A crisis-hit Juventus side will host UEFA Champions League-chasing AC Milan in Turin as both teams look to seal their respective fates this season.
Only a short while did Juventus fans realise they would finish the season trophyless after Sevilla knocked them out of the UEFA Europa League. If that was not enough, they have deducted 10 points from their tally, which practically could push them outside of Champions League qualification spots.
The news of the deduction came only hours before their trip to Empoli. The home side took full advantage of the situation and added another blow to Juventus’s hopes of a top-four finish. That is not to say they are completely out of the running, but things look slim.
Official: Juventus incurred a deduction of 10 Serie A points following the verdict by Federal Court of Appeal pertaining to the capital gains scandal. ⚪️⚫️ #SerieA pic.twitter.com/foZZqZqH5H
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 22, 2023
They will completely lose ground if they are to suffer a defeat to AC Milan at the weekend. Heading into the season’s penultimate game, Juventus sit in seventh, five points adrift of their next opponent, who occupy the fourth spot. Winning their next two games may not be enough, as the Bianconeri will need massive luck on their side.
While Juventus have been docked 10 points, no team benefited from the ruling more than Milan. Milan sprung into the top four reckoning as the Bianconeri went into the 7th spot. And the Rossoneri sit there with three more points than Atalanta.
The race for the top four remains wide open, with teams till seventh having a chance to spring up a surprise. However, Milan could take a big step towards Champions League football with a win over Juventus. After two consecutive defeats, including one in the league, the Rossoneri bounced back with a thorough thrashing of Sampdoria last weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
Massimiliano Allegri still has a long list of injured stars to contend with. He did suggest Leonardo Bonucci could return, while Federico Chiesa might start against Milan on Sunday. The Juventus manager will also welcome Juan Cuadrado and Danilo back from suspension, with the duo certain to start.
Preparations continue ahead of Sunday's last home fixture of the season 💪
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) May 25, 2023
Nicolo Fagioli, Paul Pogba and Mattia De Sciglio will miss the remainder of the season. But Bonucci’s inclusion is a big surprise. Meanwhile, Allegri might look to start with Leandro Paredes in the centre of midfield while keeping Adrien Rabiot and Fabio Miretti beside the Argentine.
Allegri also mentioned something about Alex Sandro and could keep the Brazilian out of his starting lineup. If Bonucci does not prove his fitness, Federico Gatti is the likely contender to start alongside Danilo and Gleison Bremer at the back.
Allegri cast doubts about Dusan Vlahovic’s commitment and may keep the striker out altogether. Arkadiusz Milik is the prime contender to lead the line and may have Chiesa as his partner in the front two.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Gatti Cuadrado, Miretti, Paredes, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Milik
AC Milan
Stefano Pioli targetted Champions League qualification before heading to Turin, meaning he will look to field his strongest lineup. Injury-wise, Milan barely have any problems with their squad, with only Ismael Bennaccer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic absent. The former will miss several months with a serious knee injury.
Our #FridayFeeling is all about hard work 💪#JuveMilan #SempreMilan
Brought to you by @play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/APDKUwvEMB— AC Milan (@acmilan) May 26, 2023
Despite having a terrible few weeks in front of the goal, Oliver Giroud would need only one strike to surpass his tally from last season. The Frenchman will continue to lead the line for Milan, while Pioli will likely keep most of the players in the lineup that won against Sampdoria.
Pioli might make one change to the backline and recall Simon Kjaer for the young Malick Thiaw. The manager will consider the Dane’s experience ahead of this crucial clash with Juventus. Other than that, no other changes are expected from Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Messias, Diaz, Leao; Giroud
Key Stats
- Juventus are undefeated in 12 of their last 13 home matches against AC Milan in all competitions.
- Juventus have seen under 2.5 goals in their last 3 matches against AC Milan in all competitions.
- Juventus were deducted 10 points off their tally for this season, thus pushing them into 7th place.
- AC Milan are unbeaten in their last four matches against Juventus.
- AC Milan have won just one of their last 9 away matches across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Rafael Leao
Rafael Leao always has a smile on his face 😄
— GOAL News (@GoalNews) May 27, 2023
The Portuguese winger scored against Sampdoria, which may have given him some much-needed confidence heading into the season’s final two games. Leao might have hoped to recapture his form against rivals Inter Milan in the Champions League. But now he might give his all to ensure Milan plays in the continental competition next season.
Despite signing a new deal at the club, there is plenty more expected from Leao when it comes to his contributions to the attack. He will have his character tested when taking on a big team like Juventus, as the Portuguese star will look to make a game-changing mark here and ensure Milan goes through to next season’s Champions League.
Prediction
Juventus 1-2 AC Milan
Momentum has everything to do with how teams perform in these final stages of the season. Here, Juventus are coming at the back of another crisis-led fortnight and may not have the right frame of mind to tackle a big team like Milan in such a short space.
On the other hand, Milan have a solid victory under their belt before they visit Turin. While both teams want to make it into the Champions League, Milan have the momentum in the race and will come here under much less pressure than Juventus. Hence the Rossoneri will have the upper hand to collect three points and add to the misery of the Bianconeri.
