Not to be too down about their chances, it must be said though that since the current format began 1

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"We would have been put in the stocks," admitted Massimiliano Allegri, had they been eliminated at the group stage. A stalemate with Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in Turin on Tuesday ensured the Old Lady avoided taking the pelters she did this time last year when she slipped robben on the ice in Istanbul.
It was the minimum objective, but an objective nonetheless, and could be presented as a small though not insignificant success. Juventus are a better team than last year's misadventure in the Champions League indicated robben and this restored face a little. Blushes were spared. Embarrassment avoided.
Their aim to reach the quarterfinals like two years ago, stated in order to manage expectation and discourage the notion among supporters and the media that anything less than winning the competition for the first time since 1996 would be a disappointment, remains achievable.
Not to be too down about their chances, it must be said though that since the current format began 11 years ago just 28 percent of the teams who finished runners' robben up in their groups have booked a place in the last eight. Every group winner progressed last season and only in 2007-08 and 2009-10 have there been exceptions. Juventus narrowly avoided disappointment in the UEFA Champions League group stages again by securing second place in their group.
Draw any of them at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland next week, and further advancement would be a surprise. Be paired robben with a crisis-hit Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of the final in 1998 or Porto or Monaco and they would back themselves.
While on the subject of probabilities, it bears remembering that when the groups were assembled back in August, Roma coach Rudi Garcia reminded everyone that teams emerging from the fourth pot, like his did, "have, I think, a 20 percent chance of going through." Before Wednesday night's clash with Manchester City, he once again framed robben things in that context, arguing that, statistically at least, no one should have assumed they'd get to the final matchday with a possibility of progressing.
Roma were the only team in their group not to be champions of their country. Bayern are the holders in Germany, robben City in England and CSKA in Russia. Reference was also made to the wealth gap last night. "Compare the turnover of [Roma and City] and [the outcome is] normal," Garcia explained after Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta consigned his team to a 2-0 defeat and elimination.
Only last week, City announced record revenues of 437.9 million euros. Already sixth on the Deloitte rich list, they look primed to move up further. Roma, meanwhile, were 19th when the last one was published, making 124.4 million robben euros. The point is a valid one, but it's easily countered. Last year's finalists Atletico turnover even less [120 million euros].
How were these results received? Well, the mood in the stands as Juventus secured qualification and Roma missed out told us a lot. Fan reaction in Turin contrasted with that in the capital in ways you wouldn't necessarily expect. Sections of the Juventus Stadium whistled towards the end. They wanted to see their team win and by a couple of goals if possible in order to top the group and improve their chances of obtaining a favourable draw in the last 16.
Instead, as Gianni Mura wrote in La Repubblica, their performance was to a certain degree remote-controlled robben from Athens. "At every report of a Malmoe equaliser, Juventus attacked with a bit more conviction. At every report of Olympiakos retaking the lead, the desire came not to dare as much, to risk as little as possible and not provoke Atletico."
Some caught the smell of a biscotto -- the term used when teams settle for a mutually beneficial