Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
In a battle of two of Serie A’s powerhouses and the glamour tie of this weekend’s fixtures, AC Milan will welcome runaway league leaders Juventus to the San Siro on Sunday night.
AC Milan
Starting with the hosts, after enjoying a bright start to the new season, AC Milan will have their sights set on securing a return to the Champions League this year. Picking up a 1-1 draw with La Liga outfit Real Betis in midweek, Gennaro Gattuso’s side are on course to reach the knockout stage of this years Europa League. It isn’t just in Europe where Milan have caught the eye. Now winning their last three Serie A outings on the bounce, the Red and Black’s currently sit fourth in the table and a surprise win on Sunday would see them leapfrog bitter-rivals Inter Milan. Now losing just one domestic matchup since the end of August, one man to watch for the hosts will be former Liverpool winger Suso. Heavily linked with a return to the Premier League in January, the 24-year-old now has three in his last four. More impressive, the Spaniard has been directly involved in 11 of AC’s 21 goals this season.
Team News
Milan’s injury crisis is getting worse, and it now includes Ivan Strinic, Mattia Caldara, Davide Calabria and Lucas Biglia.
Juventus
As for the visitors, while Juventus may have impressed during their midweek Champions League outing against Manchester United, the Old Lady will rue a string of missed opportunities. Slumping to a pair of last-gasp goals on Wednesday, Massimiliano Allegri saw his side suffer their first defeat across any competition. Although the Premier League outfit may have ended their unbeaten run, it has been nothing short of a stellar start for the defending Serie A champions. In their opening 11 domestic matches, the visitors have won 10 and drawn just once, another win on Sunday would see Juve extend their advantage at the top of the table to six points. In a side starstudded side with an abundance of attacking options, unsurprisingly, one man to watch for the White and Black’s will be their leading goalscorer and record signing Cristiano Ronaldo. Scoring his first Champions League goal for Juventus in midweek, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has seven goals to his name since making the switch from Real Madrid. Ronaldo has also now scored or assisted in each of his Serie A appearances this season.
Team News
Emre Can is absent for the visitors, while there are doubts over Federico Bernardeschi and Douglas Costa once again.
Key Factors to Consider
- AC Milan have won 49 games in Serie A against Juventus – more than any other side. However, their last win over them came back in October 2016.
- AC Milan are currently enjoying a run of three consecutive league wins, their best such streak since March (five wins in a row).
- Juventus are the only team still unbeaten away from home in all competitions across Europe’s top-5 leagues in 2018 (W12 D3).
- The visitors have also now won the last five meetings between the two sides, scoring two or more goals in each victory.
- AC Milan’s Gonzalo Higuaín scored 40 goals in his 73 league appearances for Juventus between 2016 and 2018 – the Argentine striker has only scored one goal in six league appearances against the Old Lady, with that goal coming in September 2015 at the San Paolo when he was with Napoli.
Conclusion
On paper, it has all the makings that should produce plenty of chances at both ends. While both sides do have plenty of attacking threat and have grown a reputation for their goalscoring exploits, AC and Juve have struggled to keep a clean sheet of late. Combined, they have recorded just two clean sheets in their last 10 matches across all competitions. We are once again backing a similar outcome on Sunday night.
Verdict: Both teams to score
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: Bet365
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