Can Juventus reach the heights achieved by Kaka's A.C. Milan side?

The Bianconeri are looking to win their eighth straight league title this season, but are falling short on continental success.

In recent years, Juventus have dominated the Serie A without much of a challenge from the other Italian teams.Since the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri, the club has went on to win four consecutive Scudetto titles. At the European level, despite being unfortunately eliminated on several occasions, the Old Lady has performed exceptionally well.

The Italian club has lost two Champions League finals in a span of three years and last season saw them getting knocked out from the semi-final against Real Madrid. However, the desperation to end their long-awaited European glory is visible and as a consequence, the club brought in a lot of reinforcements to the team in the summer.

They have been one of the busiest clubs in the last transfer window with several world-class players moving in. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo - the best signing of the transfer window, along with Emre Can, Leonardo Bonucci, Joao Cancelo and Douglas Costa means that the squad has become much more stronger. With the addition of these high profile signings, the Turin outfit now possesses top quality players at all positions.

The Old Lady will be aiming for the European crown this time after the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid

The fantastic quality of players and the squad depth of the club for the ongoing season, which is evident from the line-ups, recreate the memories of the legendary AC Milan squad of 2004-07. The then Milan side was one of the most complete sides that the world has ever seen. There was a world-class player at every position and the squad depth was outstanding too. The Rossoneri were one of the most feared sides in Europe back in those years and had earned the name ‘I Meravigliosi’, meaning ‘The Amazings’.

The legendary A.C. Milan squad

That Milan side was feared particularly for its dangerous midfield which was formed by Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso. Supporting the midfield was Brazilian superstar Kaka behind some of the most phenomenal forwards of the 2000s, Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo. Their 4-man defence led by Paolo Maldini was exceptional too as it was an absolutely impenetrable defence line. And even if an attacker managed to find a way to break that defence, he had an equally hard task of facing Dida, one of the best goalkeepers of that time.

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The 2004/07 AC Milan squad were a truly talented winning side

Similarly, the current Juventus lineup is feared, for its Italian wall of defence consisting of Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci - who returned to The Old Lady in a swap deal which saw Gonzalo Higuain move to San Siro. This strong defence line is backed with support by experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Not to forget, Miralem Pjanic, Emre Can and Blaise Matuidi in the midfield, together form the engine of the team. And of course, the extraordinary attack formed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and either of Douglas Costa or Juan Cuadrado make the team an absolute powerhouse. It wouldn’t be wrong to quote that Juventus might be unleashing a superpower in the world in seasons to come.

In comparison to the 2005 Milan side, the current Juventus team is definitely as strong in the attack and defence but it might be a little weaker in the midfield. But it is just a matter of experience until the talented midfielders attain the standards similar to those of their counterparts from the legendary team. Thus, just when the world thought that there wouldn’t be a team as good as the then Milan, the current Juventus side is there prove it wrong.

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It is interesting to know that the average age of the Bianconeri side is quite less than that of Milan in 2005 which means, the former has a tremendous potential within itself and whether it can conquer Europe is just a matter of time.

With such a strong squad, the burden of responsibilities falls indirectly on Allegri’s shoulders. The manager needs to understand the capabilities of his players and play them according to their strengths. Even though the odds are in his favour, the manager needs to bring upon some effective strategies to develop a definite system. In spite of the fact that the team consists of top quality players, its success depends on how well they adapt to the club’s psychology. Although, they have begun their Serie A as well as Champions League campaigns in good fashion, the real quest for Allegri begins now as Juventus prepare to conquer Europe all-over once again.