Serie A: Juve and Milan Must Settle for Second Best

Juventus vs AC Milan

Not in terms of effort of course, but that’s the reality for the players, the fans and the club owners when the Serie A game between Juventus and AC Milan kicks off at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.     

Max Allegri and Stefano Pioli will come face-to-face in Turin on Saturday, and they are both under pressure having watched Inter Milan win the 2024 league title with some ease, and now they must try to deliver second place.

I Bianconeri are in third and five points behind Milan with five games to play and, with a goal difference only four behind, a win would put Juve right on the heels of their rivals.     

And I Rossoneri are without a victory in four in all competitions, while Juventus picked up a win in midweek to seize a chance of some silverware. 

Talking Points

Coppa date for Juventus  

While the Scudetto is long gone for both Juve and Milan, the Old Lady still has her eyes on a domestic trophy this season as she has just booked a date with Atalanta in the 2024 Coppa Italia final. 

A late goal from substitute Arkadiusz Milik gave Juve an aggregate 3-2 victory over Lazio when extra time seemed to be looming. The Poland striker has had limited game time this season and only scored three goals, but his introduction on 81 minutes, replacing Dusan Vlahovic with the score on the night at 2-0 to Lazio, was a masterstroke from Allegri.   

Milik scored the winner with his first touch of the game diverting Timothy Weah’s cross shot into the net from two yards out to break Roman hearts and send the Juve fans home happy. 

A win in the final over Atalanta might be enough to save Allegri in what has been a disappointing return for the Juventus boss. Combined with a second place finish in the league, it might appease the club’s owners. 

In the rearview mirror, Bologna are fighting hard to keep hold of their fourth pace and have climbed to within two points of the Old Lady, so a defeat to Milan could see her drop another place. The Serie A 2024 betting odds say Allegri’s men should win, but they need to up their game.   

Big changes due at Milan  

Pioli is under pressure too after I Rossoneri’s loss to Inter Milan this week, and reports in the Milan press suggest he is unlikely to be in position next season. He has one year left on his contract, but the way his team surrendered the title to their city rivals leaves an unpleasant taste right now.    

So Pioli too is determined to deliver second place so that he can leave, if that is the case, with his head held high. 

Fans at the San Siro may be more concerned with the prospect of their star player Rafael Leao leaving in the summer. He’s a target for Manchester City according to the Serie A 2024 news, and the Portuguese star is at the height of his powers, so the Premier League giants are likely to make their move early in the summer. 

He’s valued at around £80 million, but I Rossoneri are ready to play hard ball with the Sky Blues, and their starting point might well be to open negotiations at £129 million. That would make Leao the most expensive player in Premier League history but, if City want their man, they will do all they can to get him.      

Alongside Pioli and possibly veteran striker Olivier Giroud, who has 13 goals this season, Leao looks likely to be on his way this summer, but they all have a big job to do over the next few weeks, starting in Turin on Saturday.   

History 

I Bianconeri leads the head-to-heads with 38 wins to 23 in all competitions since 1993. And when the two teams met in Milan in October, Juventus ran out 1-0 winners as Manuel Locatelli scored after Milan’s Malick Thiaw had been dismissed in the first half.  

Both teams have taken just two wins from the last six games, with Juventus drawing two and losing two, while Milan have drawn once and lost three. 

But Juventus have been strong at home with 10 wins, five draws, and a single defeat this season, and the SBOTOP odds put them in the box seat for this mega clash. 

Betting Tip

Milan are at odds of 3.34 to win this game, and the draw is at 3.08, and there is a decent case for any of the three outcomes. But with home advantage and a better headspace after a big week in Italian football, I give the Old Lady the edge, and I won’t be surprised to see another A 1-0 win to Juventus, priced at 6.28. 

 

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