Spoils were shared in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final between Juventus and AC Milan as the game ended 1-1 at the San Siro. The two most successful teams in Italian history are set to go up against one another in the second leg as seven-time European Cup winners Milan travel to Turin to take on Juventus in this all-important cup tie.
A 0-0 draw would be enough to see through the defending Serie A champions to the next round, courtesy of the away goal rule, but goals can be expected in this fixture. No club has won the Coppa Italia more times than Juventus, who have won this trophy 13 times, whereas the fallen giants Milan will be looking to add to their tally of trophies as they hope to pull off a minor upset.
Juventus vs AC Milan head to head
One of the biggest rivalries in Italy, these two teams have squared off against each other on 231 occasions. Juventus have 91 wins over Milan's 66, and the former has been the more dominant team over the past decade as their continuous rise and dominance has come during Milan's fall from grace. AC Milan have failed to defeat Juventus since 2016; a stat they will be looking to change come this Wednesday night.
Serie A winners Juventus sit two points behind Lazio on the table but have a game in hand. Maurizio Sarri's team has been hot and cold recently, with their results in the last six games including three draws and three losses. Most recently, Juventus lost by a goal to nil against Lyon in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg. However, the quality of the squad and their winning mentality is well-respected by clubs across Italy, and a win at home against their rival will be a perfect lift-off for the games to come.
Milan's position in the table has improved since these two met for the first leg at the San Siro; the former European Cup winners are now seventh in the table and are challenging for a Europa League spot for next season. Their form has also been inconsistent, but the amount of losses has reduced. Just like their hosts this Wednesday, a win in this game would be a much-needed boost for their bid for a trophy and their aim to finish as high in the table as possible.
Juventus recent form (all competitions) - LWWDLWL
AC Milan recent form (all competitions) - DWDLDWW
Juventus vs AC Milan team news
Juventus - Long-term absentee Giorgio Chiellini returned to the first team a couple of weeks ago and is expected to start this game. Merih Demiral is out for the rest of the season, whereas Miralem Pjanic is a minor doubt after being taken off early against Lyon.
Injured - Merih Demiral
Doubtful - Miralem Pjanic
AC Milan - Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had to be subbed off against Fiorentina and will most likely miss this game. Centre-back Leo Duarte is out till the end of this month, whereas this game will be too soon for midfielders Rade Krunic and Lucas Biglia, who have both been out of action for over two weeks.
Injured - Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leo Duarte
Doubtful - Rade Krunic, Lucas Biglia
Juventus vs AC Milan predicted starting line-ups
Juventus - Wosziech Szczesny; Danilo, Matthias de Ligt, Georgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Blaise Matuidi; Juan Cuadrado, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain
AC Milan - Asmir Begovic; Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Alessio Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Samu Castillejo, Frank Kessie, Ismael Bennacer, Hakan Calhanoglu; Ante Rebic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic