Ace Football previews the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus, and offers the latest stats, tips, and team news.
AC Milan and Juventus are set to lock horns on the day of Epiphany for a Serie A clash that could prove decisive in the ongoing title battle.
Despite two positive COVID-19 tests for Juventus duo Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado, the fixture is set to go ahead. The squad took a round of swabs on Wednesday morning. And as there have only been two positive cases so far, which isn’t considered an outbreak, Andrea Pirlo has released his squad list.
The trip to San Siro couldn’t have at a more opportune moment, as the injury-hit AC Milan will be without some key players for the clash. And with a 10-point deficit to the Serie A leaders, Juventus plan to make up for lost ground.
The last time these two sides met ended in a 4-2 win for Milan last summer. Despite Adrien Rabiot and Cristiano Ronaldo goals handing Juve a two-goal lead, the Rossoneri scored four goals inside 18 second-half minutes to snatch victory.
AC Milan Form & Stats
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ismael Bennacer, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Sandro Tonali are all missing for Milan. But Theo Hernandez, a former teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo’s from Real Madrid, is back. The full-back has been one of Milan’s standout performers this season, making his return a timely boost.
But while the injury problems have been piling up, Milan remain in impressive form. The Rossoneri extended their winning run to three games by beating Benevento 2-0 on Sunday. Not only did the result maintain their one-point lead over Inter at the top of the league standings, but they also remain the only unbeaten club left.
Milan have actually gone 27 games undefeated (W20 D7) in Serie A since a 2-1 loss against Genoa last March. That said, the club’s home form has been a little dubious recently. They’ve drawn three of their last five matches at the San Siro and have conceded at least two goals in four of them.
Even without Ibrahimovic, however, Stefano Pioli’s side have scored at least two goals in their last 17 league games. The last time they failed to do was in a 1-1 home draw against Atalanta last July.
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in their last 27 league games (W20 D7).
- Drawn 3 of their last 5 home league games (W2).
- Over 2.5 goals in 5 of their last 6 home league games.
- Conceded at least 2 goals in 4 of their last 5 home league games.
- Scored at least 2 goals in their last 17 league games.
Juventus Form & Stats
Cristiano Ronaldo began 2021 with a bang. The forward delivered another world-class display to score two goals and bag an assist to steer an unconvincing Juventus to a 4-1 win over Udinese on Sunday. He also moved two goals clear of Romelu Lukaku at the top of the Serie A goal charts.
Ronaldo’s 15 goal contributions (14 goals, 1 assist) make up 52% of Juventus’ 29 league goals, despite missing three of the club’s 14 league games.
But the real test starts at the San Siro on Wednesday. AC Milan have been formidable this season and will prove much tougher opponents than Udinese. It doesn’t help Juventus have struggled on the road either. In fact, they’ve only won three of their last 11 away league games (D5 L3). The uncertainty over the positive COVID-19 tests may also impact them.
Andrea Pirlo’s side have also drawn all three of their biggest league games this season against Roma (2-2), Lazio (1-1), and Atalanta (1-1).
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 games in all competitions (W10 D3).
- Drawn 4 of their last 7 away league games (W3).
- BTTS in 6 of their last 7 away league games.
- Won 3 of their last 5 league visits to the San Siro (D1 L1).
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a goal in 4 of his 6 games against AC Milan for Juventus.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in only 11 league games this season.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 12 goals in his last 10 appearances in all competitions.
Team News
AC Milan
Out: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ismael Bennacer, Alexis Saelemaekers, Sandro Tonali.
Doubts:
Juventus
Out: Juan Cuadrado, Alvaro Morata, Alex Sandro.
Doubts: N/A.
Predicted Line-up
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Top Goalscorers in Serie A
Head-To-Head Record
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in Serie A.
Match Facts
Betting Tips
More Odds
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