Juventus set a UEFA Champions League record with their victory over Zenit St. Petersburg on Wednesday night. The Bianconeri have now claimed the highest number of consecutive away wins in the competition’s group stages with seven.
Juve’s win on Matchday 3 was the sort of triumph we’ve grown accustomed to seeing under Massimiliano Allegri’s tutelage – dating back to his first spell. The Old Lady have won their last four games by a 1-0 scoreline, with Dejan Kulusevski’s late header in Russia handing them a record-setting victory.
The path to the record
Juve’s victory set a Champions League record of consecutive away wins in the group stages, Juventus' seven in a row taking them clear of six each from Chelsea (2000-2004) and Man United (2009-2010).
— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) October 20, 2021
This was Juve’s 150th win in the Champions League or European Cup. pic.twitter.com/Pdff4tF5Wi
Since they drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid on the opening matchday of the 2019/20 Champions League group stage, Juventus have won seven on the spin away from home in that phase of the competition.
Under Maurizio Sarri, Juve claimed away wins against Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow. Then, with Andrea Pirlo at the helm, the Bianconeri won on the road against Dynamo Kyiv, Ferencvaros and, most memorably, Barcelona.
Unfortunately, we all remember what happened next in both of those campaigns.
Seven in a row
A vulnerable Juventus then began this season’s European competition with a 3-0 victory over Malmo, which tied the record, before Kulusevski’s smart header in the dying embers of their drab contest with Zenit saw them snatch the record outright.
Wednesday night’s triumph was also Juventus’ 150th victory in the Champions League or European Cup. Allegri will be hopeful of staging a more impressive run in the competition this time around, with his pragmatic style tailor-made for knockout football.