Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
On Saturday afternoon, AC Milan will welcome Juventus to the San Siro, the stadium that has seen many historic matches over the course of its history. The rivalry between these clubs is arguably unmatched in Italian football, though fans of Inter Milan would probably have a word or two to say on the subject.
The match on Saturday is a part of the ninth round in this season’s Serie A roller coaster.
AC Milan
Having finally won the Scudetto last season, their first since 2011 and 19th overall, the Rossoneri are finding it hard to defend their title this term, mostly due to the rise of Napoli as a formidable force both on the Italian and the European scene, but also the resilience which keeps Atalanta close to the top of the table year after year. Udinese, Lazio and Roma are also doing very well and the race promises excitement right down to the final stretch.
At the moment, Milan are in fifth place with 17 points, three less than Napoli at the top and second-place Atalanta, two less than Udinese in third and on the same tally as Lazio in fourth. In the Champions League, they’re third in Group E halfway through the first stage, a point behind surprise leaders RB Salzburg and on the same tally as Chelsea in second place; one point above Dinamo Zagreb at the bottom.
The form of Stefano Pioli’s men can perhaps be described as mixed. Their last-six run to date starts with a 1-1 draw away to Chelsea in the Champions League, followed by a 1-2 win away to Sampdoria and a 3-1 home win over Dinamo Zagreb, before Napoli left San Siro with a 1-2 victory of their own. Milan bounced back with a 1-3 away win over Empoli, but then suffered a 3-0 thrashing away to Chelsea this week.
Team News
Midfielder Charles Ketelaere and fullback Sergino Dest were heavily criticized for their performances against Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if Pioli gives them another chance or decides to cut them out of the starting XI.
Meanwhile, Pioli has a number of injury problems going into this clash, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan, left-back Alessandro Florenzi, attacking midfielder Junior Messias and strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Divock Origi all on the sidelines. Further more, defenders Simon Kjaer and Davide Calabria, as well as winger Alexis Saelemaekers, left the Empoli match early, each with an injury of his own.
Juventus
If the notable increase in competition at the top of the table is causing Milan problems, it’s nothing compared to the issues facing Juventus at the moment. The Old Lady are in seventh place with 13 points, four less than Milan in fifth and three less than AS Roma in sixth, and even though we’re not halfway through October yet, they seem to have dropped out of the Scudetto race already. Many believe that if things don’t improve significantly soon, head coach Massimiliano Allegri could be in danger of losing his job.
Like Milan, Juventus are currently third in their Champions League group, but their situation is much more serious. They are four points behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top as well as Benfica in second place, and unless they close the gap over the next two rounds, they could find themselves eliminated from UEFA’s elite competition before the last match of the group stage is played. It is therefore imperative that they beat Maccabi Haifa away next week, and gain some ground on at least one of the rivals above who face each other at the Parc des Princes.
Juventus beat Maccabi 3-1 in Turin last week, and the five matches before that include a 2-1 defeat away to PSG, a hugely underwhelming 2-2 draw at home against Salernitana, a 1-2 home defeat to Benfica, a shocking 1-0 loss away to Monza, and a 3-0 triumph at home against Bologna.
Team News
Long-term absentees for Juventus are midfielder Paul Pogba and winger Federico Chiesa. Chiesa could return to training before the end of the month, but this clash obviously comes far too soon for him.
Mattia De Sciglio picked up a thigh problem against Maccabi earlier this week, and Alex Sandro is likely to take his place in the back line.
Conclusion
With the form of both teams varying extremely since the start of the season, this game is not easy to call. However, Milan do seem a little more stable, and on the wings of the San Siro support, they could see the visitors off with a win.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
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