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The 2018/2019 Champions League season kicks off this week, as the best 32 clubs on the continent battle it out for European glory.
All 32 teams are on very different cadres, and have vastly different season objectives from one another, with some just in the competition for the thrill of it, and no genuine intentions to make any impact, while only a select few have real ambitions of winning the title.
The usual suspects of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico, Bayern and PSG would all attempt to win the competition, but one club which might have higher aspirations than others would be Juventus.
The Italians are one of the traditional European clubs, is one of ..... To have won all major European titles.
However, despite emphatic dominance on the domestic scene where they have won each of the last seven Serie A titles consecutively, including the domestic double on the last four occasions, they have come painfully short in the Champions League.
The Bianconerri have triumphed in Europe's Premier club competition on two occasions, but are currently enduring a 21-year wait for UCL glory, with their last triumph coming in 1997. In that time, they have come painfully close, finishing as losing finalists on four occasions.
However, the Old Lady is still one of the strongest clubs in Europe, and on their day can hold their own with any team anywhere in the world, hence would rightfully go into this season's competition as one of the favorites to lift the 'Big Ears' come May next year.
Here are five reasons why Juventus can win the Champions League this season.
#5 They have been close in recent years
Two final appearances in the last five years and a quarter-final elimination in heartbreaking circumstances last season to Real Madrid, Juventus have been one of the most consistent teams in recent editions of the Champions League.
As the saying goes, ''perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody'', and much like Chelsea who finally got rewarded with their holy grail in 2012 after many seasons of constantly knocking at the door of the Champions League, this might be the season where Juventus' consistency pays off.
#4 Their Domestic dominance could translate into European success
As stated earlier, Juventus have been the most dominant football in Italian football, winning each of the last seven Scudetti and setting multiple records along the way.
Traditionally, clubs who tend to continually triumph in their leagues(the strongest ones) sooner or later transfer that dominance onto the continent.
Even though the Serie A has lost most of its appeal and the quality of the league is a far cry from the high standards of the 1990's, Juve's strong performances in the league has instilled a sense of winning into the fans and players, which could propel them into stepping up their performances on the continent.
#3 The players would be desperate to win it for the club
Almost every player putting on the Juventus jersey knows all of the history attached to the club and the desperation of the fans to finally watch their beloved club triumph in the Champions League.
The pressure to win the Champions League again at Juventus is so high that any set of players who delivers this holy grail would be guaranteed almost immortal and legendary status in the annals of the club's football history.
This obsession with UCL glory would likely act as a source of extra motivation for Juventus players to go the extra mile in their bid to grant Juventus fans their heart's desire and become club legends in the process.
#2 They are one of the favorites to win the competition
Juve's caliber of players, recent domestic success and rich history mean that they are installed as one of the favorites alongside European heavyweights like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
History has shown us that on all but few occasions, the favorites usually triumph in football competitions, and this is a trend which could play into Juventus' favor as the club seeks to end its 21-year Champions League drought.
#1 The Ronaldo factor
Ronaldo transferred to Juventus during the last summer window in a reported €110m deal, and a lot of eyebrows were raised over spending such a huge amount on a 33-year-old.
However, Juventus very much knew what they were doing, as they were signing one of the greatest players in the history of the game, with a knack for delivering on the biggest stages.
Ronaldo is the Champions League record goalscorer with 120 goals, leading Real Madrid to success in each of the last three editions of the Champions League.
He has remarkably finished as UCL top scorer in the last six tournaments, and Juventus all too well know of his abilities, having been on the receiving end of his goalscoring prowess on 19 occasions.
There is a reason the Portuguese record goalscorer is called 'Mr Champions League', and has triumphed in the competition on five occasions, Ronaldo would seek to make it six, writing a new chapter in the epic which is his career in the process.
Ronaldo was signed primarily to win Juventus her third Champions League crown, and knowing Ronaldo and his propensity for achieving his goals, his sights would be set on delivering this target, and with Mr Champions League in their ranks, Juventus have a real shot at winning the UCL perhaps now more than ever.
