AC Milan travel to Turin to face Juventus on Sunday (September 19) evening. Although it’s early on in the season, this clash of Juventus vs AC Milan, two Italian giants, carries plenty of story lines. For starters, Milan are cruising in Serie A right now, with three wins from three matches. They sit in second place behind Roma on goal difference. Juventus, on the other hand, sit in 16th place. They’ve drawn one match and lost two others, most recently a 2-1 loss to Napoli last Saturday (September 11).
In Europe, Milan are coming off a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool. The Rossoneri showed heart but ultimately could not compete at Anfield. Juventus return following a 3-0 win over Swedish side Malmo, both in the Champions League.
Juventus vs AC Milan: Contrasting Form Ahead of Sunday Evening Giant Clash
Serie A Form Strong for AC Milan
Milan’s match versus Liverpool was always going to be tough. Liverpool remain giants both in England and Europe, and are coming off an injury-riddled season. The Reds are determined to show the world what they are capable of. They did just that on Wednesday, playing free-flowing football in front of an electric Anfield crowd.
The Rossoneri did well for their first Champions League match in seven years. They had the halftime lead, and although looked timid and nervous at times, held their own. They were searching for more than just a moral victory, but they can keep their heads high after that opening match.
Milan have been all guns blazing in Serie A, however. They beat Sampdoria 1-0 in the first match, missing a few first-starters. In the second match, versus Cagliari, Milan won 4-1 and newcomer Olivier Giroud scored a brace. Finally, Milan’s last match came versus Lazio, the first true test of the season, but Milan answered it, looking dominant throughout. They won 2-0, and Lazio never really looked to have a chance.
The Champions League will be tough for Milan, pitted into a group with Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, and Porto. Serie A should be Milan’s main target, as they finished in second place last season while reigning champions Inter Milan and former champions Juventus lost star power over the summer transfer window.
How AC Milan Will Line-Up vs Juventus
Milan are in no hangover over Gianluigi Donnarumma’s exit for Paris Saint-Germain, thanks to the brilliance of his replacement, Mike Maignan. Milan has full faith in the French goalkeeper after a collection of stellar performances. He’ll continue to start in goal for the Rossoneri.
The steady four in defence will also remain the same as usual. Theo Hernandez and Davide Calabria will man the fullback positions. Simon Kjaer and Fikayo Tomori will hold their place in the middle. Tomori is in red hot form and will be tasked with keeping Paulo Dybala quiet.
The midfield double pivot will feature Franck Kessie and Sandro Tonali. Milan are glad to have Kessie back as he is the engine of the team. Tonali is pushing more and more for a consistent starting place over Ismael Bennacer, and the Italian has the lead so far this season due to his growing performances.
Three playmakers will feature behind a lone striker. These three players will likely be Alexis Saelemaekers on the right, Brahim Diaz in the middle, and Rafael Leao on the left. There’s a case to be made for Ante Rebic to start, after assisting twice versus Lazio and scoring versus Liverpool, but it’s likely he comes off the bench as an impact substitute.
The lone striker should be Olivier Giroud, who is back after previously testing positive for COVID-19. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not likely to feature after suffering a problem with his achilles tendon which also saw him miss the Liverpool match.
Prediction: Juventus 1-2 AC Milan
Milan know that their best shot at the Scudetto for the first time in a decade is this season. They’ll play hard versus a Juventus squad that has looked lost domestically thus far.
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