After a few seasons of wrestling with the best way to approach the UEFA Champions League, Juventus cracked the European soccer puzzle last term.

Massimiliano Allegri built on the superb work done by Antonio Conte in his first campaign in charge, winning the league title and the domestic cup. But it was the performances of the Bianconeri in European, particularly in ties against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, which really caught the eye.

Indeed, they were eventually unfortunate to lose in the final to Barcelona, having been in the ascendency in the contest when Luis Suarez smuggled home a go-ahead goal for the La Liga, paving the way for a 3-1 win. Still, having made it to their first European Cup final since 2003, it was encouraging to see the Italian juggernaut competing at the elite level again.

With memories of last season’s bittersweet campaign still fresh for the Bianconeri faithful, their showdown with Bayern Munich in Tuesday night’s round of 16 tussle will be an intriguing one.

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After all, this is a Juventus team a few shades removed from the side which went all the way to the Berlin showpiece last year. The departures of Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo meant Allegri was forced to adjust the team’s style of play significantly, while an Arturo Vidal-shaped hole in midfield was initially tough to fill following his sale to Tuesday’s opponents.

Therefore, it was no surprise to see this team toil in the opening weeks of the campaign, winning just two of their first eight matches in Serie A. But ever since Juan Cuadrado’s 92nd minute winner in the Turin derby against Torino back in October, the Italian champions have been imperious, winning 14 in succession prior to Friday’s stalemate at Bologna.

It’s a stunning run which has been facilitated by a plethora of factors. Firstly, players who have been central to Juve’s longstanding stranglehold in Italy have stepped up a level.

Claudio Marchisio, renowned for his elegance and intelligence on the ball, has added a defensive edge to his game lately, while Paul Pogba, although the weight of the No. 10 jersey seemed to weigh heavily on him in the nascent stages of the campaign, now seems emboldened by the extra responsibility and is very much a talismanic figure.

SEE MORE: Schedule of UEFA Champions League games on US TV and live streaming

Factor in a fit again Sami Khedira and the desirable midfield balance which served Juventus so well in the Champions League in 2014-15 is back again.

Indeed, the signings made by Allegri, including the German international, have also settled into a groove during the aforementioned sequence.

Cuadrado looks at ease in the Italian top flight again after his unfortunate stint at Chelsea, giving the Bianconeri vital penetration from wide areas, either from the start or off the bench.

Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro has also excelled, particularly when Juventus set-up in a diamond formation and he has freedom to fly up and down the flank. He’s a doubt for Tuesday’s tussle with a thigh problem, though, and would be a significant miss if unavailable.

Paulo Dybala, after seeming a little overawed following his big-money switch from Palermo, is adding the stardust up top. The 22-year-old is a bundle of energy and incision, tormenting opposition defenders with his technical talents, intricate dribbling and ability to make an impression in the final third; 13 goals and eight assists so far in Serie A is a fine return for the forward in his debut term with the club.

SEE MORE: Why Juventus must not sell Paulo Dybala

Having lost a glut of influential players, it’s testament to Allegri that not only has this team reasserted itself as one of the most impressive on the continent, but it’s done so so quickly. And as they get set to welcome Bayern Munich to the Juventus Stadium, you suspect Pep Guardiola’s visitors are going to be in for a very difficult evening.

The German champions will head to Turin without their star centre-back Jerome Boateng, not to mention Javi Martinez and Holger Badstuber, who are also absent.

Granted, Bayern remain a formidable outfit and have some of the finest attacking players on the continent at their disposal. But Dybala will be confident of causing problems should Bayern line-up with either Sedar Tasci or Joshua Kimmich alongside Mehdi Benatia, who has suffered with injuries himself throughout the season, at the heart of the defense.

Still, Bayern will approach the game with confidence they can get at an aging Juventus backline and will have fond memories of their 2-0 triumph in Turin on their way to glory in the 2012-13 season. But as wonderful as the German champions have been all season, there are definitely some small chinks in the armor to exploit.

There’s something refreshing about this Bianconeri team too and on home soil especially, they have long been intimidating opposition; Bayern are the only foreign team to have beaten Juve on their own patch in the past decade.

The German giants are undeniable favorites to progress through the tie and in his final season at the club, Guardiola will be desperate to add the European Cup to the plethora of honors he’s already accrued in Bavaria.

But Juventus assumed the role of spoilers superbly last term and although they’ve had a facelift since, there’s a swell of momentum behind this side and a growing sense they are capable of accomplishing something special. A win on Tuesday and surely they must be considered genuine contenders for the Champions League.