JUVENTUS v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

From Riyadh to Turin in the same month. AC Milan and Juventus meet again. Then, it was in the Supercoppa Italiana with a place in the final at stake, now, it's in Serie A at an important crossroads for both teams. The Old Lady are currently fifth in the table on 34 points, two off the Champions League places. In Europe, they are in a tight midtable battle, in the running for a play-off place and not far away from qualifying directly for the Round of 16.

Last time out, Thiago Motta's side secured a precious point in Bergamo following a 1-1 draw with hosts Atalanta in midweek. There will be a bitter taste in the mouth having conceded a late equaliser, but there were plenty of positives in terms of the performance. Under pressure and under the mic after a disappointing result in the derby and a generally drab campaign so far, the Bianconeri's task has been made even tougher given the absences of Vlahović and Conceição.

DRAWS AND DROPPED POINTS BUT A STRONG DEFENCE
To date, Juventus have drawn 13 of their 20 league games this season, probably more than they should have. It paints a telling picture, even for the only remaining unbeaten team in Serie A 24/25. One stat stands out: Motta's men have dropped 14 points from winning positions, having often been on the receiving end of a comeback from their opponents. It's hardly encouraging either that they have often struggled to get into games offensively - only 34% of their goals this season have come in the first 30 minutes of matches - and their back line certainly isn't impermeable.

Defence is, however, one of their strengths. In general, they are level with Inter in Serie A for the fewest goals conceded (17) and kept six consecutive clean sheets from August to September. Organisation and compactness are the name of the game for Juve, who also try to cover in defence while moving the ball to their wingers and striker. In terms of possession, the Bianconeri have registered the most passing sequences from open play, 387 - 87 of which have finished with a shot or touch in the opposition penalty area.

VLAHOVIĆ IN RECOVERY, VERSATILE NICO, YILDIZ IN THE MIDDLE
Vlahović is close to recovering from a muscle problem and is the focal point on the attack. The team's leading scored with twelve goals and two assists, he is much dicussed and always essential in his team's attacking maneuvers. González is improving too. The Argentinian is adept at getting into awkward positions for the defence, from which to striker. Conceição will be a big miss, but Yıldız is the one to watch, as he is in top form and a key creator for Juve. Alongside Yamal, he is one of the players born since 2005 to have created at least 25 chances and completed 25 dribbles in Europe's Top-5 leagues this season.

Koopmeiners will be tasked with bossing the middle, maybe less in terms of attacking threat but in how he keeps the midfield ticking over. Then, there is Locatelli as the playmaker and Thuram as the box-to-box midfielders. It's a dynamic midfield, which we cannot afford too much space.

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