Getty Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
AC Milan will host Juventus at San Siro on Thursday for the first leg of the sides’ Coppa Italia semifinal.
In the United States, the match (2:45 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV anywhere, but anyone in the US can watch every Coppa Italia match live on ESPN+:
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ESPN+ is the digital streaming service from ESPN that has exclusive coverage of the Coppa Italia, plus other international soccer (including the Copa del Rey, FA Cup and Carabao Cup), other live sports every day, all the 30-for-30 documentaries, and additional original content (both video and written) all for $4.99 per month.
Or, if you also want the new Disney+ streaming service and Hulu, you can get all three for $12.99 per month, which works out to 25 percent savings:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can then watch AC Milan vs Juventus live on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the ESPN app.
AC Milan vs Juventus Semifinal Leg 1 Preview
Juventus met little resistance en route to the semifinals, pounding Udinese 4-0 on Jan. 15 before dispatching Roma 3-1 in the quarterfinals a week later.
They’ve struggled in league play since, sandwiching 2-1 road defeats to Napoli and Hellas Verona around a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina at home.
“Right now, we have a difference in performance between home games and away games,” Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri said following Saturday’s loss in Verona, according to the club’s official website, “today we knew already that it would be difficult, and it was because they attacked us with heart and dedication, and that we would suffer. We coped well initially, and then after hitting post twice we took the lead. We must understand that winning is not a foregone conclusion, it’s difficult to do so and there must be no dips in focus.”
Juve forward Cristiano Ronaldo put his side up in the 65th minute, streaking down the center of the pitch, receiving an aerial feed, and shaking a defender before finding the lower left corner.
Verona equalized 11 minutes later, then tallied the game-winner from the penalty spot in the 86th minute.
“We are not managing to express our qualities on the road as we are at home and today we failed on securing three points,” Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny said, per the club’s site. “We are the same team of course but maybe the approach of the opponents changes, as they have more confidence in their home, but we must not leave points on the road. At the beginning of the game; they attacked us, putting us in difficult situations. We conceded two goals when we seemed in control.”
AC Milan opened their Coppa Italia campaign with a 3-0 drubbing of SPAL on Jan. 15, then, 13 days later, required extra time for a 4-2 victory over Torino in the quarterfinals.
The Rossoneri haven’t won since — they drew 1-1 with Verona on Feb. 2, then fell to Inter Milan 4-2 a week later; both matches came in league play. AC Milan sit in 10th place on the Serie A table; Juve are second, trailing Inter in goal differential.
“We finished that game with broken bones, but it’s a lesson we must learn from,” AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli said Wednesday of the defeat to Inter, according to the club’s official website. “Tomorrow’s match is important, we must bounce back immediately and we’ve got a good chance of reaching the Coppa Italia final, which would be hugely significant for us. We are prepared to tackle this challenge in the best way possible, this is our chance to shine.”