Juventus enters their match against AC Milan sitting in first place in the standings. With a win this weekend, the Bianconeri could guarantee first place going into the international break. The team have been inconsistent this season, having some good games while luck has been on their side in others.
In their recent mid-week match in Champions League against Lokomotiv Moscow, Juventus got a late winner from Douglas Costa to help preserve a 2-1 victory. The win assured that the Bianconeri qualified for the knock out stages of Champions League. In their more recent match in Serie A, Juventus defeated Torino by a score of 1-0 from Mattias De Ligt.
As for AC Milan, their struggles continue after a late goal from Lazio this past Sunday had them lose 2-1 to the Biancocelesti. The Rossoneri have yet to find any consistency under new manager Stefano Pioli. Since taking over from Marco Giampaolo, Pioli has gone 1-1-2 in his four matches with the club. Sunday’s task against Juventus will be a tall order for the club as they have found it difficult to win this season due to their poor play. Milan have lost the past three meetings against the Bianconeri and will look to put an end to that drought.
As for Juventus, they remain unbeaten in Serie A with nine wins and two draws from their eleven games. AC Milan have struggled for consistency this season as in their recent six games, they have two wins, one draw and three defeats.
Predicted line up: Juventus vs AC Milan
Juventus (4-3-1-2): Szczesny – Alex Sandro, Cuadrado, De Ligt, Bonucci – Matuidi, Ramsey, Pjanic – Costa – Ronaldo, Higuain
AC Milan (4-3-3): Donnarumma – Hernandez, Calabria, Duarte, Romagnoli – Bennacer, Paqueta, Krunic – Suso, Calhanoglu, Piatek.
Injuries and suspensions
Juventus: Giorgio Chiellini (Out Indefinitely), Mattia Perin (Out Indefinitely), Marko Pjaca (Out Indefinitely), Matthijs de Ligt (Questionable)
AC Milan: Suso (Questionable), Mateo Musacchio (Questionable)
Players to watch
While defensive back Theo Hernandez didn’t score against Lazio in his most recent match, the defender stood out. The left back was very good in the back end and stopped Lazio from scoring on several occasions. His ability to move the ball forward and join in the attack was also evident and encouraging for a struggling team. This season, the left back has scored two goals for the Rossoneri but has shown consistency, something which has been difficult for Milan.
Gonzalo Higuain continues to have a strong start to the season. The Argentine looked out of place last season splitting between AC Milan and Chelsea FC. Under new manager Maurizio Sarri this season, the striker has found the old form which made him successful. This year, the striker has been instrumental and has scored two goals and one assist in Serie A and two assists in Champions League. In their recent match-up in Champions League, Higuain assisted on the winning goal to Costa which ensured Juventus advancing into the knockout round. The striker continues to impress either starting or coming off the bench and will look to continue his fine form on Sunday against Milan.