ROME - After brushing aside Lazio by a scoreline of 2-0 on Saturday to continue their relentless march towards the Serie A title, Juventus now turn their attention to a trip to Monte-Carlo on Wednesday, and the possibility of a first UEFA Champions League semi-final since 2003.

 For the Turin-based club, the past 12 years have comprised a long journey to return to Europe’s footballing elite. Following the devastating match-fixing scandal which marred Italian football in 2006, the Bianconeri were briefly relegated to Serie B. Stars including club legend Alessandro del Piero and the now PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic have left the club in the intervening period, but Juventus are now back with a vengeance.

 The win over Lazio on Saturday offered a glimpse at how Massimiliano Allegri’s side is currently operating at a level above any other Italian team. Juventus’ talismanic striker Carlos Tevez, scored his customary goal and Leonardo Bonucci completed a regulation win against a Lazio side that had won its last eight consecutive Serie A matches.

 Following the 1-0 home win against Monaco in Turin last Tuesday, Juventus are in a favourable position heading into the second-leg of the quarter-final tie. It is unlikely that they will underestimate Les Monegasques having seen what they are capable of against Arsenal, and if Allegri’s side continues their scintillating form they are more than capable of progressing. 

 The only slight concern for Juventus is that their box-to-box midfield enforcer, Arturo Vidal, has been struck down with an acute bout of tonsillitis. The Chilean, who scored the crucial goal in the first leg, will be evaluated on Tuesday before the team’s trip to the Riviera.

 It has been announced that five of the six match officials for the match in Monaco will come from Scotland, including referee William Collum, with one of the linesmen, Damien MacGraith, originating from Ireland. Collum previously took charge of Juventus in the UEFA Champions League group stage this season, during a 0-0 draw against Atletico Madrid, which saw Juventus qualify for the knockout phases. A further qualification on Wednesday would see the Bianconeri return to the top table of European football, and go a little way to making up for lost time.