Juventus vs AC Milan: Early Serie A Showdown
The season’s first true heavyweight clash lands in Turin on Sunday night. Juventus against AC Milan at Allianz Stadium: two unbeaten sides, two very different paths, one early marker in the title race.
Kickoff is set for 8:45 p.m. local time in Turin, 7:45 p.m. in the United Kingdom, and 2:45 p.m. Eastern / 11:45 a.m. Pacific in the United States.
Where to Watch
In the United States, there’s no confirmed traditional TV listing, but the game will stream on Paramount+, with Telemundo and Fubo also carrying feeds.
In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports 1 has the broadcast, with DAZN and HBO Max providing streaming coverage.
In Italy, the match runs exclusively on DAZN 1 (Sky channel 214) and the DAZN app, bypassing Sky and NOW.
Early-Season Stakes
It’s only September, but the table already has a sharp edge.
Roma and Inter Milan sit out front with nine points from three games. Como lurks just behind on seven. Juventus and Milan are tucked in the chasing pack on six points apiece after two matches, both with perfect records, both trying to stay within striking distance of the early leaders.
A win keeps the victor right on the shoulders of Roma and Inter, with a game in hand. A loss, and a gap opens up behind two rivals who have already banked those extra minutes and points.
For two clubs that missed out on the Champions League last season, this isn’t just about bragging rights. It’s an early measure of whose rebuild is moving faster.
Juventus: Lean, Mean, and Stretched
Juventus have started the campaign in classic Juve fashion: controlled, clinical, and stingy.
They opened with a 1–0 win at Frosinone, then backed it up with a 2–0 home victory over Parma. Two games, two wins, zero goals conceded. The platform is clear: defend first, let the talent up front find the margins.
The expected XI lines up in a 4-2-3-1:
- Guglielmo Vicario in goal
- A back line of Pierre Kalulu, Gleison Bremer, Jhon Lucumí and Mehmet Zeki Çelik
- Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz anchoring midfield
- Francisco Conceição on the right, Nicolás González through the middle, Jérémie Boga from the left
- Randal Kolo Muani leading the line
But Luciano Spalletti’s options have taken a hit.
Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie are among seven players ruled out through injury, a list that also includes Khephren Thuram and Andrea Cambiaso. The squad looks thin in key areas, just as the calendar delivers its first serious examination.
Juventus still have the structure. What they lack right now is depth.
Milan: New Coach, New Edge
On the other side, Milan arrive with a different kind of momentum.
Under new coach Ruben Amorim, they’ve opened with a 2–1 win away at Torino and a 2–0 home victory over Venezia. Four goals scored, two conceded, six points, and a sense that this project has come out of the blocks with intent.
They are listed in a 3-4-2-1:
- Mike Maignan in goal
- A back three of Mario Gila, Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlović
- Samuel Chukwueze at right wing-back, Davide Bartesaghi on the left
- Luka Modrić and Yunus Musah in central midfield
- Adrien Rabiot and Alexis Saelemaekers supporting
- Gonçalo Ramos as the central striker
Milan’s injury concerns are lighter, but not irrelevant. Defender Matteo Gabbia is out with a physical setback, which pushes De Winter into the back three alongside Gila and Pavlović.
The real story lies in midfield. Modrić and Rabiot both return, giving Amorim a hardened, experienced spine in the middle of the pitch. Against a Juventus side already stretched by absences, that kind of control in central areas could tilt the night.
Milan have scored more freely than Juventus so far. Juventus have defended better. Something has to give.
Pulisic Waits in the Wings
For American fans, one question hangs over this fixture: will Christian Pulisic play?
The answer, for now, is: not from the start.
Pulisic has recovered from the leg injury that ruled him out of the United States’ World Cup exit to Belgium in July, but he has not yet reclaimed a regular place under Amorim. He spent the entire win over Venezia on the bench and has been an unused substitute in both of Milan’s Serie A matches this season.
Amorim addressed the situation after that Venezia game. He stressed Pulisic’s quality but pointed to the need to manage workloads and prioritize results in the short term. For now, that means limited minutes, if any.
A late cameo in Turin is possible. A starting role is not.
An Early Barometer
This isn’t a title decider. It feels more like a barometer.
Juventus, with their rigid defensive base and bruised squad, trying to prove that control and discipline can still outlast the more expansive projects around them.
Milan, with a new coach, a refreshed midfield, and a more adventurous attacking edge, eager to show their evolution is already ahead of schedule.
Two giants, one early-season collision. Whoever walks out of Allianz Stadium with three points doesn’t just climb the table—they send a message about where this Serie A campaign might be heading.
