Allegri compares Juve to class of 2003

Massimiliano Allegri has compared his Juventus side to the team that reached the UEFA Champions League final 12 years ago as he prepares for “a night to remember” when Napoli visit Turin on Saturday.

Juve completed a Serie A and Coppa Italia double by beating Lazio after extra time on Wednesday and will show off both trophies to their fans this weekend.

The Italian champions will aim to complete a remarkable treble by beating the might of Barcelona in the Champions League final in Berlin on June 6.

Juve will be in their first Champions League final since 2003 and Allegri has drawn comparisons between that star-studded team, which included the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Edgar Davids and Lilian Thuram, and the current crop.

The Juve coach said: “It will be a night to remember. We’ll be presented with the Scudetto and parade the Coppa Italia in front of our fans.

“Hats off to the players for the season they’ve had and are still having. It’s not over yet.

“It’s an important year for the club. There’s a lot of enthusiasm amongst the fans around the city.”

He added: “The 2003 and 2015 Champions League final Juventus sides are similar in terms of character.”

Gianluigi Buffon played in the Juve side that was beaten on penalties by Milan in the 2003 final at Old Trafford and the Italy goalkeeper will replace Marco Storari for the clash with Rafael Benitez’s men.

Despite having one eye on facing Barca next month, Allegri stressed that his side will not be taking it easy in their final two Serie A games.

He said: “Juve against Napoli is important to improve the team’s technical level and maintain our unbeaten home season in Serie A.

“We need to get the right balance between training and matches, keeping our players in the right condition.”