It’s been a rough season for Juventus, but things have been turning around of late with wins in three of their last four matches. They’re on a slow and steady climb back up the table, trying desperately to pull closer to the fight for the league title they’ve won four years in a row. The next team in their path, both in the schedule and the table, is AC Milan, a team on their own road to redemption.
Juventus vs. AC Milan 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Serie A online
Juventus have clawed their way back up the table and are just two points behind sixth-place Milan.
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It wasn’t that long ago the Milan were a major power in Italy. Then financial decay and poor management, both on and off the pitch, lead them to a tumble down the table, a tailspin that’s taken them several years to recover from. This season, though, things have finally started to click back together, and Milan have slowly assembled themselves back into a respectable team. They’ve been on the fringes of the title picture all season, but have struggled to pull closer than that when chances have presented themselves.
Frankly, both Juventus and Milan need a win in this match. Badly. Juventus just need to pile on as many points as they can after their horrid start to the season, and Milan are desperate to do anything to, at worst, keep pace with the title chasers, hoping one or more of them slip up to give the rossonero a chance to pass them up. That need from both teams means that this match could have no holds barred, much like we’ve seen in previous seasons when both teams were chasing the title instead of just decency. Seeing that competitive match would be a welcome change this season for both fanbases.
Key player -- Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)
Marchisio is a stabilizing element in a midfield that’s often been chaotic for Juventus this season. His energy and assured nature help him plug holes and bail his teammates out of trouble, wonderfully facilitating the bianconeri’s game in a way that they struggled to consistently get going when he was injured. Especially in a match like this against an opponent like Milan that will try to slow down and constrict their midfield, having a guy who can find the holes and be available like Marchisio does is valuable in a way that cannot be over-estimated.
Key matchup -- Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) vs. Carlos Bacca (Milan)
Bonucci has long been a steady and reliable presence in Juventus’ back line, but this season he’s had a lot of shaky moments. Juventus can ill-afford for him to have another off-kilter day with Bacca lining up against him, as the Colombian has been enjoying a strong start to his career in Serie A. Bacca has six goals so far this season, and his combination of technique and power is one that Bonucci has struggled with at times in his career, making this a potentially problematic matchup for Juventus unless Leonardo manages to up the level of his play.
Juventus injuries and suspensions
Out: Simone Padoin, Roberto Pereyra, Rubinho In doubt: Mario Mandzukic, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah
AC Milan injuries and suspensions
Out: Nigel De Jong, Mario Balotelli, Diego Lopez, Jeremy Menez In doubt: Andrea Poli, Andrea Bertolacci, Ignazio Abate
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada - English), beIN Sports en Español (U.S. & Canada - Spanish), Sky Sports 1 HD Italia, Sky Calcio 1 (Italy), BT Sport 1 (U.K.), RAI International
Online: Fubo TV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S. & Canada), Sky Go Italia (Italy), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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