Rewind three weeks ago. Juventus had yet to start the second half of the 2021-22 season, but we all knew what was on the schedule. It was a who’s who of top challengers, with so many different scenarios running through our minds about what could happen if Juve lost points here or won that game there. It was a cavalcade of different opponents, different competitions that appear at this time of year on the national calendar and plenty of moments of proof that await Max Allegri and Juventus.

We are about to reach the end of January and a series of very busy games. (You don’t need to ask the BWRAO team twice.)

Juventus are yet to lose a game in regular time in 2022, with only last-second Alex Sandro mishaps at the back preventing the Bianconeri from potentially having a chance of an unbeaten month. In Serie A, Juventus have won their last two games in two very different ways and have not suffered a defeat since mid-November. But the final game of the month is what could be the toughest of all to start 2022, as Juventus travel to the San Siro to face an AC Milan who are both coming off of a loss and trying to keep their hopes alive. Shield. living.

Juventus, as they have been for months now, are more in a fight for the top four than getting back to the top of Serie A. The good news is that Juventus could very well break into the top four with a victory Sunday night in Milan. That’s thanks to shorthanded Atalanta and it’s all due to a massive COVID outbreak at the club over the past few days, drawing against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in Saturday’s late game.

While Atalanta have a game in hand following a COVID postponement, they are both two points ahead of Juventus in the Serie A standings. That means it’s very simple, at least in terms implications in the rankings, for Juventus on Sunday night: you win, you move to fourth place as the first international break arrives in Italy.

Sounds like a pretty good thing to aim for, right?

Go ahead and nod your head in agreement. That should be enough.

In his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Max Allegri was quick to say he thinks Juve are in what he described as ‘a positive period’ at the moment. They reacted well to the last-second overtime loss to Inter Milan in the Supercoppa. They won both of their games – one in Serie A, one in Coppa Italia – with relative ease. And the hope is that now, with a serious leap forward in the competition in the form of Milan, the good vibes of the past games can carry over into this one.

Knowing that there is a chance to overtake Atalanta – yes, I know, the current game, don’t forget – this game between two former rivals is all the more important. This was the case at the start of the weekend, and it is still the optimal situation now.

This will be the test to see if Juventus have really started to turn the page and if Allegri’s words are entirely relevant. If Juventus can prevent what they did the first time they played Milan this season – that is, lose a late lead or not settle for just one goal – and secure a victory against the league’s second-place team, then the race for the top four is starting to look a lot better than things were as 2021 drew to a close.

TEAM NEWS

• Federico Chiesa is injured (and still awaiting surgery after falling ill and having to postpone his initial appointment).
• Leonardo Bonucci is injured and is expected to return after the next international break.
• Aaron Ramsey has recovered from COVID, but was not called up for the trip to Milan. Max Allegri confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ramsey was set to leave the club as rumors continued to swirl about where he would go next in the Premier League.
• Federico Bernardeschi is back in the squad due to an injury midweek.
• With much of the squad healthy again, 21-year-old speedster Marley Aké is the only one called up from the Under-23 squad for Sunday night’s game against Milan.

JUVENTUS PLAYER TO WATCH

I mean…duh.

Of course, it’s the guy below. Sure. It was never going to be anyone else when it’s a big game like this.

We’ve been saying this for a few weeks now, but without Chiesa to help lead the attack, things are certainly shifted entirely onto Paulo Dybala’s shoulders. It’s his team more than ever before, and if Juventus are to have any chance of winning, then Dybala will have to be the guy who’s been looking really good lately and continue that goal streak he’s been on.

That was before all the frustration over the contract extension came to light.

But hey, if that’s what drives him to be That Dude for an extended period, essentially the kind of level of performance that forces Juve’s hand, then we’ll take it.

We know that Juventus’ attack – and, more specifically, the attacking group – has struggled for much of the 2021-22 season, and the recent increase in goals against lesser opposition is not going to suddenly tip the balance. things from bad to good. It’s nothing against Udinese and Sampdoria, but it’s not like those defenses are what you consider to be some of the best in Serie A.

Milan, meanwhile, have the second-best attack in the league, meaning there’s a good chance Juve will need a goal or two to even get a point in this game. With the way Dybala has been playing lately and Milan’s sometimes shaky defense – they’ve allowed 25 goals in 22 games – good things could very well happen.

Max Allegri certainly feels good about the way the No.10 is playing these days. See for yourself, friends:

“Paulo Dybala is relaxed, which helps him feel free to express himself on the pitch, and he’s starting to get fit. By the end of the season, he’s going to give us a lot.

I really hope that Dybala gives a lot to Juve by the end of the season, because not only the chances of his current team finishing in the top four increase, but also the chances of him staying a little longer if probably improve. also.

MATCH INFO

When: Sunday January 23, 2022.

When: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy.

Official kick-off time: 8:45 p.m. local time in Italy and throughout Europe; 7:45 p.m. in the UK; 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time; 11:45 a.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH

Television: BT Sport 3 (UK).

Online/Mobile: Paramount+ (United States); fuboTV (Canada); BTSport.com, BT Sport app (UK); DAZN (Italy).

Other live view options can be found here, and as always, you can also follow us live and all the bullshit we say on Twitter. If you haven’t done so already, join the community on Black & White & Read All Over, and join the discussion below.