How Juventus Can Use Parma Loss to Sharpen Resolve in Champions League

Juventus are first in Serie A with a goal difference of +42. Parma are at the other end of the table, with a goal difference of -30. It looked to be as straightforward a victory as the Bianconeri were ever going to have. And yet, a goal from 18-year-old Jose Mauri stole the three points and shocked Italian football. 

Parma beating Juventus 1-0 at the Stadio Ennio Tardini was great for headlines, but in reality it means little else. It's only the Bianconeri's second loss all season and regardless of what happened against the Crociati, they still have a fourth consecutive Scudetto all but in the bag. 

For the Crocati, the victory will be a morale boost in the middle of an annus horribilis, but it can't affect their fate. No calcio fans could begrudge their fans the respite of an unlikely triumph, but Roberto Donadoni's side will be relegated at the end of May so the three points they picked up against Juve have no real value. 

If there's to be any meaningful result from the game, is that it might just refocus attention in Turin and sharpen Juve's edge before their vitally important Champions League game with Monaco. 

In preparation for that match, the Serie A leaders had made numerous changes when they travelled to Parma.

Gigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez, Andrea Barzagli, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Kwadwo Asamoah and Martin Caceres were all either injured or resting for the midweek European fixture, but Max Allegri's squad still looked the favourite with the likes of Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal in midfield, as well as Fernando Llorente and Kingsley Coman up front. 

Considering the fact that it was a largely second string team, it's hard to know how much the result will influence the mentality of Allegri's star players. But the heat will be on now to bounce back, so everyone at the Bianconeri will be under pressure to perform perfectly when they host Leonardo Jardim's Rouges et Blancs. 

Juventus haven't gotten past the quarter-finals in Europe's biggest competition since 2003, when they finished runners-up. That's an unacceptably long time for such a storied club and the weight of expectation on everyone's shoulders is huge. 

Winning in Italy has become somewhat normal, but the Bianconeri want to be more than just a regional powerhouse. They have the history, reputation and squad to compete with the continent's best but recent years have been disappointingly underwhelming.

There's been some debate about whether that was because of an inbuilt tactical inflexibility under Antonio Conte, or down to the fact that opposition they're up against in Serie A just weren't good enough to prepare Juve for the rigours of the Champions League.

Another possibility gets mentioned less often, however, and it's that they're just too comfortable. The squad is excellent and both Conte's and Allegri's tactics suit it perfectly. It could just be that the wins come too easily at home and not easily enough abroad. A lack of concentration, or perhaps of dogged determination, has let them down. 

Now, after just being embarrassed by one of the sorriest sides in Serie A history, that won't be a problem. Monaco will arrive in Turin to find a Juventus that's ready to prove a point.