With three months left in the Italian soccer season, two of the country’s most-popular clubs – Juventus and AC Milan – are the ones vying for the title. Traditional foes, the next few months promises an epic race – and one that will likely be decided when both sides meet in two weeks. At this point, Juventus is the one who looks poised to win the title, all because AC Milan may have shot itself in the foot last week. 

There is no denying that AC Milan may have hampered its title chances after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was handed a three-match ban when he was issued a red card in last week’s scoreless draw at home against Napoli. His crime was slapping Napoli’s Salvatore Aronica in the face, forcing the referee to pull out his red card. Milan has since appealed the decision, hoping that the three-game ban is made shorter so that the testy Swedish forward can play against Juventus.  

“This expulsion really complicates what goes on with Milan over the next few weeks,” said Alessandro Vocalelli, editor-in-chief of the Rome-based sports daily Il Corriere dello Sport. “Both teams want to be in the best shape possible ahead of the season finale.” 

AC Milan will host Juventus at the San Siro Stadium on Feb. 25 in a game that is expected to chart a course toward the title for whichever team is able to win that match. Going into this weekend, Juventus (with a game in hand) held a one-point lead over AC Milan in the standings, with Udinese, Lazio and Inter Milan also in the hunt for the title. Although the race involves five teams, Juventus and AC Milan are really the only two realistic contenders at this stage.  

Juventus and AC Milan are also coming into this season with different back stories. Juventus had a terrible 2010-11 season and rebuilt its squad over the summer with the goal of contending for the league title this spring. Last season, Juventus finished seventh and did not qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League. Not playing in a European competition has helped Juventus this season, putting the sole focus on Serie A. 

AC Milan, on the other hand, won the title last season after edging out city rivals Inter by six points in the standings. Winning the title is the club’s goal every year, but the Champions League is the sort of hardware this team really aspires to lift every May. While playing in Europe has meant more games for AC Milan, the club has a deep enough roster of talent that it can field two competitive lineups if need be. 

The roster may be deep but there is no denying that Ibrahimovic is key to the AC Milan attack. He’s the target man, the player who is expected to put the ball in the back of the net. Without him, the team is like an orchestra without a conductor. The pieces are all there, but there is no one to lead them and execute. 

Juventus and AC Milan have been involved in some epic clashes over the years. The biggest may be the one from 2003 when the sides met in the Champions League final, with AC Milan prevailing in a shootout at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. This past October, Juventus defeated Milan 2-0 at home following two goals by midfielder Claudio Marchisio, one of Italy’s budding stars. Last Wednesday, the teams renewed their rivalry in the semifinals of the Italian Cup, with Juventus beating AC Milan 2-1 on the road to take the first leg. The second leg will be played March 21.     

Juventus may be the underdog in this race and that’s a switch given the recent past. Embroiled in a match-fixing scandal just a few years back, the team was stripped of two league titles in 2006 and relegated to Serie B, the country’s second division. One of those titles was later given to Inter – something that remains controversial to this day – while the other was vacated. 

There was a time when it was believed referees made calls in Juventus’ favor, but that seems to have changed since the scandal. Last week, Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta complained that his side was the victims of a refereeing error during a goalless draw at home to Siena. Juventus had appealed for a penalty after a handball by Simone Vergassola was ignored by referee Sebastiano Peruzzo five minutes from time. 

Marotta went on a tirade, saying Juventus deserves more “respect” than it has gotten this season. 

“It is only right to make our voices heard so we can defend the club's rights,'' Marotta told the Milan-based sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Juventus deserve respect. Everybody could see we were denied a clear penalty. We have only been given one penalty all season. All we are asking for is respect for our team.” 

For sure, AC Milan respects Juventus as an opponent. It knows that the Turin-based club won't rollover easily when the two face one another. If the recent Italian Cup matchup is any indication, the game later this month will be a showdown for the ages.