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#3 Juventus don't have Cristiano Ronaldo coming to their rescue now
Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't come to Juventus' rescue during their 3-0 drubbing against AC Milan last season. But Ronaldo, more often than not, stepped up to the plate for them during his three years with the team.
Now that he has left the club to return to Manchester United, the former Serie A champions are without a talisman who can bail them out.
Paulo Dybala is in good form right now, while Alvaro Morata is bagging goals too. But it's safe to say that neither of these players, with all due respect, are at the same level as the Portuguese ace, who's simply a quintessential big-game player.
#2 Juventus lack big-game mentality
It sounds ironic, considering Juventus have been one of the big teams in Europe in recent years. They have arguably been the biggest in the Serie A owing to their decade-long domestic dominance.
But an important reason why that hegemony ended in a way it did last season was their shortcomings in big games. Against sides that finished inside the top seven places last season, the Bianconeri accumulated only 18 points from a possible 36. That was four fewer than in the 2019-20 season, and nine fewer than what they accumulated a season before that.
It's a testament to Juventus' decline against stronger teams. They have struggled against the likes of Inter Milan, AS Roma, Lazio, Napoli and even AC Milan. In fact, the Rossoneri won twice in three clashes with Juventus across competitions last season.
#1 AC Milan have their X-factor back
If you've been watching AC Milan since last year, you'll know how they've been playing with coherence, dynamism and attacking effervescence that wasn't seen in their game for a long time.
The Rossoneri have become a fearless, cohesive unit capable of taking down any side with their goalscoring might. They have also had a solid defensive line that can keep out the most dangerous of attackers.
Stefano Pioli has successfully revived the side since their title-winning days in the early 2010s, as Milan have registered their biggest results in a long time.
Their spectacular 3-0 trouncing of Juventus in May still rankles many Bianconeri supporters. Such is AC Milan's form right now that a repeat is very much likely.
