The biggest game of the Serie A season so far takes place at San Siro on Wednesday night as leaders AC Milan welcome champions Juventus.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Calabria, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Krunic, Kessié; Castillejo, Calhanoglu, Rebic; Leao.
Suspended: Tonali.
Unavailable: Bennacer, Gabbia, Ibrahimovic, Saelemaekers.
Juventus (3-4-1-2): Szczesny; Demiral, de Ligt, Bonucci; Danilo, McKennie, Bentancur, Chiesa; Ramsey; Dybala, Ronaldo.
Unavailable: Sandro, Morata.
KEY STATISTICS
– Having won 4-2 back in July 2020, AC Milan will be looking for back-to-back wins against Juventus in Serie A for the first time since 2010, under Leonardo.
– AC Milan and Juventus will meet in Serie A with the Rossoneri ahead of the Bianconeri in the table for the first time since November 2015 – however, Juventus won that encounter 1-0, courtesy of a goal scored by Paulo Dybala.
– The last draw between Juventus and AC Milan came back in February 2012 (1-1, goals scored by Antonio Nocerino and Alessandro Matri) – since then, there have been three wins for the Rossoneri and 13 for the Bianconeri.
– AC Milan have scored 2+ goals in each of their last 17 Serie A games, in the history of the top five European leagues only three sides have had a longer such run: Bayern Munich (20 in 2014), Barcelona (18 in 2013 and 2006, and 19 in 1948) and Manchester United (22 in 1959).
– AC Milan have scored in each of their last 17 home games in the top flight, a record for the Rossoneri since 2010 – the last time they failed to net in a home Serie A game came exactly one year ago (0-0 v Sampdoria on January 6).
– Having won 4-0 at the Stadio Ennio Tardini against Parma, Juventus will be aiming to keep consecutive away clean sheets in Serie A for the first time since September 2019, the first two away matches under Maurizio Sarri.
– 41% of the games won by AC Milan in Serie A in the 2000’s have come with Andrea Pirlo on the pitch (167/407). After leaving the Rossoneri, Pirlo won five of his seven league games against AC Milan as a player with Juventus (D1 L1).
– Against Benevento, Rafael Leão became the second youngest foreign player to score 10 goals for AC Milan in Serie A (21 years and 207 days), after Alexandre Pato (19 years and 19 days) – the Portuguese has been involved in seven goals in 11 appearances in Serie A this campaign (four goals and three assists), as many goal involvements as he managed in 31 appearances last season.
– Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 64% of his goals away from home in Serie A this season (9/14): this is his highest such ratio in a season in the top five European leagues.
– Paulo Dybala has scored seven goals in 11 Serie A games against AC Milan, despite failing to score at the San Siro against the Rossoneri with Juventus.
