One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar pits top-four hopefuls Milan against bitter rivals Juventus on Sunday night. Stadio San Siro forms the backdrop for the latest installment of this iconic rivalry, but more than just bragging rights will be at stake when the two sides lock horns tonight.
Milan avoided the ignominy of losing three consecutive league matches for the first time since 2023 with a narrow 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Hellas Verona last weekend. Adrien Rabiot scored the winning goal late in the first half, helping the Rossoneri bounce back from two disappointing defeats to Udinese and Napoli.
More importantly, Massimiliano Allegri’s side retained an eight-point lead over fifth-placed Roma ahead of this round. Although a long-awaited 20th Scudetto is now a pipe dream, with runaway leaders Inter a whopping 12 points away, Milan can at least return to the Champions League after a season-long absence.
Seeking a coveted top-four finish themselves, Juventus travel to Lombardy in a buoyant mood following a dominant 2-0 home victory over Bologna. Jonathan David and Khephren Thuram were on the scoresheet as Luciano Spalletti’s high-flying side extended their winning streak in Serie A to three games.
However, there’s no room for complacency just yet. Roma’s 2-0 triumph at Torino yesterday has heightened the pressure on the Bianconeri, who are now only two points clear of Gian Piero Gasperini’s side. Therefore, the visitors cannot afford a slip-up here if they’re to keep the Giallorossi at arm’s length.
Match Preview
Milan
Despite falling short of their title ambitions, Milan can take heart from improving upon last season’s 33-game tally by 15 points. Nevertheless, they must pick up momentum from the previous round after suffering two defeats in their last four home league outings – both of which saw them fail to find the net.
That could prove easier said than done, given that three of their last four Serie A meetings with Juventus have ended goalless. Indeed, low scoring has been a common theme in this fixture, with each of the last nine top-flight encounters between Milan and the Bianconeri producing under 2.5 total goals, highlighting the potential for an uneventful contest.
Adding to this sentiment, four of Milan’s five clashes against current top-four teams have featured under 1.5 goals. On that basis, scoring first could be crucial, which might be good for the Rossoneri, as they’ve opened the scoring in nine of their 16 home league games this season.
Juventus
Unfazed by Milan’s traditionally fast home starts, Juventus head into proceedings in high spirits after extending their unbeaten league streak to seven matches (W5, D2). It’s also worth noting that each of their five wins in that sequence produced a clean sheet, testifying to the team’s improvement under Spalletti.
Furthermore, Juventus could register four successive top-flight triumphs without conceding for the first time since 2023. However, that’s far from a foregone conclusion, considering they have conceded in all five away clashes against current top-six clubs this season.
Against this backdrop, the record-time Italian champions have kept Milan at bay in each of their last five Serie A showdowns. Moreover, they’re more than capable of matching Milan’s strong starts. Indeed, they entered this matchday as one of only three Serie A clubs to have opened the scoring in at least ten away games this term (W8, D2).
Team News
With all first-team stars fit for this heavyweight fixture, Milan can dream big, even though their talismanic forwards, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, are not in good form. For context, the USMNT superstar’s last Serie A goal came in December, but he is likely to lead the line anyway.
On the other hand, Juventus are still without long-term absentees Arkadiusz Milik and Juan Cabal. Despite resuming partial training, star center-forward Dusan Vlahovic is unlikely to feature tonight, with David expected to start as a lone striker at the expense of Lois Openda.
Milan vs Juventus Potential Starting Lineups
Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao.
Juventus (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David.
Milan vs Juventus Prediction
With a spot in next season’s Champions League on the line, another low-scoring game could be in store. Both sides have often thrived in such an environment, but a share of the spoils feels like the most realistic outcome here.