There is no better way to welcome Italian football back to action than with a tasty semi-final clash between two giants, but given Juventus’ stellar home form and Milan’s poor recent record against the Old Lady, we are backing Sarri’s side to book their place in next week’s final.
There have been moments when the resumption of this season seemed impossible. The owners of several Serie A clubs went public in March and April with their belief it was time to call the whole thing off. Even now, opinion is divided. More than 34,000 people have died in Italy of Covid-19, and more than 16,000 of those in Lombardy alone.
Juventus prepare to take on AC Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash on Friday as Italian football returns for the first time since the coronavirus-enforced postponement.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg and will be vying for a spot in the final against Napoli or Inter Milan prior to their clash on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury-time equaliser cancelling out Ante Rebic’s opener for Milan.
Furthermore, Milan’s form before the postponement left a lot to be desired as Pioli’s side have only won one of their last six in all competitions – despite enjoying a five-game winning run in January.
The odds are certainly stacked against I Rossoneri heading into Friday’s clash; Milan have lost nine of their last 10 meetings with Juventus – chalking up just five goals in that time.
As mentioned, the first leg between the two Italian powerhouses ended in a 1-1 draw Milan will be unable to call upon Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he suffered an injury in training, but the striker was suspended for the fixture anyway.
Theo Hernandez will also watch from the sidelines after his red card in the first leg, and the Frenchman will be joined by Samu Castillejo and Leo Duarte who are both set to miss out.
Hernandez’s absence could open up a spot for Davide Calabria to deputise at left-back, with Andrea Conti occupying the right-back position for Milan.
Consider this weekend as the antipasto, leading us into an Italian footballing feast. Serie A will return on 20 June, with the first of 124 games that are scheduled to be played in a span of only 44 days. Until then, fans can whet their appetites with the final rounds of the Coppa Italia, which resumes with Juventus hosting Milan on Friday night.
The first legs of this season’s semi-finals were played on 12 and 13 February a full four months ago. Both took place at San Siro in Milan, a city that would find itself close to the epicentre of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak. Nobody could have imagined such a scenario back then. The first confirmed case in the Lombardy region was not diagnosed until a week later.
There is no better way to welcome Italian football back to action than with a tasty semi-final clash between two giants, but given Juventus’ stellar home form and Milan’s poor recent record against the Old Lady, we are backing Sarri’s side to book their place in next week’s final.
There have been moments when the resumption of this season seemed impossible. The owners of several Serie A clubs went public in March and April with their belief it was time to call the whole thing off. Even now, opinion is divided. More than 34,000 people have died in Italy of Covid-19, and more than 16,000 of those in Lombardy alone.
Juventus prepare to take on AC Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash on Friday as Italian football returns for the first time since the coronavirus-enforced postponement.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg and will be vying for a spot in the final against Napoli or Inter Milan prior to their clash on Saturday with Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury-time equaliser cancelling out Ante Rebic’s opener for Milan.
Furthermore, Milan’s form before the postponement left a lot to be desired as Pioli’s side have only won one of their last six in all competitions – despite enjoying a five-game winning run in January.
The odds are certainly stacked against I Rossoneri heading into Friday’s clash; Milan have lost nine of their last 10 meetings with Juventus – chalking up just five goals in that time.
As mentioned, the first leg between the two Italian powerhouses ended in a 1-1 draw Milan will be unable to call upon Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he suffered an injury in training, but the striker was suspended for the fixture anyway.
Theo Hernandez will also watch from the sidelines after his red card in the first leg, and the Frenchman will be joined by Samu Castillejo and Leo Duarte who are both set to miss out.
Hernandez’s absence could open up a spot for Davide Calabria to deputise at left-back, with Andrea Conti occupying the right-back position for Milan.
Consider this weekend as the antipasto, leading us into an Italian footballing feast. Serie A will return on 20 June, with the first of 124 games that are scheduled to be played in a span of only 44 days. Until then, fans can whet their appetites with the final rounds of the Coppa Italia, which resumes with Juventus hosting Milan on Friday night.
The first legs of this season’s semi-finals were played on 12 and 13 February a full four months ago. Both took place at San Siro in Milan, a city that would find itself close to the epicentre of Europe’s coronavirus outbreak. Nobody could have imagined such a scenario back then. The first confirmed case in the Lombardy region was not diagnosed until a week later.
