Following the draw for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, Juventus versus AS Monaco was portrayed as defence against attack—the irresistible force of the Ligue 1 side's goalscoring prowess looking to find a way beyond the immovable object that is the rock-solid Italian defence.
While tapping into the old Catenaccio-inspired stereotype of the Bianconeri, there was certainly more than an element of truth to that portrayal. The Serie A giants had shut out both FC Porto and Barcelona in their first two knockout rounds, securing clean sheets in all four matches and conceding just two goals in Europe all season.