Many of you know that I have long shared a home with a
Juventino and thus also harbored a healthy respect for Juventus. But that is
all over now. I have seen one Superga banner too many. Heard one too many
racist chants against Balotelli when he wasn’t even there. Watched fans mock
the Gol di Muntari with just a little too much glee. So Sunday, I want our boys
to beat Juventus or die trying. This one is personal.
 |
| Not even sure what is going on here. |
Juventus are on a run that is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not
gonna claim they’re cheating or doping or anything. Because if they were, Pirlo
wouldn’t look like he’s aged 30 years in just three. I’m not going to claim
that they’re bribing referees because if they were, they would still be in the
Champions League. I don’t want to accuse them of anything because having soulless
fans who are the plague of Serie A is more than enough. Because that is one hundred percent true. Juve are the most fined club for fan abuse in Serie A in recent years by a landslide. And that is why I would be willing to sacrifice our boys just to get one
result. One night of justice is all I’m asking.
With 31 points and eight spots on the table difference, I’m
sure Juventus are licking their lips at this match. But they should not be
quite so quick to salivate. We are playing at the San Siro, and there are
already 68,000 tickets sold for this match. They also played a Europa League
match on Thursday, and that will likely impact them, too. Okay, so they’ve only
lost one league game this season, to Fiorentina back in October. And maybe they
have a 17 game unbeaten streak in the league right now. But even in our
Allegrified, inept state, we put up a fight at Juventus stadium in October,
losing 3-2. So defeating them on Sunday will be difficult, but not impossible.
 |
| That's right, Juve, that's the Champions League logo there. Even with Allegri, we made it through |
Consider also that their Derby win over rivals Torino last
weekend was a very tough match. The 1-0 win was marred by a blatant non-penalty
call that would have undoubtedly ended the match in a draw. For that match,
Conte Wormtongue lined up Buffon; Caceres, Barzagli, Bonucci; Pogba Pirlo,
Asamoah, Vidal, Lichtsteiner; Tevez, and Llorente. However, Wormtongue will
have to do without Vidal, as he is suspended, and Asamoah is doubtful due to a
muscle injury. He is also still without Vucinic and Pepe to long-term injuries.
Unfortunately, they will still have Tevez, the league’s joint top-scorer with
14 goals, and Llorente, who has an impressive 10 goals as well.
Meanwhile, Milan are still weakened by injury. Balotelli is
still doubtful as of this writing. Interestingly, whether it was due to injury
or suspension, he has yet to face Juve while playing for Milan. And although
Birsa and Robinho made it back to
training and De Sciglio’s ankle also seems to be fine, we will still be missing
El Shaarawy, Silvestre and Zapata. I have not heard if Abbiati and Bonera have
recovered from the flu, but would expect them to be available.
 |
| Between our 12th man and our Jedi coach, we may just stand a chance |
Juventus will not know exactly what to expect. With Milan’s
form returning under Seedorf, back to back wins under our belts, and a full
week of not playing, Seedorf’s new Milan could prove very dangerous. And with
Conte’s recent media meltdown over comments made by legendary former Juventus
and Milan coach Fabio Capello, maybe there are just enough weaknesses from top
to bottom for Milan to exploit.
For me, this is a grudgematch. We need to win it or die
trying. There is no way to recover our season after the first half follies, but
there is a way to recover our pride: beat Juve. It’s only a chance, but it’s a
chance I’d like to take. Their fans are some of the most despicable in
football, and they don’t deserve the glory their team gives them. So if we can
manage a miracle, I’d love to take them down a notch. Oh, and three points
would be nice, too. Because for me, this one is personal. Forza Milan!
This match inspired by the music of
NIN
Milan vs. Juventus
Sunday, March 2 • 20:45 CET (2:45 EST)
This match will be shown LIVE on BeIN Sport and RAI in the U.S.
Check here for stream links ahead of the match