AC Milan – Juventus: Chiesa Leads The Way As Juventus Grab Crucial Win (1-3)

Facing a fairly compact Juventus 4-4-2 defensive shape, Milan found better fortune in transition given their dynamic attackers. Juventus fared better in sustained buildup with their left-sided play being key to ball progression and the execution from Chiesa on the right giving them the edge in the final third. Eventually, Juventus would walk away victors in an even, high-stakes Serie A battle.
Tactical analysis and match report by Julian Chingoma.

Serie A this season has been marked by refreshing competitiveness at the top of the table. But what has also been consistent has been the leading side: Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan. They have impressed all season and were unbeaten coming into this pivotal clash.

This game was especially crucial for the away side. After a mixed bag of a season, Juventus found themselves, uncharacteristically, on the outskirts of the Scudetto race. They laid ten points behind their table-topping hosts albeit with a game in hand. A win would propel them well within the mix of title contenders. A win for Milan would further strengthen their title bid and simultaneously crush Juventus’.

Stefano Pioli lined up his charges in a 4-2-3-1 formation with several absences such as Ismaël Bennacer, Ante Rebić and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal for the home side. They had a backline of Davide Calabria, Simon Kjær, Alessio Romagnoli and Theo Hernandez. Davide Calabria would then step into the midfield alongside Franck Kessié. Then Samu Castillejo, Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Jens Hauge were in support of Rafael Leão. 

Andrea Pirlo, himself unable to call on the likes of Alex Sandro or Álvaro Morata, opted for the 4-4 . . .