Serie A preview: Juventus vs. AC Milan – Team news, opposition insight, stats and prediction | OneFootball

AC Milan and Juventus will renew hostilities on Sunday night at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, with a huge three points up for grabs in the European race.

Milan and Juve have already played each other twice this season including at the beginning of the month, in Sergio Conceicao’s first game in charge. They came from behind out in Riyadh to reach the final, eventually lifting the trophy, so revenge will be on Thiago Motta’s mind.

Conceicao gave an interesting press conference on the eve of the game in which he spoke about how ready the team are compared to what he wants, refusing to give much away on transfers but also confirming absences and the midfield starters.

Game date: Tuesday, January 14 Kick-off time: 18:30 (CET) Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia Referee: Gianluca Mangianello (VAR: Serra)

Team news

The head coach was understandably frustrated after last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Cagliari, and while Tuesday’s short trip to face Como yielded three points there are still concerns about the performance levels.

Milan had to come from behind against their Lombardy neighbours in midweek, once again taking over an hour of the match to really click into gear. Theo Hernandez’s mishit shot and Rafael Leao’s calmly taken winner secured three valuable points in the end.

They are extra valuable when considering how the league table now looks. Juventus are three points away in fifth and Lazio are five away in fourth spot, with the Rossoneri having a game in hand (away at Bologna) over both.

More Stories / The Match

Serie A preview: Juventus vs. AC Milan – Team news, opposition insight, stats and prediction

17 January 2025, 19:00

MN: How Conceicao could set up Milan vs. Juventus – the press conference hints

17 January 2025, 16:10

Pulisic to miss AC Milan’s crucial game against Juventus – Conceicao’s comments

17 January 2025, 14:30

That means the magnitude of Saturday’s game has increased, with a chance to jump above Thiago Motta’s men for the first time in months, because a win would secure head-to-head advantage.

However, the three points against Como had the shine taken off them because of the three injury problems picked up. The most notable is Christian Pulisic, who as it turns out only has fatigue but has trained separately since and therefore will not be risked, as Conceicao confirmed.

Malick Thiaw went off in the second half and he has sustained a muscle issue that could keep him out until the beginning of February. Alvaro Morata also went off with fatigue but he is out due to suspension anyway, having picked up a fifth yellow card in the last round.

The other injured players include Samuel Chuwkwueze (expected back at the end of the month), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (should return a bit sooner) and Noah Okafor, who has had a strange few days given he flew to Leipzig for a medical before the deal collapsed.

In terms of those available, it will be relatively simple for Conceicao against Juventus. Changes in defence are not likely, so Mike Maignan will start alongside Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez. Matteo Gabbia, understandably, will come into the centre with Thiaw’s injury.

Ismael Bennacer starts in midfield in the double pivot with Youssouf Fofana, as stated by Conceicao earlier today, and Tijjani Reijnders will start in front of them – a decision which is somewhat frustrating considering the Dutchman is better from deep.

With Pulisic injured, there had been suggestions that Alex Jimenez would start on the right, but it seems Yunus Musah will be preferred. On the left, there is no contesting Rafael Leao’s spot. Then, Tammy Abraham will lead the line.

Predicted Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan, Emerson, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo; Bennacer, Fofana; Musah, Reijnders, Leao; Abraham.

The opponents

We recapped all of the business that Juve did during the last summer transfer window to launch a new era under Motta in our preview of the Supercoppa clash, but there has been some further movement from the Old Lady.

Cristiano Giuntoli – the sporting director at Juve – has intervened by signing right-back Alberto Costa from Guimaraes in Portugal for a fee of around €13.8m. However, that is not the transfer-related headline circling at the moment.

There are reports circulating from reliable sources both in Italy and in England stating that Manchester City are closing in on signing left-back Andrea Cambiaso for a fee north of €50m. It would be a big capital gain for Juve, though they would be losing a starter on that side.

While waiting to see if that seemingly imminent move keeps Cambiaso out of the side, the good news for the Bianconeri is that their top scorer Dusan Vlahovic should be ready to return after a period of absence.

Francisco Conceicao may be fit enough to make the bench, and as a reminder he was set to start against Milan in his father Sergio’s first game in Saudi Arabia before getting injured in the warm-up. He had to watch on from the sidelines, but might get a shot at vengeance.

Arkadiusz Milik, Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer are the three players that Motta will certainly be without as they continue to recover from long-term injuries. The latter two suffered ligament damage which has seen Juventus strongly linked with a move for Fikayo Tomori.

Thiago Motta will also name a near full-strength XI, expectedly. Di Gregorio starts between the sticks, and he will be behind Cambiaso, Gatti, Kalulu and Weston McKennie, who is covering at left-back.

Former Rossonero Locatelli will start in the centre with the Diavolo’s summer target Thuram, and Teun Koopmeiners will start ahead of them in the ’10’.

On the wings, Motta will look to the exciting pair of Yildiz and Mbangula, who have often been decisive, and they will play off Nico Gonzalez, who is expected to lead the line once again.

Predicted Juventus XI (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Cambiaso, Gatti, Kalulu, McKennie; Locatelli, Thuram; Yildiz, Koopmeiners, Mbangula; Gonzalez.

Head to head

Milan have played Juventus 227 times in their almost 125-year history, making them the team that they have faced the most, with 66 wins, 73 draws and 88 defeats being the record.

Last season the Bianconeri took four points from the Rossoneri, with a 0-0 draw at the Allianz Stadium preceded by a 0-1 scoreline at San Siro, which came via a deflected Manuel Locatelli shot after Malick Thiaw’s red card.

The two teams played out a very dull and drab 0-0 draw earlier this season in Milano, but then as mentioned above it was Conceicao’s side who came out on top in the Supercoppa earlier in the month.

Juve took the lead through Kenan Yildiz’s powerful shot to cap a rapid counter-attack, before Pulisic equalised from the spot after winning the penalty then Yunus Musah’s cross took a wicked deflection off Federico Gatti for the winner.

Key stats and facts

➤ Milan are the opponents that Juventus have both collected the most draws (58) and suffered the most defeats (53) against in the Italian top division. The Rossoneri are also the side that have managed to score the most goals against the Bianconeri in Serie A (227 goals).

➤ Juventus have kept a clean sheet in their last three league games against Milan (W1 D2), while they have never kept four clean sheets in a row against the Rossoneri in Serie A. However, the Bianconeri have only scored two goals in their last eight league matches against them.

➤ After a run of nine consecutive home wins against Milan in Serie A. Juventus have failed to win their last four such encounters (D2 L2). The Bianconeri have never reached five home games in a row without success against the Rossoneri in Serie A (also 4 between 1991 and 1994).

➤ In this Serie A campaign, Juventus have dropped points from a winning position in seven games. The last season that this occurred on more occasions was in 2019-20 (eight – never more than eight in the three- points per win era). This is only the third time that they have done so in seven matches across a season (alongside 1984-85 and 1968-69).

➤ Juventus have dropped points from a winning position in their last three games (D3); only in 1971 have the Bianconeri collected a longer streak of games in which they were ahead but failed to win.

➤ Juventus earned 12 home draws in Serie A across 2024 – no team has ever collected more in a single calendar year in the competition (also 12 for Udinese in 2023 and Cagliari in 2005). Indeed, the Bianconeri have drawn their last three home league games, last drawing four in a row between April – May 2009.

➤ Milan won their last Serie A game against Como and are looking to win back-to-back matches in the competition for the first time since September (three against Venezia, Inter and Lecce).

➤ Milan have won their last two away matches in Serie A, as many as in their previous 10 (D4 L4). It is the Rossoneri’s longest such streak since a run of three in March 2024.

➤ Weston McKennie has provided 10 assists across the last two Serie A campaigns. Among midfielders, only Christian Pulisic (12) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (11) have provided more – his assists have earned eight points, more than any other midfielder in this period.

➤ Théo Hernández has scored 30 goals in Serie A, becoming the first defender in AC Milan’s history to reach this milestone in the competition (overtaking Paolo Maldini). There are only four defenders who have netted more for a single side in Serie A history, while his next strike would see him draw level with Fiorentina’s Sergio Cervato (31).

Ones to watch

Kenan Yildiz is the player to watch for Juventus. The Turkish attacker has been the driving force for Thiago Motta, and in an otherwise average-looking side, he has been a star this season. Theo Hernandez will have to be at his best to stop him.

Thuram also is a player that the Rossoneri must be careful with. His quality is known after the summer interest, and with the midfield being slightly questionable in recent weeks, he could be decisive.

Photo by Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Tammy Abraham has scored infrequently for Milan, but he has still proved pivotal on some occasions. Conceicao needs this to be another occasion. With Alvaro Morata absent, the Englishman has a chance that he has to take, especially if he wants to stay with the club.

The pre-game feeling is that the game will be decided by the right-hand flank. With McKennie at right-back, the Rossoneri have a superb chance to target their attacks at a weaker defender. However, with Yunus Musah and Emerson Royal not the best offensively, it creates concern.

As a follow on, Emerson’s performance must be near-perfect. With Kyle Walker in the final stages of a move, the Brazilian needs to impress if he is to keep his spot.

Prediction

Predicting this game is really, really difficult. Juventus have seemingly forgotten how to win games consistently, and have recorded the most draws of anyone in Europe’s top five leagues. They don’t score loads of goals, but they also don’t really concede.

Milan, on the other hand, score less and concede more. However, under Conceicao, there has been a bit more spirit in performances.

This is a game that shouldn’t be a classic by all accounts (but probably will be now we say this), and if there is a side that nabs it, it may more likely be the Rossoneri, especially if they fall behind.

Juventus 1-2 AC Milan