Juventus vs AC Milan: First True Test of Serie A Season

The early weeks of a season usually drift by in half-pace. Not this Sunday night in Turin.

Juventus against AC Milan at Allianz Stadium is the first real collision of Serie A’s new campaign, a meeting of two unbeaten sides already chasing Roma and Inter Milan at the top. Both clubs sit on six points from two games. Both know exactly what defeat would mean.

Win, and you stay in the slipstream of Roma and Inter, who have already reached nine points from three matches. Lose, and a gap opens behind two rivals who have banked that extra game. It is only September, but the table is already shaping the pressure.

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 Britain, the match is on TNT Sports 1 with streaming on DAZN and HBO Max, according to LiveScore. In Italy, MilanoSportiva reports the game is running exclusively on DAZN, including DAZN 1 on Sky channel 214, with no Sky or NOW coverage.

Viewers in the United States can find Juventus vs Milan on Paramount+, with Telemundo and Fubo also carrying feeds, per Goal.com.

Two Perfect Starts, Two Different Identities

Juventus have opened the season with a familiar statement: control the space, strangle the game, concede nothing.

They edged Frosinone 1-0 away, then handled Parma 2-0 in Turin. Two wins, three goals scored, none conceded. It is a start built on structure and discipline.

Milan, under new coach Ruben Amorim, have matched that perfect record but with a slightly different feel. A 2-1 win at Torino showed resilience; a 2-0 victory over Venezia added a touch of authority. Four goals scored, two conceded, and a sense that this side is still learning its new manager’s demands while picking up points.

The table offers an early snapshot: Roma and Inter out front on nine points, Como third with seven, Milan fourth and Juventus fifth, both on six. The margins are thin, the stakes already sharp.

Juventus Stretched, Milan Settled

Luciano Spalletti’s squad has taken some damage before this heavyweight bout.

Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie are among seven players ruled out through injury, according to Yahoo Sports, a list that also includes Khephren Thuram and Andrea Cambiaso. For a side that leans on defensive solidity and balance, that is not a minor detail. It’s a structural problem.

Spalletti is expected to stick with a 4-2-3-1:

Juventus (4-2-3-1)
1. Guglielmo Vicario – Goalkeeper
2. Pierre Kalulu – Right-back / centre-back
3. Gleison Bremer – Centre-back
4. Jhon Lucumí – Centre-back
5. Mehmet Zeki Çelik – Left-back / right-back
6. Manuel Locatelli – Central midfield / defensive midfield
7. Douglas Luiz – Central midfield
8. Francisco Conceição – Right wing
9. Nicolás González – Attacking midfield / left wing
10. Jérémie Boga – Left wing / attacking midfield
11. Randal Kolo Muani – Striker

That XI leans heavily on Bremer’s authority at the back, Locatelli’s control in midfield, and the mobility of Kolo Muani and Boga to stretch Milan’s three-man defense. With depth compromised, the starters will have to carry the load.

Milan’s problems are lighter but still influential. Defender Matteo Gabbia is out with a physical setback, forcing Koni De Winter into the back three alongside Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlović. The adjustment is clear, but so is the upside: the midfield regains its veteran core.

Milan (3-4-2-1)
1. Mike Maignan – Goalkeeper
2. Mario Gila – Right centre-back
3. Koni De Winter – Centre-back
4. Strahinja Pavlović – Left centre-back
5. Samuel Chukwueze – Right wing-back
6. Luka Modrić – Central midfield
7. Yunus Musah – Central midfield / defensive midfield
8. Davide Bartesaghi – Left wing-back
9. Adrien Rabiot – Attacking midfield / central midfield
10. Alexis Saelemaekers – Attacking midfield / right attacking midfield
11. Gonçalo Ramos – Striker

With Modrić dictating rhythm, Rabiot breaking lines, and Gonçalo Ramos leading the line, Milan arrive with a clear plan: use the ball, test Juventus’ defensive wall, and see whether Spalletti’s patched-up squad can handle sustained pressure.

A Clash of Projects, Not Just Points

Neither club reached the Champions League last season. That still stings.

So this is not just about three points. It is an early inspection of two rebuilding projects and whose timeline is moving faster.

Juventus have leaned into their defensive identity, conceding nothing across two matches. Milan have opened up a bit more, scoring four and playing with a touch more freedom in the final third. One side is built to suffocate, the other to probe and create.

On Sunday night, something has to give.

The Pulisic Question

For American fans, one question hangs over this fixture: will Christian Pulisic play a part?

The answer, for now, is: probably not from the start.

The USMNT star has recovered from the leg injury that kept him out during the United States’ World Cup exit to Belgium in July, but he has not yet reclaimed a regular role. According to World Soccer Talk, 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 explained the situation after that Venezia victory.

“He possesses immense talent. I simply have to manage my players’ workloads, and at this moment, we need to win. Therefore, it’s challenging for Pulisic to find playing time, but he remains an incredibly important player for us,” the coach said, as quoted by World Soccer Talk.

A late cameo in Turin is possible. The pattern so far, though, suggests Amorim will not rush him back until he is fully sharp and ready to influence games at his usual level.

So the spotlight, for now, will fall on others: on Modrić and Rabiot in midfield, on Locatelli and Douglas Luiz trying to hold their ground, on Kolo Muani and Ramos hunting the decisive touch.

It is early in the season, but nights like this often leave a mark. By the final whistle at Allianz Stadium, Italy may have a clearer idea of which giant is really ready to chase the summit again.