Stuttering Juve Look to Bounce Back Against Milan in Top-Five Fight
Juventus face AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium in a crucial Serie A clash. Both teams are coming off disappointing results, with Juve drawing their last two league games and Milan losing the Scudetto race to rivals Inter.
Juventus: Struggles in the League But Coppa Success
Juventus haven’t been at their best in the league recently, winning only once in their last seven games (D4, L2). Their struggles were evident in a draw against relegation-battling Cagliari, where they failed to score before halftime for the 20th time this season – their worst record at this stage since 2007/08.
Despite their league woes, Juventus found success in the Coppa Italia, securing a place in the final with a 3-2 aggregate victory over Lazio. They’ll be aiming to carry that momentum into this home game, where they are unbeaten in five consecutive matches (W3, D2), keeping clean sheets in the last three.
AC Milan: Under Pressure After Scudetto Loss and Pioli’s Scrutiny
AC Milan’s season took a significant hit after their rivals Inter secured the Scudetto title with a win in the Milan derby. Following their elimination from the Europa League and the widening gap to Inter, coach Stefano Pioli finds himself under immense pressure.
Rumors suggest Milan might be looking for replacements, meaning Pioli has just five games to save his job.
However, Milan travel to the Allianz Stadium with a positive record against Juventus on this very ground. They are unbeaten in their last four competitive clashes with Juve here (W2, D2), keeping clean sheets in three of those games. Milan have never gone five matches unbeaten at Juventus’ stadium, but their recent away form (W8, D2, L3) suggests they can pull off a historic feat.
Doubtful
- Juventus: Nicolo Fagioli (Suspended), Paul Pogba (Doping)
- AC Milan: Davide Calabria (Red Card), Theo Hernandez (Red Card), Pierre Kalulu (Knee Injury), Tommaso Pogeba (Muscle Injury), Fikayo Tomori (Yellow Cards)
Players to Watch
- Juventus: Midfielder Manuel Locatelli scored the only goal in the reverse fixture and also netted the winner in this matchup back in 2016 (although he was playing for Milan at that time). Both goals came after the 60th minute.
- AC Milan: Olivier Giroud is a player to watch for Milan. He scored the only goal when these teams met here last season, and four of his last five goals this season have been headers.
Hot Stat
Juventus lead the league with seven wins in home matches where the score was level at halftime.
