#2 Juventus
One of the two sides who are now favourites to be crowned as the Champions of Europe, Juventus are the best defensive side and have been Italy’s only hope in the competiton this decade. Previously managed by Antonio Conte, they are now coached by former AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri.
Juventus have been head and shoulder above their competition in Italy and have recovered splendidly from the Calciopoli scandal to win the Serie A five years in a row. And they are firmly on course to make it six this year. The Italians are blessed with a great defence consisting of the timeless Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. The names on the sheet going forward are not too shabby as well with the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain. They seem to be the perfect mix of youth and experience.
Such domination has not translated into Europe though. Their best run in recent years was reaching the final in 2015, only to lose to Barcelona. They avenged that defeat this season in the quarter-finals where they shut-out Barcelona over two legs and scored thrice to secure their passage into the semis.
Over the course of the group stage, they faced the likes of French side Lyon and Spanish side Sevilla, followed by Portuguese giants FC Porto in the round of 16 and then Barcelona in the quarters. And that makes it even more remarkable that the Old Lady have conceded just two goals so far.
Also Read: Juventus give Italy a place at Europe's top table
This makes the semi-final matchup against high-flying Monaco all the more interesting as the unstoppable force of Monaco meets the immovable object in the Bianconeri. However, with the experience and quality in the squad coupled with having the second leg at home, Allegri’s men are well-placed to make it to the finals and have the required tools to beat either of the Madrid clubs.
