AC Milan make the trip to face Juventus tonight with the battle for the top four having never been more intense, and the match boils down to three key themes.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport writes, the first theme is the future and how both clubs have doubts about what it will look like. For Juve there is a huge question mark in particular as they could yet be punished by UEFA over the Super League fiasco, and without Champions League football next season there it would have an impact on planning, on market strategies, on everything related to competitive activity.
Milan chose instead to enter dialogue with UEFA, signing the letter just like the other eight clubs reinstated while reiterating the need to reform football to make it sustainable. The doubts about the Rossoneri’s future, therefore, are not so much linked to issues such as the presence in the next Champions League but more questions about renewals and market choices.
The battle between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is another theme. CR7 is about to add the Italian league to the collection of tournaments of which he was the top scorer, while Ibrahimovic wants to complete the mission for which he left the United States, namely to bring Milan back to where they consider home. Seeing how the two stars is a challenge within the challenge, to be enjoyed.
The final theme is the supporting cast as Juve and Milan will have to imagine themselves without their aforementioned leaders. It is in these kind of matches that Morata, Chiesa and Dybala must rise to the occasions; the same for Calhanoglu and Theo for Milan.