Over the past week, Juventus began their long journey of redemption with a domestic victory over Bologna followed by their first European win of the campaign at the expense of Maccabi Haifa.
But is it a genuine restoration, or just another painted false dawn of easy wins against lowly opponents?
Well, we won’t have to wait too long to find out the answer to this one, as Saturday’s San Siro clash will serve as a real test of the old lady’s prowess.
With both sides missing key figures, it will be interesting to see which tactician will prevail with the limited options at his disposal.
So let’s take a look at three possible keys to Max Allegri’s victory in what should be an exciting battle between Milan and Juventus.
Solidify the right flank
With the Serie A Most Valuable Player tag on his back, you don’t need scouts to tell you that Rafael Leao is the most dangerous weapon in Diavolo’s arsenal.
With Theo Hernandez likely returning to action just in time for the match, Pioli’s left flank will be devastating to say the least.
Therefore, Allegri will have to counter him by strengthening his own right lane with solid players who can limit the threat of the Portuguese star and the French full-back.
Of course, we are mainly talking about Danilo, who should return to his original role at right back, perhaps with Juan Cuadrado offering him some support.
Expose Pioli’s weak side
With Alessandro Florenzi and Davide Calabria both out for considerable time, Sergino Dest became next in line for the right-back spot.
Now surely the one on loan from Barcelona is not far behind in any way, but the first signs in Milan have not been exactly positive.
Filip Kostic should put his superior experience and talent to good use and expose the Rossoneri’s perceived weak side.
height advantage
With the hope that Arkadiusz Milik will return in time to resume his association with Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus will have two great centre-forwards spearheading their line-up against Milan’s smaller centre-backs (especially Pierre Kalulu).
Obviously, height is only one factor among many in the sport, but it definitely serves well in aerial duels.
Therefore, the Bianconeri should try to take advantage of their tall forwards by providing them with precise crosses inside the opponent’s box, but at the same time, we must avoid becoming too predictable by relying too much on the same weapon.
