Two of Italian soccer's most titled clubs collide on Sunday when Juventus hosts A.C. Milan, looking to remain top of Serie A.
Arguably the biggest rivalry in Italy between the 1970s and most of the 2000s, the game has lost some its status as the gap between the two teams has grown at a rate of knots in the last few years.
Juventus has won eight straight Serie A titles and has appeared in two Champions League finals in the last five seasons. Meanwhile, since last winning the league in 2011, A.C. Milan has lifted just two trophies—the Italian Super Cup in 2012 and 2017—and has finished fifth or lower in the last six seasons.
To put Juventus's dominance into context, the Bianconeri have won 12 of the last 13 league meetings against the Rossoneri and haven't lost at home to them since March 2011.
This season has epitomized the differences between the two clubs so far. Maurizio Sarri replaced Massimiliano Allegri as Juventus coach and has so far steered the Bianconeri to 12 wins in 15 games in all competitions.
Juventus is yet to taste defeat this season and sits top of the table in Serie A with a one-point gap over Inter Milan, while Wednesday's 2-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow ensured it qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions League with two games to spare—the first time the club has done so since 2008.
Ronaldo's reaction to Aaron Ramsey stealing his goal 😬 pic.twitter.com/wQiks0KScc
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 7, 2019
A.C. Milan also began the season with a new coach as Marco Giampaolo arrived in Milan in the summer from Sampdoria with a reputation for playing an exciting brand of soccer.
However, A.C. Milan fans never saw the sparkling soccer Giampaolo promised and he was sent packing in October, to be replaced by former Inter coach Stefano Pioli.
The latter has got off to a less than promising start at the San Siro, losing two of its first four games in charge and winning just once.
As a result, Milan arrives into the game on Sunday in 13th place, trailing Juventus by 16 points and just five points clear of the relegation zone.
If Juventus' run this season has been built upon the league's joint-best defense, one of Milan's myriad of problems is an anemic attack that has returned just 11 goals so far this season—Serie A's joint fourth-worst offensive record.
The good news for Milan is that Cristiano Ronaldo may not be 100 percent on Sunday, after the Portuguese star was replaced during Juventus' win over Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday.
"Ronaldo is not in great shape at the moment, as over the last few days he's had a bad knee, so to compensate for it he is putting more strain on the adductor," Sarri told Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He was already irritable towards half-time because it was causing him problems. On a sprint, he made a movement I didn't like the look of, so I was afraid he'd really hurt himself and decided it was best to take him off."
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Sunday.
When and where is the game?
Juventus hosts A.C. Milan at the Juventus Stadium in Turin on Sunday, November 10 with kickoff scheduled for 8:45 p.m. local time (2:45 p.m. ET).
Juventus has won 12 of the last 13 league meetings against the Rossoneri.
TV coverage and live stream
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and will also be available in Italian on RAI Italia via fuboTV.
Form
Juventus beat city rivals Torino 1-0 on Saturday to remain one point clear of Inter Milan at the top of Serie A, and extended its lead at the top of Group D in the Champions League with a 2-1 away win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday.
Milan, meanwhile, lost for a second time in three games, as it fell 2-1 at home to Lazio on Sunday.
Team news
Juventus is without long-term absentee Giorgio Chiellini, who was ruled out for at least six months after sustaining an ACL injury in September. Defender Mateo Musacchio is a doubt for A.C. Milan, while forward Samu Castillejo is out for at least another month.
Odds
According to Oddschecker, Juventus is an 11/25 favorite, while the draw is at 15/4 and Milan is a 13/2 underdog.
