Saturday's match could be season-defining as both sides look to make their push for a Champions League spot
This weekend’s match between Juventus and AC Milan feels like a must-win for both sides. Two of Italy’s traditional powerhouses find themselves under pressure, and their hopes of achieving season goals may hinge on this match. Milan will face an added challenge with American star Christian Pulisic ruled out of the fixture.
Both teams have had inconsistent campaigns, leaving little room for further missteps. Juventus remain unbeaten but have been held back by a string of draws, sitting fifth in Serie A. Milan, meanwhile, have struggled to find momentum despite kicking off 2025 with a trophy. They currently sit seventh in the standings, desperate to climb the table.
As always, the U.S. men's national team's top stars take center stage in this matchup. For Juventus, Weston McKennie has been pivotal, especially in recent performances, while Tim Weah has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy. On the other side, Pulisic is a major absence for Saturday's clash. Pulisic is enjoying a breakout season with five goals and four assists, making a strong case as Milan's top performer this year. Meanwhile, Yunus Musah could be on the verge of a breakout under new coach Sergio Conceicao, who has already shown faith in the young American.
All three USMNT stars could play a part on Saturday, which means any of them could create the moment that, ultimately, alters their club's season. At the moment, those seasons need to change for both clubs, and it needs to happen starting this weekend.
Getty ImagesBig implications
Both Juve and Milan entered this season with Serie A title hopes. Those are probably gone. There's simply too much ground to make up and too many teams between both in the Scudetto. Now, the focus has turned towards the top four.
Juventus have established themselves as Serie A's draw kings, having finished level in 13 of their 20 matches. They've won the other seven, leaving the possibility of an invincible season, but no one is mistaking this team for prime Arsenal. As things stand, they sit fifth, 13 points off league-leaders Napoli and, more importantly at the moment, two points behind fourth-place Lazio. For Juve to push for that top-four spot, this team needs to prove it can win games, and soon, too.
The situation is just as desperate at Milan. They're three points behind Juve, although they have played one fewer game. It seemed like the Rossoneri were ready to ride a high after beating Juve and Inter to win the Supercoppa Italiana, but a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Cagliari halted that momentum. They've already parted ways with ex-coach Paulo Fonseca; now, it's Conceicao's turn to steer the ship.
Conceicao will have a big decision to make, too: Handling Pulisic's absence.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe Pulisic situation
Fortunately, it seems Pulisic avoided serious injury. It didn't look like that would be the case in Milan's win over Como, a game that saw Pulisic hobble off just before halftime. Given his injury history, there were legitimate fears, but those fears were alleviated midweek when reports emerged that he was just dealing with muscle fatigue, not a new injury.
Even so, that diagnosis doesn't dismiss the problem. Milan will be without him on Saturday and, even when he is healthy, the club will need to find a way to manage his minutes just a little bit better.
After a month out due to injury, Pulisic returned to action for that Juventus game on Jan. 3. The Como game was his fourth of the year. Including national team games, he's already played nearly 2,000 minutes in all competitions this season. It's certainly been a lot, which is why Mauricio Pochettino was so concerned about his star's workload during his first few camps in charge of the USMNT.
The fact is this, though: Milan need him. He's their best creator and, at times, their best goalscorer. Given the club's precarious position in Serie A, there's not much time to waste, so now the club has to walk a delicate line. When he does return, do they risk him knowing that muscle fatigue could quickly turn into something more serious? Do they bench him knowing a few bad results and the season is in danger?
Those are the questions Conceicao will be asking himself after this weekend, particularly with Champions League games on the horizon. First, though, he'll need to figure out how to replace his star winger. Is it a straight swap with Samuel Chukwueze? Could Musah slide into that wing role? Could this lead to a change in systems? It's up to Conceicao to figure it out, and it won't be easy. Milan aren't particularly equipped to play without Pulisic, but they'll need to do just that on Saturday.
GettyMcKennie's importance
Central midfielder, wide midfielder, left-back, McKennie has done it all this season. Where he'll pop up in the team feels like a mystery these days.
He had a fantastic run at left-back, showing how he can help the team from that part of the field. Then, over the weekend, Thiago Motta moved the American star back into midfield for a key clash with Atalanta. He responded with an assist, playing in center back Pierre Kalulu for Juve's lone goal in the eventual 1-1 draw with a team above them in the table.
Since December, McKennie has been a key player for Juve, putting to bed any doubts about him that popped back up before the season. The USMNT star himself knows how important this game is, too, as he hopes that Juventus can take a big leap forward against a team they feel they need to beat.
“We want to win, to extend the lead over Milan and move up the table," he told Tuttosport. "We all have to give more because Juve have to win and stay on top. We have to keep our concentration to not make mistakes and also to score the second goal after scoring the first.”
Those game-winning goals have been hard to come by for Milan at times this season. Despite having a plus-15 goal difference and the second-fewest goals conceded in Serie A, they still have those 13 draws. Finding that goal or two consistently will be the difference between success and failure this season, and Weah could be one of the players who can provide it.
GettyGetting Weah going
Weah, like Juventus this season, has struggled to build momentum. When healthy, he has had some strong outings. Unfortunately, three different injuries have sidelined him this season, making it all a bit stop-start.
Weah has four goals in just 704 Serie A minutes, a huge step forward for him. Last season, playing often as a right-wingback, he failed to find the back of the net. This time around, he's tied with Turkish phenom Kenan Yildiz for second on the team in goals.
Weah, though, hasn't played much recently. He's played just 26 minutes in the last month and hasn't started a game since Dec. 14. A thigh injury was partially why, but Weah is now fit and should be good to go.
Is he the key to finding the goals Juventus need to turn draws into wins? It's possible. At the very least, he remains a valuable supersub option, one that could turn the game on its head with his attacking ability.
