By Greg Lea

Juventus are a club who are used to setting records. In 2011/12, the Bianconeri became the first Italian side to go through a 38-game league campaign unbeaten, while two years later they made history again by smashing through the 100-point barrier as they stormed to yet another Scudetto. Ahead of this weekend's clash with city rivals Torino, they stand on the brink of breaking new ground once more: if Juventus are able to hold out for just four minutes without conceding a goal, they will better the 1993/94 Milan side's run of 929 consecutive minutes without letting in a single strike in Serie A.

The last time evergreen goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was beaten in the Italian top flight was way back on 10 January, when Antonio Cassano found the back of the net in Sampdoria's 2-1 defeat to the champions. 10 successive clean sheets since then have helped Juve claim 28 points from the last 30 on offer to overtake Napoli at the top of the table, with Max Allegri's charges attempting to win a fifth straight league championship this season.

While the remarkable stretch has been widely spoken of as Buffon's achievement, it is in fact more accurate to refer to it as a triumph for the entire team; defending, after all, is a collective art rather than an individual endeavour, and every player who has pulled on the Juventus shirt in the last two months has contributed to the very lengthy shut-out.

A sturdy backline has been the foundation for Juventus' many accomplishments this decade, with the Old Lady possessing Serie A's best defensive record in each of the last four campaigns. Centre-backs Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli now know each other inside out having played together since 2011 and the talented Daniele Rugani is the best defensive prospect in the country while full-backs Patrice Evra, Alex Sandro and Stephan Lichtsteiner have all performed well when called upon in recent weeks. Whether Max Allegri, one of the most tactically flexible coaches in Europe, fields a three or four-man defensive line, Juventus always look well equipped to deal with the myriad of attacking threats they face on the peninsula.

Even the side's midfielders and attackers deserve credit for their roles in the run. Sami Khedira has been understated but excellent since swapping Real Madrid for Juventus last summer, while Claudio Marchisio's intelligence means he is almost invariably in the right position at the right time. Indeed, only seven Serie A midfielders have made more interceptions than the Italy international this term, a statistic that is even more impressive given the fact that Juventus tend to dominate possession and therefore do not have as many opportunities to win the ball back from the opposition as other teams.

The work ethic of strikers Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic, Alvaro Morata has also been important, with their constant pressing and harrying making life extremely difficult for defenders. Carlos Tevez, who left Juve in order to return to boyhood club Boca Juniors at the end of last season, regularly inspired others around him with his non-stop running and all-action style of play, and the above trio have picked up the mantle from the Argentinian this year.

It is hard to see Juventus not breaking Milan's record on Sunday afternoon, even if an 11th straight clean sheet may be a step too far at the home of their local rivals. Buffon will rightly receive a great deal of praise if he keeps out Torino for four minutes or more this weekend, but Juventus' extraordinary defensive solidity in the last two months should be spoken of as a success for the whole team.