When the current coach arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2014, fans were disgusted that a man who had only been fired by AC Milan six months earlier was chosen to replace club legend Antonio Conte. 

“The first day with Max Allegri and president [Andrea] Agnelli in the car, we were greeted at the training ground by spitting, eggs, and kicks,” then-director Beppe Marotta told Sky Italia soon after.

If those same supporters were able to do that to Allegri on Wednesday evening, they almost certainly would have. Urged to #BeReady by Juve’s latest social media campaign, the fans had prepared themselves for Champions League glory, but instead they looked on in horror as their team was completely dismantled by Atletico Madrid.

They were fortunate to see a goal by former Bianconeri striker Alvaro Morata ruled out by VAR for the slightest of pushes on Giorgio Chiellini, but the team failed to respond to that lifeline. When Leonardo Bonucci chose to fling himself to the ground rather than defend a corner, he paid the ultimate price as Jose Maria Gimenez slotted home from close range. Four minutes later, another set piece highlighted the same lax attitude, and this time Diego Godin was the one to punish them as his shot deflected into the back of the net.

Yet in truth, Juve’s problems had begun when the starting XI was announced. There was no place for João Cancelo despite the fact he has been the team’s second-most dangerous player, his interplay with Cristiano Ronaldo bringing the best from everyone around them. Instead Mattia De Sciglio – who has been excellent this season – started at right back with Alex Sandro on the left, the latter doing nothing to justify his inclusion over the more effective Portuguese star.

For once the midfield was not really a problem. Blaise Matuidi did Blaise Matuidi things, Rodrigo Bentancur was largely positive and Miralem Pjanić was his usual self, directing play and looking for openings. That he was in danger of missing the game entirely because of a fever showed in the second half and while the midfield collapsed after the Bosnian was replaced by Emre Can; before that it was arguably the best department of the team outside of the thoroughly superb Wojciech Szczęsny in goal.

Further forward, however, Paulo Dybala was given the nod alongside Mario Mandzukic, and Ronaldo yet once again turned in an anonymous display. Allegri has been widely criticized for the deeper positions taken up by the Argentina international, but to believe that is by design is to ignore all evidence to the contrary.

Yes, Dybala does drift far too deep, often found taking possession deeper than many of Juve’s midfielders, yet when fielded in an otherwise identical system, Douglas Costa, Juan Cuadrado, and Federico Bernardeschi never do the same. Are we to believe that – whether the opponent is Chievo or Atleti – La Joya is given different instructions while the entire team plays the way it did before?

Perhaps the clearest indication yet that this is simply down to the player’s interpretation of his role came with Bernardeschi’s 10-minute cameo at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Italian took as many shots (one) as Dybala had managed in the previous 80 minutes and made three passes in the attacking third when the man he replaced had made just seven during his time on the field.

As discussed in this previous column, in no way could Bernardeschi be considered a more talented player. Dybala’s quality speaks for itself, but in big games against well-drilled opponents, his tendency to wander off into the right-back area is, to be blunt, useless.

Allegri knows he does this, yet he selected him anyway. He knows Cancelo has been a vibrant attacking force that is essential to any hope of success this team may have. He knew exactly what to expect from Atleti, too, from the vociferous atmosphere in the stadium, through Diego Simeone’s methodical tactical approach and his 4-4-2 formation and on to the energetic, relentlessly high-tempo effort of his players.

None of that was unexpected; any regular watcher of European football could tell the Juve boss what to expect from Los Rojiblancos given that they have taken the same approach in pretty much every game since Simeone was appointed back in 2011. Infuriatingly, Allegri himself admitted as much at his post-match press conference, telling reporters, “They’ve been doing this for eight years, it’s not new.”

That inevitability only adds to the anger and frustration of Juve fans everywhere, especially in a season where the club has gone all-in on the Champions League. Make no mistake, because no matter how many times club captain Chiellini, star man Ronaldo, sporting director Fabio Paratici or coach Allegri, claim the competition “not an obsession” (yes, they all used the same phrase in those interviews!) it very clearly is.

The club did not spend €112 million – and destroy its carefully crafted wage structure – for Ronaldo, €40.4 million on Cancelo, and another €35 million to secure Bonucci’s return just to win another Scudetto. That is not to be flippant or degrade the value of the league title, but Juventus have created such a gulf between them and Serie A’s other 19 teams that they cannot be judged against their domestic rivals, but instead must seek to validate the quality of this side in Europe.

Never one to hide behind cliches, Andrea Agnelli admitted that before the season started. 

"It will be a difficult year, a year where we have to go after our dream,” the Juve president told JTV before the 2018-19 campaign began. “The Champions League has to be the aim this year.”

20 giorni. 20 giorni per ESSERE PRONTI a una sfida da VIVERE, e VINCERE, tutti assieme. Fino alla fine.

— Massimiliano Allegri (@OfficialAllegri) February 21, 2019

It does, and at least the morning after the Atleti loss, Allegri seemed to admit the same thing. His tweet, shown above, avoids the usual empty rhetoric about improving on Sunday and instead looks ahead to focus solely on the second leg of this last-16 clash. 

“Twenty days,” it reads. “Twenty days to be ready for a challenge we must live, and win, all together” before ending with the club motto “fino alla fine.”

Translating as “until the end,” it is a phrase that urges players, fans and indeed coaches to never give up. But, if Max Allegri makes the same mistakes and uses the same overly cautious approach, he will get the same results in 20 days as he did on Wednesday night, and Juventus fans would be reaching for the eggs once again.

Adam Digby is an Italian football writer for FourFourTwo, The Independent, and elsewhere. Author of "Juventus: A History In Black & White." Follow Adam on Twitter.