to protect that narrow advantage, and their recent form shows just how they can achieve the result they need to progress. Clashes with Roma, Sassuolo and Palermo have not been particularly pleasing on the eye, but in each the Turin-based club has achieved the result they required.

A draw with the Giallorossi saw them maintain their cushion atop the Serie A standings, nullifying the threat of their nearest rivals at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, itself no comfortable place to visit. The other two games mentioned saw Allegri rotate his side heavily yet still emerge victorious, winning each by a 1-0 scoreline.

While they may not be the most illustrious of opponents, the two clubs possess a wealth of attacking talent, boasting the likes of Paulo Dybala, Franco Vasquez, Domenico Berardi and Simone Zaza. Indeed, that quartet boast 34 league goals—plus some 23 assists—between them this term, but in truth never came close to scoring against Juventus.

Proving herself capable of winning ugly, a repeat of those performances at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday would suit the Old Lady perfectly. It is the ideal blueprint, and it would also improve Allegri’s standing with the club’s supporters as the coach continues to emerge as a winner in his own right.