Filippo Inzaghi's AC Milan prepare to face Juventus in an important early derby match at the San Siro on Saturday.Fresh off a wild 5-4 victory over Parma and a 3-1 home win against Lazio on the opening day of the Serie A season, confidence is on the upswing for the Rossoneri.It is amazing how quickly Milan have begun to rid themselves of the negativity that has embroiled the club following their eighth-place finish in the league last year.All in all, it goes to show just how quickly narratives can shift in football.Of course, the flip side of that realisation would suggest that an unimpressive performance against Juventus could send the club back on a downward spiral and would serve to show that Milan still are not ready to contend for a spot in Europe next season.The onus is on new signings Jeremy Menez (who was imperious against Parma), Giacomo Bonaventura and likely debutant Fernando Torres to provide what Mario Balotelli couldn't on a consistent basis in attack.The greater concern, however, lies in the defense's ability to protect a lead.Milan have shipped five goals through two games so far, and while one of those goals was a very fluky own goal by Mattia De Sciglio and Diego Lopez, that number will have to be cut down given the unlikelihood that the attack will provide an average of four goals a game.In approaching the Juventus match, Milan will have an advantage over La Vecchia Signora in that they will have had since last Sunday to prepare directly for this game, while Juve played a Champions League match against Malmo on Wednesday.Presumably, Inzaghi has been drilling his players and working towards reducing their defensive generosity with the specific aim of shutting down Juventus' Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, both of whom scored against Milan last season.Luckily for Milan, Juventus will likely be the most difficult opponent they will face this season, along with Roma. Napoli have shown some of their flaws, while Inter and Fiorentina are also flawed in several ways.If Milan can improve on their early-season form and continue to get results, third place is not out of the question.In many ways, one of the greatest advantages Milan have is not being forced to play European matches in the middle of the week like their direct competitors in Serie A.Even the best squads have trouble juggling the rigors of continental competition with domestic competition. Juventus, of course, famously crashed out in the group stages of the Champions League just last season, even though they steamrolled through Serie A.A parallel for this Milan would be Liverpool over the past several years. There was a long transitional period from the Liverpool which enjoyed the career primes of Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to the Liverpool of last year, who finally finished in the top four after a five-year absence.Similarly, the transition for Milan began after their Champions League victory over the Reds in May 2007. Older stars like Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Clarence Seedorf, Jaap Stam, Inzaghi and Gennaro Gattuso were slowly being phased out, while Andrea Pirlo suffered a decline that Milan incorrectly deemed terminal to his career.The two-year stint of Zlatan Ibrahimovic merely delayed the inevitable, and Milan were bailed out by Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy in the 2012-13 season, only making the final Champions League spot by the skin of their teeth.The low, of course, was last year. However, it can be argued that last year's failure allowed the team to clear some unnecessary players from the squad and identify those who could help return the team to its former glories.Milan have the benefit of playing in the Serie A where their rivals are perhaps not as strong as those Liverpool have had to face over the years. For example, Milan would struggle to finish in the top six or seven in England right now.Milan have already reached a low ebb and are working their way back up. The squad does possess legitimate talent and should not be dismissed, especially as they build up the personality and passion embodied by their new manager.While Inter returned to Italy, having played Dnipro in Eastern Europe on Thursday, Torino from Belgium and Napoli from playing Sparta Praha at home, Milan have had the entire week to rest and focus on their impending match with Juventus.Early in the season, this may not be as great an advantage. However, fatigue from European matches will almost certainly play a role in costing Milan's rivals points over the course of the season.It can only be hoped that Milan will seize their opportunity and take advantage of their position of strength in Italy.Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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