With both teams aiming to improve on a tough 2022-23 campaign, Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan step up their preparations for the new season on Thursday, when they clash in California.

While Juve saw Saturday's game against Barcelona cancelled due to a viral bug laying low some of Barca's squad, Milan returned to action against Real Madrid at the Rose Bowl.

Match preview

All set to kick off their pre-season schedule with a contest against La Liga's reigning champions, the Juventus squad were put back on ice when it emerged that Barcelona could not fulfil last week's high-profile fixture at Levi's Stadium.

As the Bianconeri have endured a dismal year both on and off the pitch, head coach Max Allegri would have been keen to get preparations for a new term well and truly under way in Santa Clara, but his men returned to training instead.

Last term, Juventus were docked 10 points for financial irregularities, and they trailed in seventh in Serie A - 28 points adrift of Scudetto winners Napoli. Subsequently, the Turin club were stripped of their Europa Conference League place, as UEFA handed down a year-long ban from Europe.

In the rare absence of continental competition, Allegri is therefore eyeing a return to form in the Italian top flight over the months ahead, in addition to an assault on the Coppa Italia.

As they warm up for their first league fixture next month, away to Udinese, Juve will also meet Real Madrid while Stateside, after locking horns with a more familiar foe on Thursday evening.

New signing Tim Weah should feature against Milan, to whom Juventus lost twice in the league last season, but Juan Cuadrado and Angel Di Maria have already departed this summer and rumours persist that big-money buy Dusan Vlahovic may soon follow them.

Following up a 2-0 success at San Siro with May's 1-0 win in Turin, Milan not only did the double over Juventus in 2022-23 but they also upstaged their Italian counterparts on the European stage.

While Juve exited in the Champions League group phase following a series of humbling defeats - to Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain and Maccabi Haifa - the Rossoneri made it all the way to a semi-final showdown with city rivals Inter; albeit they ultimately came up short over the course of two tense legs.

However, a mid-season meltdown saw Stefano Pioli's side make a mediocre attempt of defending their Scudetto, and they could only finish fourth in the final Serie A standings.

Milan start the new league season on August 21, when they travel to Bologna, but after hammering little Lumezzane 7-0, the first major run-out of their warm-up schedule ended in defeat.

After Fikayo Tomori and summer signing Luka Romero had put Milan 2-0 up in Pasadena, Real Madrid staged a spirited second-half comeback and Rossoneri legend Carlo Ancelotti steered his current club to a 3-2 victory at the Rose Bowl.

Christian Pulisic also made his first appearance since signing from Chelsea, and following the dramatic departure of Paolo Maldini, Milan's new recruitment team have been busy spending the money gained by selling star midfielder Sandro Tonali to Newcastle United.

Team News

Alongside senior management, Juventus boss Max Allegri recently decided to sideline club captain Leonardo Bonucci, who is likely to leave Turin soon; USA midfielder Weston McKennie is back in the fold, though, after an unsuccessful loan at Leeds United last season.

Bonucci will therefore not feature against his former club on Thursday, but Brazilian defender Bremer is set to start despite ongoing speculation about his future.

After making a breakthrough into the first team last term, Nicolo Fagioli must miss out as he has yet to recover from a collarbone injury suffered in the Europa League semi-final defeat to Sevilla, but Moise Kean should be available after overcoming a flexor problem.

With Juan Cuadrado leaving for Inter this summer, McKennie's international teammate Tim Weah should feature on the right flank, with Arkadiusz Milik - who has converted his loan into a permanent deal - and Federico Chiesa possibly paired up front.

While Juve have yet to secure their main targets during the transfer window, Milan welcomed another new arrival this week: joining Tijjani Reijnders, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marco Sportiello, Swiss striker Noah Okafor signed from RB Salzburg and travelled straight to California.

Having arrived on a free from Lazio, Luka Romero made an immediate impact by scoring against Real Madrid, while winger Christian Pulisic started and set up Fikayo Tomori's opener before being replaced by Rafael Leao midway through the second half.

Jan-Carlo Simic, a Germany Under-19 international, partnered Tomori at the heart of the Rossoneri's defence in Pasadena, but compatriot Malick Thiaw could take his place against Juventus. Meanwhile, Mike Maignan should replace Sportiello between the posts and Reijnders may start in the long-term absence of Ismael Bennacer.

Juventus possible starting lineup:
Szczesny; Danilo, Bremer, Gatti; Weah, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; Chiesa, Milik

AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud

We say: Juventus 1-2 AC Milan

Two Calcio heavyweights are slightly undercooked ahead of their summertime contest in California, and with new signings still settling in, the outcome is tough to call. As Milan have recruited more impressively and have improved the balance of their squad, they can beat Juventus once again, after doing the double over them in the league last term.


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