Juventus vs. AC Milan: Complete Player-by-Player Comparison
On Saturday, for the first time since 2012, AC Milan and Juventus will meet in a truly significant game.
It's not quite how the two storied clubs are used to doing it. Rather than battling for the top spot, the Bianconeri and Rossoneri are fighting it out closer to the middle of the table, just below the European qualification zone. Going into the game, Milan are in sixth place with 20 points—two ahead of seventh-placed Juve and two behind Sassuolo for fifth.
The meaning of this game cannot be understated. If Milan win, they can consolidate the momentum from a run that has seen them claim eight points from four games and get themselves back into the conversation for the top five. If Juve take the points, it will vault them ahead of Milan, potentially kick-starting a run to the top three and even, if things go their way, back into the conversation for defending their title.
One thing Juventus have going for them is home field advantage—a rarity this year, as almost all their big games in the first half of the season have been on the road. This could be especially good against Milan.
The Rossoneri have lost all four of their league visits to Turin since the Juventus Stadium opened and have been outscored 9-3. They were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia semifinals in 2011-12 despite drawing 2-2 at the new ground.
As this big matchup looms, Bleacher Report will delve into the projected starting XI's and compare them head-to-head, giving each unit a score out of 100 and seeing where the edge lies in each phase of the game. Our prediction is that both teams will line up in 4-3-3 sets.
Who has the upper hand—on paper anyway—going into Saturday's showdown? Let's look and find out.
Goalkeepers
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Gianluigi Buffon vs. Gianluigi Donnarumma
The goalkeeping matchup could not see two more different opposing players.
Gianluigi Buffon is heading toward end of his career—though he is by no means finished—and will go down in history as one of, if not the greatest goalkeeper of all time. Gianluigi Donnarumma is a teenager, only four games into his professional career but with a ceiling that is perhaps higher than any Italian stopper since Buffon himself.
The youngster has turned in some truly impressive performances since Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic installed him as the starter over Diego Lopez after the Spaniard struggled to begin the year. It's entirely possible—probable even—that those struggles stemmed from the knee injury that has forced him to the sidelines for the time being.
With lightning-quick reflexes and surprising agility for such a tall young man, Donnarumma is still a raw product. He throws himself at every ball that comes his way, whether they're on target or not. Experience will allow him to judge just how much energy to expend in a given moment.
Experience is something Buffon has in spades. Thursday was the 20th anniversary of his Serie A debut for Parma, which ironically came against Milan. He kept a clean sheet that day, and he remained the youngest goalkeeper to ever play in Serie A—at least until Donnarumma broke his record.
He may not be the shot-stopper he was in his World Cup 2006-era prime, but the difference isn't all that much, and he remains as superior as ever in the other aspects of goalkeeping, particularly when it comes to marshaling his defense.
Donnarumma is hugely talented and his potential is off the charts, but even at 37, you can count the goalkeepers better than Buffon on one hand. The veteran has a clear edge here.
Scoring
BUFFON: 90
Donnarumma: 70
Full-Backs
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Stephan Lichtsteiner vs. Ignazio Abate
Both right-backs will have busy days ahead of them. Stephan Lichtsteiner, who has been passed fit after leaving Switzerland's friendly on Tuesday with an apparent leg injury, as reported by Football Italia, will likely go up against Giacomo Bonaventura on Milan's left wing.
The fact that the former is playing at all so soon after heart surgery is astounding. The fact that he's played so well, even scoring against Borussia Monchengladbach, is even more impressive.
His score is downgraded slightly because of the potential for rust and the danger of aggravating his injury, which may be one of the few reasons he would slow down on the field. But if he can go full-bore, he'll be the same two-way pest on the flank that he always is.
Milan's right will likely be manned by Ignazio Abate—a good thing, because Mattia De Sciglio could've proved disastrous here. The younger man has been more disappointing by the game, and the promise he showed three years ago is almost all gone now.
Abate, on the other hand, has had a rough season. Injury has limited him to five games so far during the campaign, and he's been booked in two of them. He hasn't played since Milan's win against Chievo on October 28.
That said, he's going to have something of an easier matchup simply because the man who will likely play opposite him, Alvaro Morata, will be out of position on the wing. If Abate can suppress the young Spaniard and give himself a chance to get forward, it will be a boon to Milan's attack. Unfortunately for him, the answer to that question may rely on factors elsewhere—as we'll soon see.
Scoring
LICHTSTEINER: 79
Abate: 72
Patrice Evra vs. Luca Antonelli
The roles are reversed on the other side of the field. Patrice Evra gets a fairly good matchup in Alessio Cerci, who hasn't exactly been a world-beater since leaving Torino two summers ago.
Hit or miss from the right side in Milan's new-look 4-3-3, he could prove easy for the Frenchman to subdue, allowing him to get forward and combine with Paul Pogba in attack.
On Milan's side, Luca Antonelli will have to deal with Juan Cuadrado down his flank. Installed on the right wing as the season has progressed, the Colombian has been one of Juve's biggest offensive threats, despite his tendency to stop ball movement in favor of something fancy.
The way Juve have been playing this year, if Cuadrado is stifled, the Bianconeri could have a hard time getting quality looks at goal.
Evra gets the edge here, but only by virtue of experience.
Scoring
EVRA: 80
Antonelli: 78
Center Backs
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Leonardo Bonucci vs. Alessio Romagnoli
Like the Buffon/Donnarumma matchup, this little mini-battle shows us a young player and the player he may eventually become.
Both Leonardo Bonucci and Alessio Romagnoli are great ball-playing center backs. While Romagnoli's career is only just getting started, the 28-year-old Bonucci is probably the best in the world at that category and has been for several years.
According to WhoScored.com, he has completed 85.5 percent of his passes in the league this season—up to 89.3 in the UEFA Champions League—and completes 8.3 long balls per match. With Andrea Pirlo gone, there may actually not be a better long passer in the team.
What stands out about Bonucci, though, is how much he's improved over the last four years. Going into the 2011-12 season, he was singled out as one of the main culprits in the failure of the '10-11 campaign under Luigi Del Neri. Since then, he has evolved, improving defensively every year while cultivating that passing skill. Now he's probably one of the 10 or 15 best center backs in the world, period.
Romagnoli, on the other hand, is just starting his career. He got his first taste of regular playing time last year on loan from Roma at Sampdoria, and followed Mihajlovic, his coach there, to Milan this summer for €25 million—a staggering fee for a 20-year-old defender.
More of a positional defender than a tackler, Romagnoli has played well this season, although there have been the occasional bouts of immaturity you expect from someone who wouldn't be old enough to buy a beer in the United States. He gave away a foolish penalty in the opening match against Fiorentina and was booked twice in 42 minutes against Genoa last month.
Even though the fault of that second booking lies more with Cristian Zapata, whose errant pass put him in an extremely awkward position, it's still clear there are wrinkles to be ironed out of his game. His passing, though, is excellent, with WhoScored clocking him at 85.9 percent completion. He may not be the long-ball artist Bonucci is yet, but he still averages four connections a game.
Bonucci is absolutely the better defender here, but Romagnoli is no slouch. In a few years, this could be a drastically different conversation.
Scoring
BONUCCI: 86
Romagnoli: 77
Giorgio Chiellini vs. Philippe Mexes
Giorgio Chiellini has been having problems. Much like the beginning of last season, he has been making some simple mistakes that have seen Gigi Buffon get dangerously exposed.
A good example came against Monchengladbach on November 3, when he reached behind himself to try to block a pass but only succeeded in tapping the ball to an onrushing attacker, who neatly slipped the ball to Fabian Johnson, who scored the opening goal.
It's been little mistakes like that that have marred Chiellini's season. Juve fans can take solace in the fact that he started the season in the same way last year and came back with a vengeance after the winter break. Fans will be hoping for the start of a similar resurgence as soon as possible.
Even with all the mistakes, his score is quite high, but it could be much, much higher if he were playing in good form.
Fortunately for him, it doesn't take much to overtake a player like Philippe Mexes, who has emerged as the fourth man Sinisa Mihajlovic has attempted to pair with Romagnoli. Injuries, suspensions and ineffectiveness have prevented a true center back duo from forming, and now it's Mexes' turn to answer the call.
While he is capable of the spectacular—his incredible volley against Inter in the pre-season International Champions Cup is a finalist for the Puskas Award this year—he is just as capable of making bone-headed mistakes. Or losing his mind and trying to choke someone.
A capable defender when in top form, if he's anything less, he's a red card waiting to happen. Chiellini has a clear edge over him.
Scoring
CHIELLINI: 81
Mexes: 68
Midfielders
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Claudio Marchisio vs. Riccardo Montolivo
Now we get into where the game will likely be decided. The old adage is win the midfield, win the game, and this could be where injuries come out to doom Milan.
The regista position for both teams will be manned by men who have the distinction of replacing Andrea Pirlo in the role for their respective teams. Montolivo was brought in in 2012 to do so after Pirlo moved to Juve and so brilliantly proved to Milan that he wasn't done after all.
Marchisio, who has played the position several times over the last few years if Pirlo missed time due to injury, is now the full-time occupant of the spot.
Neither one is Pirlo—but, of course, no one ever will be again. Marchisio in particular plays the position in a very different way, with more speed and power. Montolivo plays as more of a traditional regista, graceful and more deliberate.
What sets the two apart is form and their defensive abilities. Marchisio is coming off two excellent games for Italy over the international break and may finally be finding his sea legs after injuries kept him off the field for an extended period of time at the beginning of the year.
Montolivo, who wasn't even a starter for Mihajlovic until three games into the season, has been playing OK, but not dazzling.
Look for Marchisio to have an edge here.
Scoring
MARCHISIO: 83
Montolivo: 78
Sami Khedira vs. Juraj Kucka
Here is where Milan's weakness in midfield will start to take its toll. Juraj Kucka has been a pleasant surprise so far this season, offering a surprising amount of attacking flair when he was first inserted into the starting lineup. He's more of a physical mid, though, and that flair has receded of late.
Kucka is a good player, but he's not in Sami Khedira's league. The impact Khedira has had on Juventus has been extraordinary. Kept out until the end of September after suffering a thigh injury in preseason, he made his Juve debut in the Champions League against Sevilla and was immediately a key factor in stifling the UEFA Europa League champions. Five days later he scored his first goal for the team against Bologna.
Even more impactful than anything he's done on the field is what his presence has done for the rest of the team, particularly Paul Pogba. When thrust into the role of midfield leader while Khedira and Marchisio were out, the young Frenchman clearly tried to do too much. With Khedira back, he immediately calmed down and began playing his game better.
His experience is also a valuable asset. He spent five years at Real Madrid, advancing to the semifinal of the Champions League or better every time. There's also that little matter of the World Cup two summers ago.
There's a clear advantage for Juve here, as Khedira's two-way contributions as a box-to-box midfielder clearly outstrip Kucka's more one-dimensional game.
Scoring
KHEDIRA: 83
Kucka: 75
Paul Pogba vs. Andrea Poli
This is the real clincher of the midfield matchup. If Andrea Bertolacci were healthy, it would still be advantage Juve—few players can match Pogba when he's in form—but the gulf between Andrea Poli and Pogba is quite a bit wider.
As said before, the return of Marchisio and Khedira to the team has done wonders for Pogba, who is now much more in control of himself. His divine assist to Stephan Lichtsteiner against Monchengladbach was a sign that he's finally settled in and that the pressures of the team's turnover, his new No. 10 shirt and the potential of a big-money move away from the team are finally being overcome.
Poli is a limited player. He runs hard and can be an asset defensively, but he offers little going forward. That's the key theme of Milan's entire midfield in the absence of Bertolacci. Against Atalanta before the international break, Milan's midfield was overrun and played almost the whole game on the back foot.
Unless Mihajlovic surprises everyone and throws Jose Mauri into the game, there will be very little in the way of attacking impetus in this trio. He could move Giacomo Bonaventura back into a box-to-box role, but while he has been Milan's best player this year, his defensive weaknesses could be exposed in that spot—especially against a midfield as talented as Juve's.
Pogba and Co. can smother this midfield going forward—and that could make it a very long night for Milan.
Scoring
POGBA: 85
Poli: 68
Wingers
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Alvaro Morata vs. Giacomo Bonaventura
Finally, we come to an area where Milan has an advantage.
It comes somewhat by default, as Alvaro Morata is not a natural on the left wing and his best attributes have been stifled by playing there. But with Hernanes untrustworthy as a trequartista and Roberto Pereyra injured, the 4-3-3 is really the best option available to Massimiliano Allegri, and putting Morata on the wing is the best way to get one of his better players on the field.
Bonaventura, on the other hand, has played very well from the wing. A natural trequartista, he has adapted to the role much better than Morata, even if he does drift back inside quite a bit. He assisted on two of the three goals Milan scored against Lazio two weeks ago and has generally been Milan's most dangerous man, scoring twice and notching five assists so far this season.
Morata would be rated much higher here if he were playing in his natural striker position, but he's not, and Jack has him beat as a head-to-head comparison.
Scoring
Morata: 77
BONAVENTURA: 82
Juan Cuadrado vs. Alessio Cerci
Two players coming off bad experiences abroad and then returning to Serie A to better their fortunes, Juan Cuadrado and Alessio Cerci will be testing the right wing for their respective teams.
Cuadrado has wowed fans with his pace and dribbling skills—even if there hasn't been all that much to show for it in the end. He's notched three assists this year and scored a miracle last-second goal in the Derby della Mole, but all too often, a fast attacking move has ended at Cuadrado's feet. Rather than keep the ball going, he stops it and gets fancy—oftentimes too fancy.
Still, there's no denying that he's been a much-needed boost for a team that had been struggling to get the ball from the midfield to the attacking third. There's also no denying he's been better than Cerci, who barely played at all until Milan's switch to the 4-3-3 formation.
Cerci hasn't scored or assisted this year, and WhoScored's stats show he isn't creating chances, averaging 0.9 key passes per match as opposed to Cuadrado's 2.3.
Cuadrado has been the more productive player between the two, and he gets the edge here.
Scoring
CUADRADO: 79
Cerci: 72
Strikers
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Simone Zaza vs. Carlos Bacca
Why is Simone Zaza projected as a starter here? Because Mario Mandzukic might not be fit enough to start after suffering an injury on international duty, and Paulo Dybala only returned to Turin from CONMEBOL qualifying with Argentina on Thursday.
Given that lack of option—and the tendencies of Max Allegri—it's logical to assume that Zaza would get the call here. If that's the case, Milan has a huge edge in one of the most important areas of the field.
Zaza runs hard and can unleash some powerful shots if he gets into the right spots with the ball. But his first touch lets him down far too often, and he's been giving the ball away much more than he's been menacing the opposing goal. He has the talent to be a very good player, but he's not putting it all together right now.
A man who is putting it all together right now is Carlos Bacca. The Colombia international has scored six times in 12 appearances this year and is finding the target at a record clip. Squawka.com lists his shot accuracy at 64 percent.
He's needed to be accurate, because his teammates have struggled to get him good service. According to WhoScored, he averages only 1.6 shots per game, a comically low number for such a good striker. Even Zaza is averaging 2.2 in limited minutes.
Why would Bacca be starting after coming home from qualifiers when Dybala wouldn't? Because Milan have no Champions League game to look ahead to this week—and because the last time he was a substitute after the international break Luiz Adriano had a terrible game.
Bacca will be going up against one of Europe's best defensive units and could find service as hard to come by as usual, but if he does get through, Buffon is going to have to be on his toes. If everything comes out right, he could help Milan steal one.
Scoring
Zaza: 68
BACCA: 87
