AC Milan vs Juventus – News and Probable Lineups

This Sunday evening, two titans of Serie A will clash at San Siro as AC Milan faces Juventus, both vying for a top-four finish.

If Inter de Milão secures a win in Turin earlier in the day, the Rossoneri must triumph over Juve to prevent their long-time rivals from being crowned champions of Italy.

Match overview

With a 12-point deficit behind league leaders Inter, Milan is on the verge of conceding the Scudetto to their city rivals, having struggled during recent months.

While the Nerazzurri have found their rhythm with four consecutive wins and scoring at least three goals in each match—potentially aiming for a rare domestic double—the Rossoneri are likely left without anything to show.

After suffering defeats in four of their last seven matches, Milan managed a narrow and shaky 1-0 victory over Hellas Verona in their previous outing, having difficulty overcoming opponents facing relegation at Stadio Bentegodi.

Goals have been hard to come by, with the Lombardy side averaging just one per game across the last ten fixtures, amid concerning dips in form from Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.

Nevertheless, Max Allegri, who has previously managed Juventus, can still assert some influence since returning to Milan: the Rossoneri have accrued 15 more points compared to the same point in the previous season.

With five rounds left, they have a solid hold on their initial aim, which was to secure a Champions League spot for the next season—currently sitting eight points clear of fifth-placed Como.

On the other hand, a revitalized Juventus have capitalized on recent missteps by both Como and Roma—first climbing into fourth place, then creating a five-point cushion.

Indeed, a victory over Milan would position them in the race for the runners-up spot, which seemed unlikely when Luciano Spalletti took the reins last November.

Juventus’ performance under his guidance has seen them average nearly two points per match—a significant improvement over Igor Tudor’s 1.5—and only Inter have gained more points in this period.

Alongside Allegri, Juve’s current coach is among only four managers to achieve 300 wins in Serie A history, and his interim role has been made permanent following enhanced performances.

Spalletti’s squad has won five of their last six league matches, conceding just once, while their recent home win over Bologna marked eight matches unbeaten across all competitions.

Though a place at Europe’s elite level isn’t guaranteed yet, a defeat this week could lead to a tense conclusion. However, if recent trends continue, the Bianconeri should leave San Siro with at least one point.

After a goalless draw in October’s previous meeting, they have not conceded in their last five top-flight encounters with Milan, establishing a club record streak.

Team News

Interestingly, at this advanced stage of the season, Milan expects to have a fully fit squad for Sunday evening.

With all their forwards available, Allegri has a range of options: Pulisic and Leao have netted eight and nine league goals respectively, albeit neither is currently in peak form.

Pulisic’s last Serie A goal was recorded at the close of December; since then, the USA forward has gone 15 matches without finding the net—his longest stretch without a goal in Italy’s top tier.

Consequently, Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug, and Santiago Gimenez are also potential contenders for two starting positions up front.

Adrien Rabiot scored the match-winner for the Rossoneri in Verona, and he now faces his former team, having previously made 157 appearances for Juventus.

Similar to their hosts, Juve also have favorable fitness news, with only Juan Cabal and Arkadiusz Milik unavailable; although reported Milan target Dusan Vlahovic may also join them on the sidelines.

Mattia Perin, Khephren Thuram, Emil Holm, and Vasilje Adzic have all returned to full training and are expected to be included in Spalletti’s squad.

Star player Kenan Yildiz—who has 16 goal involvement this season—is also anticipated to recover from a lingering knee issue.

Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David

Though Juventus is exhibiting strong form, Allegri’s Milan historically performs well against Serie A’s elite teams and could manage to secure a home draw.

While this result may not suffice to prevent Inter from sealing the Scudetto, it would keep both teams on track for Champions League qualification.