Beijing time, at 02:45 on the morning of October 31st, in the ninth round of Serie A League matches, a highly anticipated game will take place as AC Milan hosts their old rival Juventus at San Siro Stadium. The two teams have contributed countless classic encounters in the past. This league match marks the first meeting between the two sides since the start of the season and also their first clash after significant changes within each team. Although the scene of the once-sacred alliance no longer exists, the confrontation between these two prestigious clubs will still be a focal point of attention. There are situations within both teams where players face their former clubs, among which the most eye-catching is undoubtedly the Swedish player Ibrahimović. After the "phone scandal," Ibrahimović transferred to Inter Milan and has since been branded a traitor by Juventus fans. Now, after an unsatisfactory stint at Barcelona, Ibrahimović, who has become a member of the Rossoneri, will face his former club Juventus for the first time on the Italian pitch. Only he knows the taste of it all. However, for Ibrahimović, there's no need to show any mercy to Juventus. The Swedish striker, whose recent form has improved with continuous goals, undoubtedly hopes to use this match against Juventus to wash away the stigma of being weak in big games.
Another highlight: AC Milan facing a defensive manpower shortage while Juventus lacks key players. On the other hand, the斑ma army acquired Bonucci and Motta in the summer, making this defense, especially the central defender pairing, akin to a replica of the Italian national team. Since Prandelli took over, the central defensive duo of Chiellini and Bonucci has gained immense trust and is hailed as bearing the hope of Italy for the next ten years. In this match between AC Milan and Juventus, will the quasi-Italian national team defense render the F4s ineffective or will it be exposed under the bombardment of the F4s? The answer will only be revealed after the game.
Juventus: Buffon (injured), Traore (injured), Rinaulto (injured), Lanzafame (injured), Grygora (injured), Amauri (injured), Quagliarella (injured), Krasic (suspended)
From the current strength and form of both teams this season, the Rossoneri currently occupy the second position in the Serie A table with a 17-point advantage, leading Juventus by 5 points. In the last 8 matches, Milan has achieved decent results with 4 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. Compared to Juventus, who are still in the process of development, Milan seems stronger. Juventus, currently in fifth place on the leaderboard, does not align with the team's actual strength. If the斑ma army hopes to achieve something this season, they must not be careless when facing their old rival Milan. Their goal in the away game is to secure a draw and strive for victory.
For Juventus, the absence of Krasic is undoubtedly the biggest impact. This midfielder was suspended for two matches by the Italian Football Federation due to a dive in the previous league match and will certainly miss this game. Without Krasic, Juventus is like a sports car without an engine, a problem that the斑ma army must face. Even if Martinez recovers from injury, solving Del Neri's midfield personnel issues, his performance cannot match the contribution and importance of Krasic to the team. Juventus must address the lack of attacking power when facing Milan.
In this key battle, both sides have different degrees of reductions in their rosters. For AC Milan, the biggest impact is on the defensive line. With the injury of Antonini in the last league match, Allegri had no choice but to temporarily deploy veteran Oddo. With Janakulovski, Zambrotta, Silva, and Antonini all unable to participate, Bonera and Oddo may be Allegri's only options. Although Oddo performed impressively in his substitute appearance, the stability of the veteran's condition is questionable. However, what comforts Milan is that Nesta did not receive additional punishment for his impulsive act of pushing down an opponent in the last league match.
Historically, the two sides have faced off 47 times, with Milan winning 15, drawing 18, and losing 14. Both teams have scored and conceded 61 goals. From this historical record, the two sides are basically evenly matched. Judging by the team's state in recent years, the Rossoneri have a slight edge. Last season, Milan and Juventus met 6 times, with Milan winning 2, drawing 3, and losing 1, slightly having the upper hand. Juventus only won once in the 6 encounters, in the TIM Cup, and lost all league matchups by three goals. From last season's performance, Milan clearly holds some advantages.
The most interesting face-off between old clubs involves the goalkeepers of both teams. In the 2005-06 season, after Kaka injured Buffon, Abbiati was loaned to Juventus. Storari joined Milan in January 2007 and was subsequently loaned out to Lecce, Fiorentina, and Sampdoria. He officially transferred to Juventus in 2010 and has shown good performance in his appearances so far. On the evening of October 31st at San Siro, the two will engage in direct confrontation.
AC Milan (4312): Abbiati/Oddo, Papastathopoulos, Nesta, Bonera/Gattuso, Pirlo, Boateng/Robinho/Pato, Ibrahimovic
Juventus (442): Storari/Motta, Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie/Pepe, Melo, Aquilani, Marchisio/Piero, Quagliarella
Highlight Four: Multiple star players face their former clubs
After a summer of reform, both Milan and Juventus have improved in terms of personnel composition and overall strength. Among them, the movements in Milan's forward line and Juventus' defensive line have drawn the most attention. In the final push of the transfer market, Milan signed two heavyweight forwards, Ibrahimovic and Robinho. Together with the existing two strikers, Ronaldinho and Pato, this group of four formed a formidable offensive line that even the media jokingly referred to as Milan's F4.
Both teams' predicted starting lineups:
AC Milan: Ambrosini (injured), Jankulovski (injured), Thiago Silva (injured), Ronaldinho (injured), Abate (injured), Zambrotta (injured), Antonini (doubtful)