Post by Taxigirl on Oct 30, 2003 9:29:09 GMT
Live on British Eurosport (7.00pm UK time)
The two most successful teams in Serie A history have faced off several times over the last few months, but now they engage in a duel for the top of the table.
Last week Milan’s crushing 3-0 win at Sampdoria placed them in pole position on goal difference after sharing the leadership with Juventus for much of the campaign. Both sides are unbeaten and between them so far have netted 33 goals.
Over the last year the two teams have clashed for the Champions’ League, Italian Supercup and Serie A, but the games have always been very closely matched and it would take a brave man to place a bet on this result.
Juve’s usually rock-solid defence has been leaking goals, keeping just two clean sheets in all competitions this season, while former Bianconeri hero Pippo Inzaghi returns from a thigh injury to partner current Serie A top scorer Andriy Shevchenko. The Ukrainian has a habit of netting against the Turin giants and once scored the goal of the season against Gianluigi Buffon in this fixture.
The Rossoneri are constantly adapting their squad from week to week, able to use Manuel Rui Costa and Kaka’ in the same line-up or letting them battle it out for a single supporting role. Explosive winger Serginho is currently being used as a left-back to balance out Marcos Cafu on the right, so with the Juve defence lacking something in pace and Gianluca Zambrotta playing a similar role this could be a useful tactic on Saturday night.
Juventus have won the last two Italian titles and have never started so strongly with six wins and a hard-fought draw against Roma. Alessandro Del Piero has an outside chance of featuring after a lightning recovery from a torn calf muscle, but is more likely to be left out in favour of Marco Di Vaio and David Trezeguet.
Edgar Davids or Stephan Appiah can be chosen for a fierce midfield duel with Gennaro Gattuso, but one man particularly eager to make his mark is Pavel Nedved. The Czech international is a firm favourite to lift the Balon d’Or and was devastated when forced to miss the Champions’ League Final due to a one-match ban. He will get his chance to face Milan now and hopes to replicate the stunning goal he netted against Brescia last week.
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Milan (probable): Dida; Simic, Nesta, Maldini, Serginho; Gattuso, Pirlo, Kaka’; Rui Costa; Shevchenko, Inzaghi
Juventus (probable): Buffon; Thuram, Ferrara, Legrotagglie, Zambrotta; Tacchinardi, Appiah, Davids, Nedved; Di Vaio, Trezeguet
The two most successful teams in Serie A history have faced off several times over the last few months, but now they engage in a duel for the top of the table.
Last week Milan’s crushing 3-0 win at Sampdoria placed them in pole position on goal difference after sharing the leadership with Juventus for much of the campaign. Both sides are unbeaten and between them so far have netted 33 goals.
Over the last year the two teams have clashed for the Champions’ League, Italian Supercup and Serie A, but the games have always been very closely matched and it would take a brave man to place a bet on this result.
Juve’s usually rock-solid defence has been leaking goals, keeping just two clean sheets in all competitions this season, while former Bianconeri hero Pippo Inzaghi returns from a thigh injury to partner current Serie A top scorer Andriy Shevchenko. The Ukrainian has a habit of netting against the Turin giants and once scored the goal of the season against Gianluigi Buffon in this fixture.
The Rossoneri are constantly adapting their squad from week to week, able to use Manuel Rui Costa and Kaka’ in the same line-up or letting them battle it out for a single supporting role. Explosive winger Serginho is currently being used as a left-back to balance out Marcos Cafu on the right, so with the Juve defence lacking something in pace and Gianluca Zambrotta playing a similar role this could be a useful tactic on Saturday night.
Juventus have won the last two Italian titles and have never started so strongly with six wins and a hard-fought draw against Roma. Alessandro Del Piero has an outside chance of featuring after a lightning recovery from a torn calf muscle, but is more likely to be left out in favour of Marco Di Vaio and David Trezeguet.
Edgar Davids or Stephan Appiah can be chosen for a fierce midfield duel with Gennaro Gattuso, but one man particularly eager to make his mark is Pavel Nedved. The Czech international is a firm favourite to lift the Balon d’Or and was devastated when forced to miss the Champions’ League Final due to a one-match ban. He will get his chance to face Milan now and hopes to replicate the stunning goal he netted against Brescia last week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milan (probable): Dida; Simic, Nesta, Maldini, Serginho; Gattuso, Pirlo, Kaka’; Rui Costa; Shevchenko, Inzaghi
Juventus (probable): Buffon; Thuram, Ferrara, Legrotagglie, Zambrotta; Tacchinardi, Appiah, Davids, Nedved; Di Vaio, Trezeguet