Juve set up a match against Real Madrid in Cardiff: A game of deception.

With an easy 2-0 victory over Monaco, Juventus have virtually set a date for a decisive battle with Real Madrid in the 2016-17 Champions League final in Cardiff on June 3rd.

Real Madrid has strong backing from UEFA, aiming to become the first team in the Champions League era (since 1992) to successfully defend their title.

Juventus easily overcame the Monaco phenomenon right on French soil.

But Juventus won't be intimidated by that. At the Millennium Stadium in almost a month's time, authentic Italian flair and a brilliant 39-year-old Gigi Buffon will give the reigning Serie A champions the confidence to fight back against deception.

The Italian touch of Juve

Monaco are full of dreams of making history in the Champions League. Their home ground, Stade de Louis II, is the foundation for the Ligue 1 representatives to hope to gain an advantage in their match against Juventus.

At Stade de Louis II, Monaco have won 13 consecutive matches since before Christmas 2016.

In the Champions League alone, Monaco have won 6, drawn 1, and scored 16 goals at home (excluding qualifying rounds). Both Man City and Dortmund have conceded 3 goals when playing away at their stadiums.

But Juve are not Man City or Dortmund. Monaco's dreams were crushed by the reigning Serie A champions.

While Monaco relies on youthful energy, Juve is a team of seasoned veterans with a strong understanding of each other. In the first leg, youth had to bow down to experience and skill.

What defines Juve's character is their authentic Italian style. "The Old Lady" knows how to control the game with pragmatism, excellent spatial control, and prevents Monaco from playing the way they want.

Before the Old Lady and Buffon, Mbappe was just a "little boy".

It's safe to say that coach Max Allegri knew exactly what his counterpart Leonardo Jardim was thinking, and therefore completely neutralized the home team's playing style.

Juve's masterful execution of the catenaccio style of play helped them defeat Barca, who boasted the best attack in Europe. Now, with that same distinctly Italian flair, Allegri's team is working to decipher the Monaco phenomenon – a team possessing some of the continent's top young players.

The giant Buffon

Along with their signature catenaccio style of play, showcased at the highest level, combined with their varied attacking moves, Juve also possess a crucial weapon: goalkeeper Buffon.

Monaco had 14 shots, with 6 on target. Meanwhile, Juve had 10 shots, half on target, resulting in 2 goals. That's the difference.

While Monaco may have caused problems for the Juve defenders, there was still the towering Buffon standing in goal.

The Italian, the giant Buffon, is ready to take on Ronaldo, Real Madrid, and the referee.

Besides his effectiveness in making saves, Buffon is also a source of morale for his team, as well as an excellent leader of the defense. A true leader.

When he was managing Real Madrid, coach Jose Mourinho once said that a goalkeeper shouldn't be a captain because he stands behind everyone else and therefore won't have any influence on his teammates.

But the Special One will have to change that mind when he sees Buffon playing and how he leads the team.

The value that Buffon brings is immeasurable unless you're one of the players. "With Gigi behind us, we all feel more confident. He's the heart of the team," Bonucci – arguably the best central defender in the world right now – shared about his captain.

Against Monaco, Juve extended their clean sheet streak in the Champions League to 621 minutes. Buffon himself holds the record for 531 minutes without conceding a goal.

At Stade de Louis II, Buffon also made history by becoming the second Italian player to play 100 Champions League matches. Only the legendary Paolo Maldini played more, with 139 matches.

Buffon is a giant of Italian football, and indeed of Europe. Legendary Arrigo Sacchi enthusiastically spoke about him, saying, "39 years old? Yes, but Buffon plays like a 25-year-old."

According to VNN