Serie A leader AC Milan continues the 2023-24 campaign on Sunday with a big match against Juventus. The Rossoneri head out for their fifth consecutive league victory.
Juve is expected to get Dusan Vlahovic back on Sunday. Can he make a mark with a goal and help the Old Lady to a rare victory in the match-up? Bookmaker 10bet offers odds at 3.25 for Vlahovic to score anytime.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: October 20th, 2:00 P.M. (EST)
Vlahovic must be desperate to get a goal on Sunday as he’s played 370 minutes without netting once at San Siro – his worst run without a goal at any Italian stadium. In fact, the team as a whole has faced a lot of tough times against Milan in recent seasons, failing to score in three consecutive meetings. The lack of goals has resulted in a five-game run without a win for Juve in this fixture.
Ending the bad streak on Sunday would be a big achievement for Juventus, especially considering Milan’s form this season. Stefano Pioli’s men have dropped points in just one league outing and have been very stingy at the back lately, shutting out the opposition three times in their last four games. Two weeks ago, Milan didn’t even need a recognized goalkeeper between the sticks to keep a clean sheet, as Olivier Giroud filled in for Mike Maignan late in the game.
Maignan’s sending off against Genoa keeps him out from Sunday’s game, and with backup Marco Sportiello having suffered a calf injury this week, Milan is now set to turn to third-stringer Antonio Mirante, who’s yet to start for the team since joining the club in October 2021.
Milan’s goalkeeper crisis should be a big boost for Juventus’ chances. Mirante has had a solid Serie A career, but he’s 40 years old now and hasn’t played regularly since turning out for Bologna in 2017-18.
In addition to facing Vlahovic, who missed the last two games with a back problem, Mirante and Milan will likely also have to deal with Federico Chiesa again. His status for the game has been under a big question mark due to a muscle issue, but Chiesa was back in training on Friday, which is a sign that he’s trending towards returning to action.
Vlahovic and Chiesa showed off great work early in the season when both were still healthy, combining for eight goals through the first five rounds of the new Serie A season. Chiesa’s production in front of goal has massively gone up since Massimiliano Allegri decided to start using him in a central role and his presence and improved form have also helped Vlahovic to shine.
