AC Milan will look to strengthen their case for a top-four finish when they host a struggling Atalanta side, who have been winless in their last four league outings.
Atalanta will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against AC Milan. Neither team has been in the best of form of late, but given the kind of quality they have in their squad, this could prove to be a very entertaining fixture.
The home team are third on the table with 67 points in their 35 outings. The Rossoneri are three points behind second-placed Napoli, while they only have a three-point cushion over fifth-placed AS Roma. Milan cannot afford to relax as a few more disappointing results could cost them a Champions League spot.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men have only won one of their last five league outings, which has complicated their situation and allowed teams below them to slowly close the gap. AC Milan are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sassuolo. They will have to do much better to stand a chance of securing all three points.
It might not sound realistic, but Atalanta still have a mathematical chance of securing European football. Their four-game winless run in the league certainly has not helped, as La Dea now find themselves seven points behind sixth-placed Como with just three games to go.
The visitors could only manage a 0-0 draw against Genoa last time out. While they dominated the ball and created quite a few chances, Atalanta were not clinical enough. Given their recent form, they might have a very tough time at the office against Milan. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
The Rossoneri will be without the services of Luka Modric because of a collarbone injury, while Fikayo Tomori is suspended. AC Milan are expected to line up in a 3-5-2 formation, where Mike Maignan will be an automatic pick in goal.
Davide Bartesaghi, Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic will form the back three. The trio will be eyeing a clean sheet, and they will receive a lot of support in the wide areas from Alexis Saelemaekers and Pervis Estupinan, who will feature as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Ardon Jashari will start alongside Adrien Rabiot and Youssouf Fofana in the centre of the park. The trio will look to dominate the ball and control the tempo of the game. Finally, Christopher Nkunku will line up alongside Rafael Leao in the strike partnership.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Maignan; Bartesaghi, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Jashari, Rabiot, Estupinan; Nkunku, Leao
Atalanta
The visitors do not have fresh injury concerns. Lorenzo Bernasconi (knee) is the only one who won’t be available for selection in this fixture. Atalanta will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where Marco Carnesecchi will take charge in goal.
Giorgio Scalvini, Berat Djimsiti, and Honest Ahanor will form the three-man central defence. They will look to keep things tight at the back against a star-studded Milan attack. Davide Zappacosta and Nicola Zalewski will feature as the wing-backs for the away team. The duo will look to contribute on both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Marten De Roon and Ederson will be the two central midfielders for the away team. They will look to shield the backline and try to ensure Milan midfielders do not run the show.
Finally, Charles De Ketelaere could feature in the number ten role behind the attacking duo of Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Krstovic.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Ahanor; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Zalewski; De Ketelaere; Scamacca, Krstovic
Key Stats
- AC Milan have only won four out of their last 15 home games against Atalanta.
- Atalanta have not won any of their last five games in all competitions.
- AC Milan have not beaten Atalanta since February 2023; have lost four out of the last six meetings between the two teams.
- The reverse fixture earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 draw.
- AC Milan have only found the back of the net once in their last five league outings.
Player to Watch
Nikola Krstovic
Krstovic is certainly enjoying an impressive debut campaign in Italian football. The 26-year-old forward has contributed towards 19 goals in his 47 appearances across competitions, and he has been one of Atalanta’s few consistent attacking outlets this season.
In Serie A alone, Krstovic has bagged ten goals and four assists in 31 outings, while his xG tally of 13.16 suggests he is constantly getting into dangerous positions. With Atalanta struggling for results in recent weeks, they will need their main striker to step up in this crucial away fixture.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-2 Atalanta
Neither team heads into this fixture in great form, which should make for a tense and closely fought encounter. AC Milan will certainly have the upper hand on paper and will be desperate to respond after their disappointing defeat to Sassuolo. However, the Rossoneri have struggled in recent meetings against Atalanta and have not looked convincing in attack in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Atalanta still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, which should provide enough motivation for them to push hard in the final few games of the season. While the visitors have struggled to convert chances lately, they do possess enough quality in the final third to hurt Milan. The Hard Tackle predicts a closely fought 2-2 draw in this fixture.
