A season of highs and lows for AC Milan was vividly illustrated in their final two matches before the international break. They achieved a stunning 3-1 victory at Real Madrid, only to then surrender the lead twice in a 3-3 draw against Serie A’s struggling Cagliari. This result prevented them from securing three consecutive wins for the first time since April, leaving Paulo Fonseca’s side six points short of the top six, albeit with a game in hand.
Returning to the San Siro, where they previously lost 2-0 to Napoli, the league leaders, Milan can take confidence from their prior three-match home winning streak. However, facing Juventus poses a tough challenge, as Milan have failed to win three of their last four home encounters against them (W1, D2, L1), and didn’t score in two of those last three games.
Juventus commence this round just one spot ahead of Milan in the Serie A standings, yet they find themselves two points adrift of Napoli at the top, having remained undefeated in their first 12 Serie A encounters (W6, D6). Thiago Motta has established his team’s core on a robust defence, which has already achieved nine clean sheets in the league for the 2024/25 season – a feat not seen since the 2014/15 campaign!
The Bianconeri concluded their fixtures before the international break with consecutive 2-0 wins in the league and approach this round boasting the joint-best away record in the league (W3, D2), with their only away concession coming against Inter. On the road, Juventus have displayed a sharp attacking prowess, scoring three or more goals on four occasions in all competitions away from home (W3, D1).
Key Players to Watch: Rafael Leão recently scored twice against Cagliari, marking his 50th Serie A goal. Impressively, in four of his last five matches at the club level where he scored, there have been six total goals (1 win, 3 draws). On the other hand, Kenan Yıldız has netted four of his last five goals for Juventus after the 70th minute, including a double at this venue against Inter earlier this season.
Interesting Statistic: Milan have managed to score 13 out of their 20 Serie A goals this season before half-time, with a league-leading five of those coming within the first 15 minutes.
