Milan V Juventus: Two Great Clubs On the Way Back Up To Meet in Milan

This weekend Milan will play host to Serie A rivals Juventus. Not so long ago a match between these two heavyweights of Italian football would feature some of the best players in the world. Juventus were forever the dominant force in Serie A, whilst Milan excelled on the European stage.

Today, neither Milan nor Juventus are enjoying the success they once did. But both clubs are definitely showing signs of intent to regain past glories.

Juventus, in particular, seem to be implementing a shrewd strategic approach as they attempt to build a great side. In step with the tradition of the club, the decision-makers for Old Lady are building their team around a core of mainly Italian players.

Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Alberto Aquiliani and Claudio Marchisio are four of the best of the current crop of Italian players who provide the foundation of Luigi Del Neri’s Juventus.  Felipe Melo and Momo Sissoko add steel to the Juve midfield, whilst Fabio Quagliarella leads the attack alongside either Vincenzo Iaquinta or Brazilian Amauri.  

There can be no doubting, however, who the new star man of the Bianconeri is. Milos Krasic has been an absolute revelation for Juventus since joining from CSKA Moscow. In just eight appearances the young Serbian international has already scored three goals whilst providing five assists.

Undoubtedly Juventus main attacking threat, it is most unfortunate, for the neutral and for Juventus that he will miss this game due to his controversial suspension.  

Of course, Milos Krasic’s absence is Milan’s gain. Considering how weak Milan are in both full back positions, highlighted by Ronaldo and Di Maria last week in the Champions League, the Serbian’s absence will come as welcome relief to Milan and  coach Max Allegri.

Compared to Juventus, Milan is taking a very different approach in their attempts to rebuild. Grave weaknesses that have existed in the side for sometime continue to be neglected, so much so that it leaves one questioning whether the club is actually intent on building a great side at all.

For anyone who knows of or witnessed the great success of Milan during the late 1980s would be well aware that in club President Silvio Berlusconi, Milan have a man capable of building great sides.

Yet, today, the club has seemed somewhat directionless at times and a number of the signings in recent years have been peculiar if not downright strange.

Nonetheless, the signings over the summer of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho definitely displayed intent on Milan’s part that this season the club was serious about challenging Inter for the Scudetto.

As things stand, with Milan above Inter in second place and just two points behind leaders Lazio, it seems just so.

But, there is still much improvement needed before the current Milan side to be considered complete. Perhaps more due to the decrease in standard of the Italian league does Milan occupy second spot because in Europe, as demonstrated so ruthlessly last week by Real Madrid, there is a much catching up to be done before Milan is a force again in Europe.

This weekend’s clash between these two former great Italian sides will provide some insight into how far both clubs have progressed. Any fan of Serie A, or football for that matter, will hope that these two great sides with their illustrious pasts do in fact rise again to become major players in Italy and in Europe again.