Losing three consecutive home games in Serie A is not an option for Stefano Pioli when AC Milan face an adverse test against Fiorentina.
Stefano Pioli continues to rue the injury problems with his squad, as he is unable to select his best players in a crunch period of the season. AC Milan have dropped considerable points recently, with rivals Juventus and Inter Milan taking full advantage; up next for them are Fiorentina.
The duo have set the tone in the Serie A title race, as they have now opened a considerable gap to third-placed Milan. Pioli’s men have managed to take only two points from their last four games in the league, and a further drop in levels will cause concerns for the manager.
🗣️ Coach Pioli talks #MilanFiorentina, the team's current moment and Francesco Camarda #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/YvnL6D92WP
— AC Milan (@acmilan) November 24, 2023
They take on Fiorentina at the weekend, having lost each of their last two home games, and defeat in a third consecutive clash at San Siro is unacceptable for Pioli. A win on Saturday night is an excellent opportunity to close the gap on either Juventus or Inter Milan, with the dup facing each other on Sunday night.
Fiorentina have their earlier form in the season to thank for their position in the table. The Viola are currently sixth and have ambitions to break into the top four this season. They can either go level on points with Milan with a victory at San Siro, a venue they lost in their last three visits.
They can also go above Milan with a superior goal difference, but much will depend on how they react to their three consecutive league defeats. Before the international break, Vincenzo Italiano’s side managed to halt their three-game losing streak to defeat an in-form Bologna side at home.
Italiano will hope his side have the momentum to hurt Milan at San Siro and take three points back to Florence. Wins like these are essential for Fiorentina if they are keen on breaking into the top four, as this season appears to be a tightly-contested race for many European positions.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Noah Okafor and star attacker Rafael Leao joined those in the treatment room to add to Stefano Pioli’s woes ahead of a crunch week. In the last game, Olivier Giroud’s late red card against Lecce will see the French striker sit out the Fiorentina clash.
🔴⚫️ AC Milan manager Pioli: “Yes, it’s true — 2008 born talent Francesco Camarda will be called up for the Fiorentina game”.
“He’s very good prospect and talent has no age. He will be ready if we need him”. pic.twitter.com/Mpq7ZSuIhB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 24, 2023
In all, Milan are missing around nine first-team stars, meaning Pioli must find a different solution and hopes it works out on Saturday and in their midweek Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund. Meanwhile, amid the ongoing injury crisis, Pioli has called up 2008-born youngster Francesco Camarda, who could feature against Fiorentina.
With Leao absent, Pioli might shift Christian Pulisic to the left-hand side while using Samuel Chukwueze on the right flank. Luka Jovic appears primed to lead the line for Milan. Tijjani Reijnders, Rade Krunic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are best placed to handle the work in midfield.
At the back, Milan can rely on the centre-back partnership between Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori. Davide Calabria is fit to play right-back, with Theo Hernandez the apparent choice at left back.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Jovic, Pulisic
Fiorentina
Vincenzo Italiano has few issues with his squad, with only about three players missing from action ahead of their trip to San Siro. Dodo and Gaetano Castrovilli are injured at least until the start of 2024, while Luca Ranieri will serve a one-game suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards.
SQUAD LIST | 📄
The Viola players to face Milan⚜️#ForzaViola #ACFFiorentina #MilanFiorentina #seriea pic.twitter.com/mj5uhn7Blg
— ACF Fiorentina English (@ACFFiorentinaEN) November 24, 2023
Meanwhile, young full-back Michael Kayode is closing in on a return to action but does not feature in the travelling party to Milan. Other than that, Italiano is not expected to make any changes if he wants, but the centre-forward position will see tweaks.
With M’Bala Nzola not performing to the best of his levels in the last game, he could see himself on the bench against Milan. Italiano could bring Lucas Beltran in the centre-forward role, which will likely be the only change from Fiorentina for the trip to San Siro.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Parisi, Milenkovic, Martinez Quarta, Biraghi; Arthur, Duncan; Gonzalez, Bonaventura, Brekalo; Beltran
Key Stats
- AC Milan have lost each of their last two home games in Serie A.
- AC Milan have taken two points from their last four Serie A games.
- AC Milan trail rivals and leaders Inter Milan by eight points in the Serie A table.
- Fiorentina have lost each of their last three visits to San Siro to face AC Milan.
- Fiorentina have lost three of their last four games in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic participated in full training with the group and will be available for AC Milan’s match vs Fiorentina.
[🌕: @AntoVitiello] pic.twitter.com/i6M2cZcWLM
— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) November 22, 2023
The USMNT star has a big task heading into the weekend and beyond. The American has established himself as a critical star under Stefano Pioli. But now is the test where he can take more responsibility for the team.
With crunch fixtures against Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan are missing key attackers, including Rafael Leao. Pulisic must show he can be that go-to man Pioli can trust in the absences of the Portuguese and Olivier Giroud for the weekend, and it is a brilliant opportunity for him to showcase his true class.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 Fiorentina
With slightly better momentum coming into San Siro, Fiorentina will want to correct their recent record against AC Milan at this venue. They also have a far fitter squad than Milan. But again, the overall quality on the pitch from the Rossoneri will see the Viola struggle for relevance.
Vincenzo Italiano’s men have the offensive power to hurt Milan. But with home advantage, Stefano Pioli’s men can get one out of the way and collect the three points. The pressure on the Rossoneri is far higher than on Fiorentina, and this game is a brilliant chance to close the gap on one of the top two teams in the table for AC Milan.
