"It doesn't worry me at all that people say Juventus aren't playing well and winning," coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted a fortnight ago.
"I don't know what 'playing well' means, anyway. What matters is the result. People remember who wins titles and not who plays 'well' or not."
That may be true of some football followers but what is beyond dispute is that Juventus is not presently playing well enough to be considered a serious Champions League challenger. Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Lyon was further evidence of that fact.