AC Milan travel to the Allianz Stadium needing just one point against Juventus if they are to secure participation in the next edition of the Champions League.
Juventus’ 10-point deduction and their 4-1 defeat at Empoli on Monday has left them needing to win their last two games and hope that Milan lose both, but it could be done and dusted tonight if the Rossoneri avoid defeat.
The outcome will be heavily influenced by several key battles across the pitch, starting in midfield where Adrien Rabiot and Sandro Tonali will jostle for supremacy. The Frenchman has racked up eight goals and four assists in the league having really gone up a level this season and he has scored against Milan before (in 2020-21), so Tonali will have to keep tabs on him.
Speaking of top scorers, Olivier Giroud has netted 16 goals this season across Serie A (11) and the Champions League (5). He has scored important goals against Lazio, Roma, Napoli and Inter before but he is yet to bag against Juventus. He will come up against Gleison Bremer, who will be the middle anchor of Max Allegri’s three-man defence, and he was actually linked with Milan last summer.
On Juve’s right flank there will be an intriguing duel between Juan Cuadrado and Theo Hernandez. The Colombian has had an up and down season but has provided three assists in the league, though his main job will likely be to track back and help limit the influence not only from Theo but from Leao too.
On the other side, Filip Kostic has been one of the bright spots for Juve with three goals and eight assists (the most in the team) in Serie A. His overlapping runs have caused a lot of problems, with Davide Calabria called upon to make sure he does not get the freedom to operate and feed Chiesa against Thiaw.
Finally, Rafael Leao would love to get his first goal at the Allianz Stadium and what would be his second against Juve. The 24-year-old Federico Gatti will be the man tasked with stopping his direct runs, with the Portuguese winger aiming to give Milan something to celebrate before his renewal in the next few days.
