AC Milan host Verona in the Italian league on Sunday night and they will be looking to finish the season with the win at home.
The Rossoneri have nothing to play for and they have already secured a top-four finish this season. They will be playing in the Champions League regardless of the result tomorrow.
On the other hand, Verona are currently 18th in the league table and they are still very much in with a chance of securing safety from relegation. A win here could see them remain in the top flight provided the other results go their way. The visitors have a lot at stake and they will be desperate to pull off an upset here.
🗣️ The Coach presents the 2022/23 curtain closer
🗣️ Il Mister presenta l’ultima di campionato#MilanVerona #SempreMilan
Brought to you by @play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/XRTsnhl8dO— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 3, 2023
Team news and tactics
AC Milan
The home side will be without the services of Ismael Bennacer and Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of injuries.
Milan are likely to line up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation with Mike Maignan in goal.
Davide Calabria and Theo Hernandez will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to keep the defence compact and contribute during counter-attacks.
Malik Thiaw will start as the central defender alongside Fikayo Tomori.
In the midfield pivot, Rade Krunic will start alongside Sandro Tonali. The two players will look to break up the opposition’s play and set up attacks for their side.
Brahim Diaz will continue as the central attacking midfielder with Junior Messias and Rafael Leao on either side of him. Olivier Giroud is set to lead the line for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Messias, Diaz, Leao; Giroud
Verona
The visitors have a number of injury problems here and they will be without Thomas Henry, Ajdin Hrustic, Josh Doig, Ondrej Duda, Kevin Lasagna, Darko Lazovic, and Pawel Dawidowicz.
The visitors will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Lorenzo Montipo in goal. In the back three, Giangiacomo Magnani will start alongside Isak Hien and Juan Cabal.
Marco Faraoni and Fabio Depaoli will start as the wing backs here and they will look to create counter-attacking opportunities apart from their defensive responsibilities. In the middle of the park, Adrien Tameze will start alongside Oliver Abildgaard.
Cyril Ngonge and Simone Verdi will be the attacking midfielders here with Adolfo Gaich leading the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Montipo; Magnani, Hien, Cabal; Faraoni, Tameze, Abildgaard, Depaoli; Ngonge, Verdi; Gaich
Key Stats
- AC Milan have won their last 4 matches against Verona in all competitions.
- AC Milan have scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 matches against Verona in all competitions.
- Verona have picked up just one win from the last six league matches.
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
Player to watch out for
Rafael Leao
📸 The path to today 🖋️#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/bH8pbJS1LQ
— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 2, 2023
The Portuguese international was outstanding in AC Milan’s last home game against Sampdoria and he will look to continue his impressive run of form here.
The 23-year-old has 14 goals and 12 assists to his name across all competitions and he is our player to watch out for. Leao could open up the Verona defence with his pace and flair in the final third.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 Verona
The visitors will do their best to pick up all three points and secure safety in the Italian top flight. However, Milan are a far better team and they should be able to grind out all three points here.
The defeat against Juventus in the last game will motivate the players to step up and grind out a positive result here. They will look to give the fans something to cheer about on the final day of the season.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Milan at home.
