Nine-time Supercoppa Italiana holders Juventus will play AC Milan in the second semi-final in Riyadh for a place in the mini-tournament’s final.
Juventus’ run of disappointing results continued at the weekend when they could not get past UEFA Champions League hopeful Fiorentina as they get set to face AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Meanwhile, as the Bianconeri were heading towards a solid home victory, Fiorentina star Riccardo Sottil equalised for the visitors, thus handing Thiago Motta another set of dropped points that dealt a blow to their thin hopes for the title.
Motta will welcome this distraction from the league pressures to focus solely on the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia. The level of competition will help Juventus gain some much-needed momentum ahead of their return to Italy, as the Bianconeri take on AC Milan in the second semi-final.
Motta would want the trophy sealed this time out and add to their record tally of nine in this mini-tournament. Juventus are, in fact, in the tournament courtesy of their Coppa Italia victory last season, and Motta could have a chance to lay his hands on his first piece of silverware as Bianconeri boss.
Meanwhile, this game will be the first real test for new AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao. He will be facing his son Francisco Conceicao, who is expected to start for Juventus. The former FC Porto boss was appointed last week after Milan’s disappointing draw at home to Roma, which cost Paulo Fonseca his job at San Siro.
The AC Milan fans will now be looking forward to a new era under the Portuguese boss, who has a first big test ahead. A place in the Supercoppa Italiana Final will be a good enough start, although winning the mini-tournament will let Conceicao endear himself to the fanbase and help kickstart a top-four race in Serie A with optimum confidence.
Team News & Tactics
Juventus
The big news in the period leading to the Supercoppa Italiana for Juventus is the situation with Danilo. The Brazilian defender has been left out of Motta’s plans as rumours of a swift departure to Napoli pick up steam. The veteran star misses out and probably won’t play for the club anymore.
There is good news regarding players returning from injuries, as Jonas Rouhi and Timothy Weah are close to returning, having resumed training recently. Douglas Luiz recently made a comeback and could be in line for another appearance, albeit from the bench for Juventus against AC Milan.
The big focus will be on Francisco Conceicao, who will face his father and opposition manager, Sergio Conceicao. The youngster will start on the right wing, while Teun Koppmeiners and Kenan Yildiz will support Dusan Vlahovic in the attacking third.
Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram are the likely choices for central midfield, with Luiz an option off the bench if needed. On loan AC Milan defender Pierre Kalulu will feature against his parent club in Riyadh and partner up with Federico Gatti in the heart of the Juventus defence.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic
AC Milan
Sergio Conceicao will have to choose a strong first-starting lineup for his maiden game as AC Milan’s manager, as there might be a few decisions to make. It is still a period of experimenting for the new Rossoneri boss, although he might not touch the central midfield partnership of Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders.
As for the injury-related news, Samuel Chukwueze, Noah Okafor, and Alessandro Florenzi are all ruled out, although Conceicao could have Yunus Musah and Ruben Loftus-Cheek back into contention following their respective fitness issues. There are still doubts over Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao’s fitness, although the former might make a start, with the latter likely to stay out or make the bench at best.
Emerson Royal might start in the right-back slot, with Theo Hernandez operating on the opposite flank. Malick Thiaw and Matteo Gabbia are the central choices for Sergio Conceicao at the moment. Alex Jiminez might continue to deputise once again in Leao’s absence, while Alvaro Morata assumes a role behind central striker Tammy Abraham, who will lead the line for AC Milan against Tottenham Hotspur.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Morata, Jimenez; Abraham
Key Stats
- Juventus have won the Supercoppa Italiana a record 9 times in their history.
- Juventus have drawn 21 matches across 2024, which was just a game short of the Serie A all time record.
- Juventus are unbeaten in Serie A this season.
- AC Milan have lifted the Supercoppa Italiana seven times in thier history.
Player to Watch
Francisco Conceicao
For obvious reasons of favouring his father and former FC Porto manager, Francisco Conceicao will want to come out on top in this family drama in Riyadh. He will not focus on the family element here but rather help Juventus get one over AC Milan and reach the Final of the Supercoppa Italiana.
Francisco Conceicao is on a barren run of six games without a goal or assist in Serie A and might want to break that duck against rivals Milan in Riyadh. While he is not the most influential player in this Juventus setup, he does have a key role to play and come out on top in his battle with Hernandez on that right wing.
Prediction
Juventus 2-0 AC Milan
AC Milan have endured problems breaking down defences, and in Riyadh, they will probably face the best defensive side in Serie A when they take on Juventus. With a new manager bounce a likely factor, there are many unresolved problems in this side, which could play in Juventus’ hands and likely ensure that Milan catch an early flight back to Italy.
Juventus are eager to kick-start their season in some way, and get out of their rut that has seen them draw too many games. The distraction of playing this mini-tournament could free up this Bianconeri squad to an extent in their minds and let them put in a stellar performance to reach the Supercoppa Italiana Final.
