Juventus vs. Milan: 3 players who need to step up on Sunday

Juventus will face Milan on Sunday night at the Allianz Stadium in what is a must-win match in the race for the top four in Serie A. Both the Bianconeri and Rossoneri are vying for one of these coveted spots behind Inter Milan in the battle for a Champions League place, with Juve ahead of Milan in third but tied on points. Napoli are in fifth, just two points behind both.

Earlier this season, Juve defeated Milan 3-1 at the San Siro behind an amazing performance from breakout star Federico Chiesa.

Who needs to step up for the Bianconeri this Sunday?

CB Leonardo Bonucci

We begin with a former Milan player, Leonardo Bonucci. The Juventus center back is expected to start this weekend. Bonucci has been important to Juve this season because of his ball-playing ability, but he’s also been a liability at times due to his defensive errors.

Juventus will be going up against a potent Milan attack. Hakan Calhanoglu is one of Serie A’s best playmakers and a key player to watch. As is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will want to elevate his game against his former club. Zlatan has 15 goals this season, though he has cooled off recently.

It’s up to Bonucci t play a composed game at the back and be a leader in defense while also providing service over the top out wide for Chiesa and Juan Cuadrado.

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Although Juventus defeated Milan in the earlier fixture, Rodrigo Bentancur did not have a good game. He proved to be a liability on the ball, making multiple giveaways that could have easily resulted in Juve blowing the game. And he also committed silly fouls, frequently forced to foul as a result of a previous error.

Bentancur was one of Juve’s best players last season and actually led the team in assists with seven. But he has just four league assists this season and has seemingly taken a step backward. His spot on the roster isn’t guaranteed for next season, as Juve want to make midfield upgrades.

Let’s see if Bentancur, like Bonucci, can play a composed game. He’s in a very important spot, because Juve cannot get overrun in midfield. Milan have two of Serie A’s top center midfielders in Franck Kessie (10 goals and 3 assists) and the all-important Ismael Bennacer.

FW Paulo Dybala

This hasn’t been Paulo Dybala’s year, but it’s not his fault. The constant injuries have prevented Dybala from ever getting into a rhythm, and his misfortune has essentially robbed Juve of its main creative influence and second-best player.

Chiesa’s breakout has softened the blow somewhat, but not having Dybala at full strength and contributing goals consistently was a huge blow in the title race.

Now that Dybala’s back, though, he seems hindered and isn’t have the desired impact in the final third. He’s not getting into goal-scoring situations. Other than his substitute goal against Napoli, which was brilliant, he’s not done much.

A big game against Milan would do wonders to quiet the lingering doubts about his effectiveness. This is an important match for Juventus, and it would mean a lot to Juventini if La Joya showed his best stuff this Sunday at home.