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Italy welcomes the return of football with what is set to be a fiercely contested fixture as Juventus go up against AC Milan in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Friday.
The first leg ended with a scoreline of 1-1 with Juventus picking up a crucial away goal at the San Siro. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up for the Bianconeri to put away a penalty in stoppage-time to restore parity in the match.
AC Milan has continued its steady decline this season but can be a fierce opponent and Juventus will have to be wary of the Rossoneri's pace on the wings. Juventus has plenty of firepower in the final third and goes into the fixture as a favourite.
Juventus has not been as imperious as it is used to this season and is locked in a stranglehold with Lazio for the Serie A title. The Bianconeri lost out on the Coppa Italia last season and will look to make no such mistake as they go up against a refreshed AC Milan side.
Juventus v AC Milan Head-to-Head
Juventus and AC Milan are giants of Italian football and shared a highly decorated rivalry. The two clubs have been at each other's throats for nearly a century and while Juventus has held a significant advantage for nearly a decade, AC Milan's ability on the big stage cannot be underestimated.
A whopping total of 289 matches have been played between the two sides, with Juventus winning 108 matches and drawing 87. AC Milan is not very far behind with 94 wins and will look to reduce the deficit on Friday.
Juventus took AC Milan to the cleaners in the 2017/18 edition of the competition and beat the Rossoneri by a 4-0 margin to lift the title. AC Milan will look to exorcise these ghosts of the past and throw Juventus out of the Coppa Italia.
Juventus form guide: L-W-W-L-W
AC Milan form guide: D-L-W-D-L
Juventus v AC Milan Team News
Juventus
Gonzalo Higuain is likely to miss the crucial fixture after straining a muscle in training. While Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala can provide plenty of firepower and creativity in the final third, Higuain's absence will put additional pressure on the Bianconeri's attacking players to deliver the final product against AC Milan.
Apart from Gonzalo Higuain, Juventus has no other absentees going into this fixture and is likely to field its strongest possible eleven. With Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa occupying either flank, Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to start in a central position
Injuries: Gonzalo Higuain, Giorgio Chiellini
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: None
AC Milan
AC Milan will also be without its first-choice striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and is likely to suffer the consequences. The prolific Swedish striker is the most potent goalscoring threat in the AC Milan lineup and will not be easily replaced. Ibrahimovic suffered a heel injury in May during training and will not be able to take part in the match.
Former Real Madrid defender Theo Hernandez is suspended and will not be able to participate in the match. Davide Calabria is likely to start in his place and will have to adjust to the left flank where he will be up against Paulo Dybala.
Injuries: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: Theo Hernandez
Juventus v AC Milan Predicted XI
Juventus Predicted XI (4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny; Juan Cuadrado, Matthijs de Ligt, Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Blaise Matuidi, Rodrigo Bentancur, Aaron Ramsey; Douglas Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala
AC Milan Predicted XI (4-4-2): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Andrea Conti, Matteo Gabbia, Alessio Romagnoli, Davide Calabria; Ismael Bennacer,Franck Kessie; Samu Castillejo, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ante Rebic; Rafael Leao
Juventus v AC Milan Prediction
AC Milan will go into this fixture with a no-holds-barred approach. The Coppa Italia represents the only silverware that the Rossoneri can win this season and the likes of Ante Rebic and Ismael Bennacer will be raring to go against a resolute Juventus defence held together by Matthijs de Ligt and Leonardo Bonucci.
Juventus holds all the cards in this fixture. An attack consisting of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, and Douglas Costa has the pace and ferocity to frighten any side in the world. AC Milan is perfectly capable of a surprise but might not be able to deal with a superior Juventus side.
Prediction - Juventus 3-1 AC Milan
