(Football news) Milan won the Derby della Mole and moved within four points of the Rossoneri, while Juve emerged victorious and prepared for the international break after a thrilling victory against Genoa.
After taking a two-week break, Milan returned with the goal of becoming the third team in club history to win eight of their first nine Serie A games. Their lone loss this season was a devastating 5-1 derby defeat to Inter. Milan currently has 21 points.
The Rossoneri most recently accomplished this during their Scudetto-winning season of 2021–2022, and after a weak defence the previous year, Stefano Pioli’s team is undoubtedly aiming for the Italian championship again this season.
It has been difficult for Napoli and both Rome clubs to keep up with their capacity to grind out results, and it really took everything they had to bring three points home from Genoa right before halftime.
After 87 minutes of goalless play, Milan eventually took the lead through Christian Pulisic, but the drama was far from over: Mike Maignan was sent off during stoppage time for a horrific foul, and Olivier Giroud, a seasoned striker wearing Maignan’s jersey, put an end to an incredible game between the posts.
Giroud received praise for his heroic last-minute save, and Pioli’s team triumphantly marched away from Marassi with the kind of win that winners cherish and subsequently polish their hard-earned trophy.
However, the Rossoneri are still playing catch up in Europe’s premier club competition after goalless matches in the Champions League. They will make their comeback to the competition next week when they take on PSG in the French capital.
They have to contend with a more established opponent in Serie A, where shifting dynamics have caused Juventus to loosen its hold in recent years; in fact, Milan has won all five of their league encounters with the Old Lady. They might go six games without a loss on Sunday, but they haven’t gone that far since their heyday at the end of the 1980s.
Even though Juve is no longer the overwhelming favourite over Milan, they managed to maintain their ten-year hold on the Derby della Mole by defeating Torino 2-0 last time out. The Bianconeri have won 15 out of the previous 19 meetings between them and their city rivals.
Following another clean sheet at the Allianz Stadium with goals from Federico Gatti and Arkadiusz Milik, Max Allegri’s team has now kept a clean sheet in three straight league games, bringing their total to at least eight in 13 games dating back to the previous campaign.
Allegri’s squad has placed a strong emphasis on defence and hasn’t let up a goal from set pieces yet this season. The Tuscan maestro has laid out his plans for the team’s strategies in the coming months.
It will be extremely difficult to return Juventus to its past glory, many of which he contributed significantly to. It may also be unrealistic to expect Juve to contend for the Scudetto following two miserable seasons both on and off the field.
Still, the much-maligned Allegri has the support of the board and can point to a record surpassed only by the two Milan clubs in 2023–24 as he charts a course for triumph over his former team this coming Saturday.
After defeating Lazio and holding Atalanta to a scoreless draw, Juventus will face their most difficult test to date in the second city, where they have failed to score against Milan in their last two San Siro encounters.
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