AC Milan take on Juventus in Turin with a point needed to seal a spot in the top four and subsequently the next edition of the Champions League.
Milan have provided a breakdown of tonight’s opponents on their official website, starting with the fact that the Bianconeri – who had a 10-point deduction last week – have been beaten by Sevilla (2-1) and Empoli (4-1) in their last two matches.
Juve have already lost nine matches in this Serie A campaign and the last time they recorded 10 in a single season was in 2010-11, but they have the joint-best home record in the league with 42 points in 18 matches, on par with Napoli.
This is a young Juventus side, and only Empoli (six) have had more players born from 2000 onwards get their names on the scoresheet than Juventus (five) in the current season. The
Bianconeri are fourth in terms of shots on target (172) behind Milan (179), while they have scored 12 goals from headers this season, with only Napoli (17) having more. The Rossoneri have conceded 10 headers this season.
The Old Lady are the team who have conceded the fewest goals in the last 30 minutes this season (seven), an interval in which AC Milan have scored 25 times, fewer only than Napoli (32). Juventus and Milan (six goals each) are particularly prolific in added time.
Adrien Rabiot has taken his game up a level this season. He has 11 goals in all competitions in 2022-23, and the last Juventus midfielder to score more in a single season was Arturo Vidal (18 in 2013-14).
He has strength in the aerial battle too, a fact certified by the 86 aerial duels he has engaged in – at least 25 more than any other Juventus midfielder – and by the four headed goals he has registered so far this season. No other player has done better in the five major European tournaments (four also for Christoph Baumgartner).
Just as many goals in this particular category have been scored by Gleison Bremer. Since 2019-20 the Brazilian has scored 10 goals with his head in the top five European leagues, a record among defenders shared together with Virgil van Dijk.
Bremer is first among the Bianconeri in defensive clearances (112) and in headers (64), a figure in which he is also fifth among defenders in the league.
They shouldn’t be strong in head as our players, by points penalty deduction, than by one important injury and some players ready to leave. Milan first team players must show this game that they deserve play in next season.