As the basis for a pressing game that has made Juventus into an attacking monster few have been able to tame, Pirlo has taken the side onto two whole new levels, first domestically, and then in the Champions League. Served by the legwork of Arturo Vidal and assisted by willing runners Claudio Marchisio, Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner, he is nothing less than the Serie A champions' focal point. At the hub of far too many Juve goals to mention, he is the irreplaceable heart of the side, as proven by Antonio Conte's reluctance to rest him despite the hectic nature of his calendar of late.