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Serie A Preview: Juventus vs Milan – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

Sunday’s Serie A action closes out at the Allianz Stadium, where Juventus take on arch-rivals Milan in a mouth-watering third-round clash. Both sides boast a perfect record after the first two games, adding even more intrigue to what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.

Juventus almost rued missed chances in a pulsating 1-0 win over newcomers Frosinone on the opening Serie A weekend. However, they were much more clinical on matchday two as second-half goals from Nicolas Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners inspired them to a 2-0 home victory over Parma.

One thing that can encourage head coach Luciano Spalletti is Juventus’ rock-solid defense. Despite facing the so-called ‘small’ teams, the record-time Italian champions allowed just five shots on target against Frosinone and Parma and remain one of just three Serie A sides yet to concede this season.

Milan’s upcoming visit threatens to put that defensive solidity under serious scrutiny, as the Rossoneri have also hit the ground running. After a 2-1 triumph at Torino in round one, Ruben Amorim’s side secured a dramatic 2-0 home win over newly promoted Venezia last time out.

The club’s record signing, Goncalo Ramos, got off the mark in Serie A with a thumping left-footed finish to open the scoring before Redouane Halhal’s clumsy own goal sealed Venezia’s fate. With two wins from two, Milan will take this trip in high spirits, seeking their first league victory over Juventus since May 2023.

Match Preview

Juventus

Keen to erase the memory of a calamitous sixth-place finish last season, Juventus have got the 2026/27 campaign off to a flying start. However, this will be their sternest test yet, even though they’ve had Milan’s number lately. Four of the last five league meetings between these two Serie A heavyweights have ended goalless, except for Juventus’ 2-0 win at this venue in January 2025.

It’s hard to put it past the Bianconeri to register another shutout here, as they’re looking to open a new Serie A season with three consecutive clean sheets for just the second time in ten years. Keeping Milan at bay may not be enough to improve their underwhelming record of just four wins from their last nine home league outings unless they score.

That’s why they signed Nick Woltemade on loan from Newcastle United in the final hours of the transfer window. Whether the German forward will start remains to be seen, but Juventus should still be confident about  a positive start, considering they’ve broken the deadlock in five of their last seven Serie A matches in Turin.

Milan

Despite going scoreless across their last six top-flight clashes against Juventus (D4, L2), Milan can take heart from their impressive recent run at the Allianz Stadium. Indeed, they’ve only suffered one defeat in their last eight competitive away games against the Bianconeri (W3, D4), giving Amorim’s side plenty of reason for optimism ahead of this blockbuster fixture.

Beating Juventus in Turin is a tough task, but if Milan can catch the Bianconeri off guard, they will start a new Serie A season on a three-game winning run for the fourth time in the last seven years. It would also mark their first three-match winning sequence in the league since December 2025, when they bested Inter, Lazio, and Torino.

Meanwhile, Amorim won his first Serie A away match in charge of the club, but it was only Milan’s third win across their last six road trips in the top flight (L3). It was also a rare high-scoring contest, given that five of their previous six away league games had produced under 2.5 goals, highlighting the importance of finding a breakthrough before their opposition.

Team News

Juventus failed to offload Juan Cabal in the summer, and the injury-prone Colombian defender remains unavailable due to a thigh problem. In addition, Spalletti will be without star midfielder Khephren Thuram, summer signing Jeff Ekhator, and standout performer Kenan Yildiz, all of whom are out injured.

Andrea Cambiaso, Edon Zhegrova, and Weston McKennie are facing a race against time to put themselves at Spalletti’s disposal.

On the other hand, Amorim will have almost his entire Milan squad available for this trip, including deadline-day arrival Omari Hutchinson, who joined the club from Nottingham Forest on loan. The English forward is likely to start on the bench, while marquee signing Diego Moreira could make his Serie A debut.

Matteo Gabbia remains the only notable absentee, with Koni De Winter expected to line up alongside Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlovic in defense.

Juventus vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumi, Celik; Locatelli, Douglas Luiz; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Boga; Kolo Muani.

Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Mario Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Musah, Modric, Moreira; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos.

Juventus vs Milan Prediction

Given the notoriously tight nature of this fixture, another low-scoring affair could be on the cards. With both sides boasting impressive defensive records and neither likely to take unnecessary risks, a cagey contest could end all square.

Prediction: Draw

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