Juventus vs AC Milan preview, team news – Chukwueze seeks first-ever star at the Allianz

Juventus welcome AC Milan to the Allianz Stadium on Sunday evening for the standout fixture of Serie A Matchweek 3, with both sides having won their opening two league matches, Afrik-Foot reports.

Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze is expected to start in the right wing-back position for Ruben Amorim’s side, giving the Nigerian international a high-profile opportunity to prove his worth in the Rossoneri’s new tactical system.

Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus arrive at this contest with maximum points and, more impressively, zero goals conceded. A disciplined 1-0 victory away at newly promoted Frosinone on the opening weekend was followed by a controlled 2-0 triumph over Parma at home, with Nico Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners both scoring off the bench in the second half to break the deadlock. That capacity to unlock tight matches from the substitutes’ bench is a trait that could prove decisive against a Milan side still finding its rhythm under Amorim.

Milan, under the Portuguese manager after he replaced Massimiliano Allegri during the summer, have made an equally encouraging start with three points from each of their opening two fixtures. A 2-1 win at Torino on the opening day was backed up by a 2-0 victory over Venezia at San Siro, where club record signing Goncalo Ramos opened his account for the Rossoneri with a 69th-minute goal. However, neither team has scored more than two goals in a single match so far, which sets the tone for what is likely to be a closely contested encounter.

A further consideration is the fixture calendar. Juventus did not qualify for the Champions League and are absent from European competition entirely this season, allowing Spalletti to dedicate his full attention to the domestic programme.

Milan, by contrast, must begin preparing for their Europa League league phase opener against Benfica, which follows a few days after this match. That scheduling pressure may influence Amorim’s selection and intensity management in Turin.

Chukwueze’s Milan look to end alarming goalscoring drought against Juventus

The head-to-head record between these two sides tells an uncomfortable story for Milan, particularly in front of goal. The Rossoneri have not scored against Juventus in Serie A since May 2023, when Olivier Giroud netted in a 1-0 win. In the four league meetings since, Milan have drawn a blank every single time: 0-0 at San Siro in November 2024, a 2-0 defeat in Turin in January 2025, 0-0 at the Allianz Stadium in October 2025, and 0-0 again at San Siro in April 2026.

That Serie A drought stretches across more than three years and five matches without finding the net. Milan’s sole goal against Juventus in any competition during this period came in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-final in January 2025, a 2-1 win played in Saudi Arabia. Beyond that isolated result, six of the last seven meetings in all competitions have produced fewer than 2.5 total goals, reinforcing the picture of a fixture that is regularly decided by fine margins.

Across the all-time record, Juventus hold a significant advantage. In 215 meetings across all competitions, the Bianconeri have won 81 times compared with Milan’s 60 victories, with 74 draws. Juventus have scored 285 goals in these fixtures to Milan’s 260.

For Chukwueze, who has impressed this term, and his teammates, the task on Sunday is not merely to win, but to break a pattern. If they are unable to breach a Juventus defence that has yet to concede this season, the Super Eagles wing-back could find himself under heavy scrutiny for his contribution at the other end of the pitch.

Team news and predicted line-ups

Juventus

Spalletti is without Kenan Yildiz, who remains sidelined with a foot fracture, and Khephren Thuram, who has a knee injury. Juan Cabal and Jeff Ekhator are also unavailable. Weston McKennie trained separately this week due to muscular discomfort and is a genuine doubt for the match, as is Andrea Cambiaso, who has been managing an ankle issue.

Edon Zhegrova and Nick Woltemade, the latter on loan from Newcastle United, have returned to full training and are available as options from the bench. Randal Kolo Muani, who signed permanently this summer after a loan spell at Tottenham, is expected to lead the line despite having yet to score in the opening two fixtures.

Predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Lucumi, Celik; Locatelli, Douglas Luiz; Conceicao, Nico Gonzalez, Boga; Kolo Muani.

Manager: Luciano Spalletti.

AC Milan

Amorim is without centre-back Matteo Gabbia, who has an ankle injury. His absence opens a starting berth for Koni De Winter, who is tipped to join Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlovic in the back three. Fikayo Tomori has been reintegrated into the squad after a transfer failed to materialise before the window closed, but the Englishman is expected to begin on the bench.

Warren Bondo is a doubt due to physical fatigue. Christian Pulisic, the American international, continues to be managed carefully following the knee injury he sustained during the World Cup and is likely to start among the substitutes once more.

Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze, who returned to Milan this summer after a loan at Fulham, is expected to occupy the right wing-back slot in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1. It is a position that demands significant defensive discipline, and former Milan and Brazil full-back Serginho has already noted publicly that Chukwueze must improve his work without the ball to succeed in the role.

If Chukwueze starts on Sunday, it would be the first time he makes the Milan starting lineup against Juventus, with his first two appearances against the Bianconeri coming from the bench.

Adrien Rabiot, who spent five years at Juventus before eventually joining Milan via Marseille in 2025, should hold his place in the advanced midfield pairing alongside Alphadjo Cisse behind lone striker Goncalo Ramos.

Predicted line-up (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Musah, Bartesaghi; Rabiot, Cisse; Ramos.

Manager: Ruben Amorim.

Star player showdown: Bremer vs. Goncalo Ramos

Star player showdown: Bremer vs. Goncalo Ramos

The central duel on Sunday will pit Bremer, the Brazilian centre-back who has been the heartbeat of Juventus’ defensive solidity, against Ramos, the man Milan have invested a club-record £62m in to provide the goals that were missing last season. Bremer carries the highest FotMob rating in the Juventus squad so far this term (8.72) and also scored the opening goal against Frosinone in the 22nd minute on opening day. He is not simply a defender; he is the player around whom Spalletti has built the identity of this Juventus team.

Ramos, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward who won back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026, arrived in Italy with a heavy price tag and the burden of expectation that comes with it. His 69th-minute goal against Venezia on Matchday 2 was an encouraging start, but facing a Juventus backline that has not allowed a single shot past Guglielmo Vicario in two league matches represents a step up of entirely different proportions.

Betting tips and predictions for Juventus vs. AC Milan

Betting tips and predictions for Juventus vs. AC Milan

The statistical case for a low-scoring match is overwhelming. Six of the last seven meetings between these clubs in all competitions have finished with fewer than 2.5 total goals, and Milan have failed to score in four of their last five Serie A trips to face Juventus. The hosts’ defensive record this season — two clean sheets from two matches, with just three goals scored — points to a team built to win narrowly rather than by comfortable margins.

Milan’s inability to score against Juventus in the league since 2023 is a genuine concern, even with the firepower provided by Ramos and the creativity of 40-year-old Luka Modric in midfield. Amorim’s team have looked solid themselves, conceding only once in two fixtures, but their attack has yet to face a defensive unit of the quality that Bremer, Jhon Lucumi and Pierre Kalulu provide.

The under 2.5 goals market looks the strongest selection here. Backing Juventus to win is reasonable given their home advantage and superior defensive record, though the narrow margins in recent meetings mean a draw cannot be discounted. BTTS No appeals for the same reasons — Milan’s long-standing inability to breach this particular defence.

Predicted score: Juventus 1-0 AC Milan

Predicted score: Juventus 1-0 AC Milan