After Cristian Chivu dismissed the notion of Juventus and AC Milan’s meeting on Sunday being a clash between title contenders, Luciano Spalletti said those words should motivate both teams. 

Juve and Milan will go head-to-head at the Allianz Stadium, with both sides looking to preserve their perfect Serie A starts after posting back-to-back wins.

However, ahead of the weekend’s action, Inter’s Scudetto-winning coach Chivu was asked if he would pay much attention to a clash between two of Italy’s other heavyweights.

He responded: “What does ‘head-to-head clash’ even mean? The traditionally big teams, or the teams that finished in the top four? So where do Milan and Juve fit in, given that last year they finished so far behind?”

Juve and Milan both missed out on Champions League qualification on the final day of 2025-26, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. The Bianconeri ended last campaign 18 points adrift of Inter, with the Rossoneri only a single point better off.

But rather than taking offence at Chivu’s words, Spalletti believes Juve must used them as motivation to prove themselves as real contenders.

“Chivu was sincere. I like sincere people and his words must be a stimulus for us to give even more,” Spalletti told reporters. 

“Then, if the game is defined as such, it becomes even more important. We have to reduce the gap to the most important teams. There was nothing particularly bad about Chivu’s words.”

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After 1-0 and 2-0 wins against Frosinone and Parma, Juventus could keep three clean sheets in their first three Serie A games of the season for the second time in the last 10 years, after the 2024-25 campaign (when they conceded their first goal on matchday seven).

But Spalletti is dealing with a lengthy injury list, which includes Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Andrea Cambiaso, Juan Cabal and Weston McKennie.

“We have difficulties because we have seven injured players, but they are all different from each other. We are in a position to play the game, and then we will see in the long run,” he said. 

“We want to play like Juventus. We started off on the right foot from the point of view of the collective. This is essential, as we become more and more of a team.”

In the opposing dugout, Amorim could become the fourth coach to win his first three Serie A games in charge of Milan, after Mario Sperone in 1952, Giuseppe Viani in 1956 and Luigi Bonizzoni in 1958.

When asked about his first impressions of Amorim’s Rossoneri side, Spalletti said: “He is a coach who has clear ideas and has built a strong team with recognisable principles of play. 

“Milan are a team that play vertically immediately, they are very quick to turn the game around. 

“But this should not cause us fear. It will be a good game and clearly, we will try to play the game and express our desire to win.”