The 35-year-old moved level with club legend Giampiero Boniperti when he came off the bench to notch his 178th top-flight goal during Juve's 4-0 victory over Lecce on October 17.
Nesta, who along with Del Piero helped Italy win the World Cup four years ago, said: "I face Del Piero with great pleasure. "I am happy he still has a starring role in his team. "I've known him forever, as a rival and as a (national) team-mate. "I like him. He is someone who has been able to take on responsibilities."With strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Amauri out injured and Milos Krasic serving the first game of a two-match ban this weekend, Del Piero will lead Juve's attack alongside Fabio Quagliarella.
Krasic, who is Juve's joint top scorer alongside Quagliarella with three goals apiece, was punished for simulation during last weekend's goalless draw at Bologna.
"He is an important player," said Del Piero. "But whoever replaces him will do a good job." Milan head into the encounter two points behind league leaders Lazio. "This game is worth so much," said Nesta. "If you want to win the Scudetto, and we want to, you have to get continuity to results. "We have taken four straight wins heading into this game and this is already a good sign. "To beat Juve gives you a special boost in confidence and that is what we plan to do."
Juve, who lie fifth and trail Milan only by three points, have not lost in their last four league games. The Turin giants welcome back goalkeeper Marco Storari from injury.
AC Milan defender Thiago Silva is available after shaking off a muscular injury that saw him miss last weekend's 2-1 triumph at Napoli. Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is set to start Robinho in support of Alexandre Pato and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the Rossoneri attack.
FORM GUIDE
Milan
05/04 (Serie A): Milan-Lecce 2-0
11/04 (Serie A): Chievo-Milan 0-1
19/04 (Serie A): Milan 5-1 Torino
26/04 (Serie A): Milan 3-0 Palermo
03/05 (Serie A): Catania 0-2 Milan
Juventus
05/04 (Serie A): Juventus 3-3 Chievo
11/04 (Serie A): Genoa 3-2 Juventus
18/04 (Serie A): Juventus 1-1 Inter
26/04 (Serie A): Reggina 2-2 Juventus
03/05 (Serie A): Juventus 2-2 Lecce
TEAM NEWS
Milan
Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, Marco Borriello, Christian Abbiati and Gennaro Gattuso are out for the season. Daniele Bonera and Luca Antonini are not entirely fit and will miss out as well. A back injury could render goalkeeper Nelson Dida unable to participate, meaning that third-choice ‘keeper Zeljko Kalac could make his first start of the season. It appears that Alexandre Pato may be fit to play and could even start.
Mathieu Flamini returns from a one-match suspension and may return to the right full-back spot he was fielded in prior to his suspension. David Beckham is sitting one yellow card from a suspension after a late challenge last weekend earned him a booking.
Possible Formation (4-3-1-2): Kalac; Flamini, Favalli, Maldini, Zambrotta; Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka; Pato, Inzaghi
Juventus
The Bianconeri too have many injured players, as Claudio Marchisio, Albin Ekdal, Momo Sissoko, Hasan Salihamidzic, Dario Knezevic and Christian Molinaro are unfit to participate. However, it appears that Nicola Legrottaglie and Giorgio Chiellini will both be fit to play in central defence.
Olof Mellberg and Pavel Nedved are sure to miss out with suspensions, while Amauri, Chiellini, Tiago and Zdenek Grygera are all one booking from a ban.
Possible Formation (4-4-2): Buffon; Zebina, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Marchionni, Zanetti, Poulsen, Giovinco; Amauri, Iaquinta
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Milan
Filippo Inzaghi is one of the most in-form players in all of Europe at the moment, as he just continues scoring goals. Kaka has matched his league goal scoring output from last season with fifteen, but won’t be happy to just stop at that. After suffering from injury problems for a large part of this season, he is now back to full fitness.
Juventus
Amauri will receive most of the defensive attention from Milan, and for good reason. He has scored just twelve goals this term and has created many more for his team-mates. While it is not entirely his fault, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has allowed eleven goals in the last five matches. As recently as earlier this season he was called the best goalkeeper in the world, so he needs to start conceding less goals.
source : espnstar, goal