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Winning nine straight league titles is an extraordinary achievement, but Juventus will hope to reach the magical number of ten as they look to continue their domestic dominance under new manager Andrea Pirlo.
Unfortunately for former Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri, he had arrived at a club that had become too accustomed to winning Serie A titles. Thus, winning a ninth straight Scudetto was by no means considered a great accomplishment for the former Napoli and Chelsea manager.
After doing so, albeit with a relatively low points tally of just 83 to go with some uninspiring performances, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli decided to wield the axe the very next day after the Bianconeri's disappointing Champions League elimination against Lyon.
The surprise appointment of Italy legend Andrea Pirlo, despite his obvious tactical shrewdness, as head coach is definitely a risky move taken by the club.
An inexperienced manager at the helm of a side gunning for both local and continental glory could prove to be either a brilliant move or a disastrous one that could end up destroying a winning dynasty that has lasted for almost a decade.
After the stunning arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 and Matthijs De Ligt last summer, this transfer session has been a relatively quiet one for the Old Lady. This summer, Juventus have focused on lowering the average age of their squad, with the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Arthur, Weston McKennie and the returning Alvaro Morata replacing Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain.
These additions - alongside any possible late arrivals - will no doubt increase the competition for starting spots all over the pitch.
Andrea Pirlo enjoyed an almost perfect managerial debut against Sampdoria before some of his hype died down after an underwhelming performance against Roma at the Olimpico.
Although it's still too early to say who will be the main cast for Juventus during the season, here is how the Bianconeri could ideally line up in the 2020-21 season in Andrea Pirlo's versatile 3-5-2 formation.
Juventus' best formation under Andrea Pirlo
Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczesny
As much as every football fan enjoys seeing the legendary Gianluigi Buffon playing between the sticks, it must be accepted that the 42 year-old will only be making sporadic appearances for Juventus throughout the season.
That is because Wojciech Szczesny has taken over Juventus' number one jersey - both literally and figuratively - and rightfully so.
The big Pole is at the height of his powers and has cemented himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Italy in his five Serie A seasons with Roma and Juventus, in the process claiming 56 clean sheets in 148 matches in the competition.
Defence
Centre-back: Merih Demiral
Merih Demiral should land himself a starting spot on the right of the defensive trio at Juventus as soon as he returns to full fitness after missing most of last season with an ACL injury.
Danilo, who is currently occupying this spot, hasn't performed poorly, but the Brazilian is far from a natural centre-back and could soon relinquish this position to Demiral.
In an age when defenders are focusing more and more on their on-the-ball techniques, it's refreshing to see a young defender who purely enjoys the defensive side of the game.
Centre-back: Matthijs De Ligt
Although Leonardo Bonucci remains a key part of Juventus both on and off the pitch, it's time for a change in the sweeper role.
Alongside Demiral, the former Ajax captain Matthijs De Ligt should be delighted with Pirlo's defensive approach as the new boss intends to bring back the one-on-one marking instead of Sarri's zonal marking, something that should bring out the best in the young duo.
While Bonucci's marking abilities have often been exposed in one-on-one situations, De Ligt should be able to better enforce his authority on games and put his Dutch roots into play while helping in distributing the ball from the back.
Centre-back: Giorgio Chiellini
With two youngsters already lined up in the heart of the Juventus defence, the last piece is none other than that of the legendary Giorgio Chiellini. When fit, the Juventus captain is still one of the very best defenders in the world.
This could well be his final season before he hangs up his boots. So football fans could possibly appreciate his defensive excellence for one last time this season.
Midfield
Right Wing-back: Dejan Kulusevski
Juventus don't lack options in this position, but the Swedish youngster has the edge over his competitors for several reasons.
While Dejan Kulusevski might not be ideally made for the wing-back position, Pirlo's versatile formation could easily turn him into a winger directly supporting the forwards.
It's a role that he'll likely be able to perform better than the likes of Cuadrado and De Sciglio.
Moreover, Kulusevski had a brilliant debut season in Serie A last season, scoring ten goals and providing nine assists in 36 league appearances for Parma, which earned him the best Young Player in Italy award.
Thus, the new Juventus manager should make sure that the young winger has a place in his best XI.
Central midfielder: Weston McKennie
Weston McKennie is another youngster who has so far impressed in his debut season at Juventus. McKennie, who is the first-ever American player to play for Juventus, has already earned comparisons with former Bianconeri pitbulls Edgar Davids and Arturo Vidal.
While Aaron Ramsey looked revived in his Man of the Match performance against Sampdoria, the Welshman's career has always been marred by untimely injuries which makes it difficult for the Juventus manager to rely on him in the long term.
Moreover, McKennie's strength and pressing-game in midfield could be necessary for a team looking to dominate possession and retrieve the ball as quickly as possible.
Defensive-midfielder: Arthur Melo
Arthur Melo will have the best teacher in the world to help him master the famous 'regista' role.
The Brazilian has only featured as a second-half substitute against Roma so far. However, it's obvious that the former Barcelona star has a unique skill-set that separates him from the rest of the midfield crew at Juventus, something that could enable him to excel under the tutelage of Andrea Pirlo.
Central Midfielder: Rodrigo Bentancur
Rodgrigo Bentancur was arguably the best midfielder at Juventus last season. The young Uruguayan, according to his manager, is still suffering from exhaustion, which explains his absence from Juventus' recent starting lineups.
However, the fit-again Bentancur should be able to cement his position on the left of Arthur - ahead of Adrien Rabiot - and operate as a box-to-box midfielder.
Left wing-back: Alex Sandro
Alex Sandro is perhaps not the most popular choice but a pretty reasonable one. With the attack-minded Kulusevski roaming on the opposite flank, Juventus need a more conservative choice on the left side to maintain the team's balance.
With Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi being natural wingers, Alex Sandro could provide more cover to the defence while creating chances for the forwards with his dangerous crosses.
Attack
Striker: Paulo Dybala
The return of Alvaro Morata will add another dimension to the Juventus attack. But the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker could struggle to break into a starting lineup already containing two megastars, one of them being the winner of last season's best Serie A player award.
After five years with the club, Paolo Dybala is beginning to receive the accolades that he deserves and step out of Ronaldo's shadow as he approaches his 100th goal for Juventus. The sky's indeed the limit for the ultra-talented Argentine.
Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the biggest name in the modern game, is still going strong despite being 35 years old. The five-time Ballon D'or winner has already scored three goals in his first two league matches as he tries to surpass his 31-goal tally from last season.
While his gigantic fan base will be thrilled to watch him score goals galore in yet another season, his peers have learned not to doubt him even during his brief low-form spells. Meanwhile, the Juventus supporters will be hoping that Ronaldo will be at his best during the big European nights as his contributions will be key for the club to go all the way.
How Juventus could line up this season
As we mentioned previously, Andrea Pirlo's first two matches at the helm of Juventus suggest that the maestro is keen on applying the 3-5-2 formation which he was once at the centre off during Antonio Conte's reign at the club.
However, Pirlo formation could be a versatile one, one that easily switches into a 4-4-2 or a more offensive 4-3-3, especially with Kulusevski and Sandro on the flanks. That is because Kulusevski could be turned into an attacking winger while Sandro may return to his familiar role as the fourth defender.
And thanks to Juventus' squad depth, we could except several other tweaks throughout the season - and possibly during the 90 minutes - as the rookie coach begins to create his very own playing philosophy.
