AC Milan will be keen to strengthen their hold at the top of Serie A when they face Juventus on Sunday.
Serie A leaders AC Milan will welcome arch-rivals Juventus to San Siro in what is the Italian top flight’s biggest game of the weekend post the October international break.
Apart from the thrashing against Inter Milan, Stefano Pioli’s men have been peerless this season in the league and are top of the standings with 21 points from their first eight games. Juventus are not far behind in third spot, four points off the top. A win on the night will take them to within striking distance of the summit, something that has become an unfamiliar sight for the Turin giants in recent years.
The game will also see Massimilano Allegri return to the club he once managed. The Italian manager has won titles at both Milan and Juventus and is among an elite list of tacticians to achieve that feat.
With Napoli struggling and Inter Milan showing signs of weakness, the clash between Milan and Juventus could be a six-pointer in the race for the Scudetto. Early trends indicate that both sides should be around the top as the season progresses, meaning the opportunity to land a direct rival a blow should not be discounted.
However, Milan will also have an eye on their upcoming trip to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League midweek, and it could impact how they rotate players on Sunday. Juventus, on the other hand, have no European football to worry about and can afford to put all their eggs in one basket this season.
Juventus have lost their grip on the Serie A crown in recent years, with Milan among those who capitalised on it. Both teams are currently rebuilding after poor 2022/23 campaigns, and the game will give us a proper idea of where they stand at as far as progress on the field is concerned.
There will be no love lost though, and both sets of players will give the game a right go. It promised to be an exciting clash between two titans of Italian football. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on Sunday and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
All focus on #MilanJuve 💪#SempreMilan
Brought to you by @play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/D324E3ocbT— AC Milan (@acmilan) October 20, 2023
AC Milan go into the clash on the back of a fine run of results that culminated in their hard-fought 1-0 win away to Genoa before the international break. Coming away with all three points on the night displayed their title credentials and showed the grit that is needed to sustain season-long challenges.
Stefano Pioli will need his side to channel the same instincts this Sunday as he tries to grapple with a host of absentees. Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez are both suspended for the tie and will be missed massively at the back.
With Marco Sportiello also out injured, 40-year-old Antonio Mirante is all set to make his first start for the Rossoneri. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has failed to return in time and will miss out with an injury. Others out injured include Samuel Chukwueze, Perre Kalulu, Ismael Bennacer, Rade Krunic and Mattia Caldara.
Pioli still has enough in his roster to put out a competitive side capable of challenging Juventus. The 4-3-3 restructure has worked wonders for the home side, and they are likely to retain it on the night.
Mirante will be protected by the back four of Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori and Alessandro Florenzi. Yacine Adli should hold the fort in midfield with Yunus Musah and the in-demand Tijjani Reijnders acting as the ball carriers.
Olivier Giroud should be restored to his natural position upfront following his heroics in goal against Genoa. He should be ably supported by Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao in the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mirante; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Florenzi; Musah, Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao
Juventus
It has now been four years since Juventus last won the title, and Massimiliano Allegri will be keen to end that hoodoo in his second spell at the club.
He returns to face the club that he led to the Scudetto in 2011. While his brand of football is not the most aesthetically pleasing, few can argue its effectiveness when used right. Defensive solidity will be the mantra for the visitors on the night.
The international break has given both Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa recover and return to contention. Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba are ruled out for well-known reasons, impacting Juventus’s options in the middle of the park.
Pronti per #MilanJuve ⚪⚫🔜 pic.twitter.com/6GoqpNNHbM
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) October 21, 2023
The defensive duo of Mattia De Sciglio and Alex Sandro are also unavailable. The Bianconeri are likely to go with a 3-5-2 formation, with Wojciech Szczesny in goal. He will be protected by the trio of Federico Gatti, Gleison Bremer and Danilo.
Weston McKennie and Filip Kostic should provide the width with the trio of Fabio Miretti, Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot deployed in the middle of the park. Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik should start upfront, with Chiesa coming off the bench.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani; McKennie, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Milik, Vlahovic
Key Stats
- Avoiding defeat on the night will see AC Milan go six games unbeaten against Juventus in Serie A for the first time since 1989.
- If AC Milan avoid a defeat on the night, Stefano Pioli will become the first manager to go six straight games without a loss against Juventus in Serie A.
- Should they keep a clean sheet on the night, it will be the first time since 1989 that AC Milan have managed three straight shutouts against Juventus.
- A win on the night will see AC Milan win eight of their opening nine games of a Serie A campaign for just the third time in their history. They have won the title in both of those previous occasions.
- At 40 years and 106 days, Antonio Mirante will become the oldest goalkeeper to feature in this fixture.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
The American international has re-ignited his career at AC Milan and was the hero last time out against Genoa. Pulisic continues to make a telling difference. And should he score on the night, will become just the fourth Milan star since the mid-1990s to score five or more goals in his first ten games for the club.
The 25-year-old’s pace should keep Danilo on his toes and also see Kosti play deeper, impacting his impact in the forward areas to a large extent. High on confidence, Juventus could struggle to keep Pulisic in check.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 Juventus
AC Milan will hope to make the most of their momentum and home support in what is an otherwise difficult game. While Juventus do have players back, Milan have shown the ability to raise their game when needed. It won’t be a pretty game but the Rossoneri should nick it in the end by a narrow margin.
