Serie A clash between Milan and Juve pits Americans against Americans
AC Milan against Juventus is always one of the most awaited games of the season and this year it gets the added wrinkle of pitting Americans against Americans. Not only is Stefano Pioli's side currently leading the Serie A table with 21 points ahead of the match at San Siro against third-place Massimiliano Allegri's side, but four USMNT players are expected to start, which has never happened before in the Italian first division.
Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah look ticketed to suit up for Milan, with Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah on the other side playing for the Bianconeri.
The most interesting tactical news is definitely the situation regarding two American international players in McKennie and Weah for Juventus. Allegri opted to play with McKennie as a winger or wing back in the first seven games of the Serie A season and this created issues for Weah, who was benched when McKennie played in "his" position as the right-sided player in the 3-5-2 system.
It's interesting to underline this tactical change that took place in the first seven games of the season, considering that McKennie was on the verge of leaving the Italian club in the summer after his loan spell at Leeds United last year.
Allegri sees McKennie as a winger occasionally, which can provide him more defensive protection especially when Filip Kostic plays on the left as a winger. However, in the last home game against Torino (which Juventus won 2-0), both McKennie and Weah played as starters for the first time together at Juventus and convinced the coach, who spoke after the game and said: "Weah played well as a fullback, he ran forward and McKennie was good at covering and helping him defensively, they played a good game."
Considering that at least until January the Bianconeri will have to deal with a critical situation in the roster of the midfielders, as both Paul Pogba and Nicolò Fagioli are suspended due to their off-the-field issues, in the meantime it's very likely we'll see McKennie switching back to his natural position as midfielder.
Early trends indicate that both sides should be around the top as the season progresses, meaning the opportunity to land a direct rival a blow should not be discounted.
However, Milan will also have an eye on their upcoming trip to face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League midweek, and it could impact how they rotate players on Sunday. Juventus, on the other hand, have no European football to worry about and can afford to put all their eggs in one basket this season.
Juventus have lost its
grip on the Serie A crown in recent years, with Milan among those who capitalised on it. Both teams are currently rebuilding after poor 2022/23 campaigns, and the game will give us a proper idea of where they stand as far as progress on the field is concerned.
There will be no love lost though, and both sets of players will give the game a right go. It promised to be an exciting clash between two titans of Italian football.
