With the 2014/15 Serie A fast approaching its halfway mark, few doubts exist that Juventus are still the team to beat in Italy.

Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing of Lazio at the Olympic Stadium in Rome confirmed yet again that the champions are a cut above the rest and the scudetto is there for the taking.

Massimiliano Allegri

After 12 games, Massimiliano Allegri’s side have 31 points, the same they had at this time last season when they finished with a record haul of 102 points.

Juve, who won an unprecedented 24 Serie A home games in a row, are currently three points clear of nearest pursuers Roma. With Napoli failing to knit together a consistent run of matches, Roma seem to be the only side capable of denying Juventus a fourth straight league title this season.

However, it is not all rosy for the ‘Old Lady’ when playing in the Champions League.

As happened in these past few years, Juventus look unable to extend their flawless domestic form into Europe. Yet again, qualification to the last 16-stage is all but certain.

As things stand, Juventus only managed six points from four Group A outings and the chances of making it to the first knock-out stages of the competition largely depend on the outcome of their next two matches, starting from tonight’s visit to Malmo.

Juve have already beaten the Swedish champs 2-0 on Matchday One. Victory at the New Stadium will help the Italians put an end to a six-match winless away run (one draw and five defeats) in UEFA’s flagship club competition and propel them to second place in the group if Olympiakos drop points against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Juve’s most recent away win on the continent goes back to February 2013 when an emphatic 3-0 win took Antonio Conte’s side past Celtic in a last-16 clash in Glasgow.

Malmo, Sweden’s first representatives in the Champions League group stages since Helsingborgs in 2000/01, are currently bottom of Group A with three points.

Tight situation

Nevertheless, they still have aspirations of their own because if they win and Olympiakos lose tonight, they will blow the group wide open with three teams level on six points and all standing a chance to progress along with last season’s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid.

Juventus need to be wary of the fact that in the annals of the competition, one only finds six teams that collected three points or less from their first four group matches and still managed to make it to the next round.

Incidentally, one of the six teams is Rosenborg who in 1996/97 upset favourites Milan after beating Arrigo Sacchi’s men2-1 at the San Siro on the final day of the group stages to set up a quarter-final tie with Marcello Lippi’s Juventus.

At the time, Norway’s Rosenborg were managed by current Malmo coach Age Hareide.

Juventus have fond memories of their only previous visit to Sweden prior to tonight.

In August 2004, Juventus, then coached by Fabio Capello, outsmarted Djurgarden to the tune of 4-1 in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

This is the sort of result Juventus supporters aspire for tonight if their side is to make a statement of intent that they are a true force to be reckoned with in Europe’s premier club competition.

On the other hand, if Juventus fail to leave their mark, the chances are that they will endure a similar dreary fate as the last Serie A outfit to visit Malmo – Giovanni Trapattoni’s Inter.

In September 1989, Inter surrendered to a Hakan Lindman goal, losing the tie 1-0 and getting knocked out 2-1 on aggregate.