AC Milan vs Atalanta BC: Preview and Prediction

AC Milan and Atalanta BC take on each other in their Coppa Italia quarter-final clash on Wednesday.

AC Milan will be seeking a spot in this season’s Coppa Italia semi-finals when they take on Atalanta BC at San Siro on Wednesday night.

Stefano Pioli will see his side chase a seventh straight win in all competitions on the night. Milan’s most recent loss came against the night’s opponents, Atalanta in December. Luis Muriel’s stoppage time winner saw Milan come away from the Gewiss Stadium with nothing to show for their efforts.

Now back at home, the Rossoneri will hope to pay their rivals back in kind while also taking another step towards a long awaited Coppa Italia triumph.  Despite their rich history in European football, Milan have not won Italy’s premier cup competition since 2003.

Atalanta, meanwhile, recently made the final of the competition in 2019 and 2021, losing both times. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have been one of Serie A’s most exciting teams in recent years but have struggled to secure silverware.

With defending champions Inter Milan already out, the competition is wide open this season. The winner is set to face either Bologna or Fiorentina, meaning a favourable draw awaits in the final four of the competition.

With both sides likely to adopt an attacking setup, goals will be expected in Milan. It promises to be an exciting game between two sides whose best shot at silverware this season lies in the competition. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

AC Milan

The busy schedule combined with injuries should see Stefano Pioli rotate his squad on the night. The Milan boss will be without Samuel Chukwueze and Ismael Bennacer, both of whom are set to participate in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Rossoneri will also be unable to call upon Malick Thiaw, Pierre Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori, all of whom are out injured. They will be joined on the sidelines by Noah Okafor and Tommaso Pobega.

Pioli is expected to set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation that can also double up as a 4-2-3-1. Mike Maignan should start in goal behind the back four of Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Theo Hernandez and Alessandro Florenzi.

Tijjani Reijnders and Yacine Adli should join Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the midfield, adding forward thrust and athleticism in the middle of the park. Rafael Leao is likely to start on the left with Christian Pulisic bringing up the opposite flank. Luka Jovic scored twice against Cagliari and should get the nod over Olivier Giroud on the night.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Hernandez, Florenzi; Reijnders, Adli, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Jovic, Traore

Atalanta BC

The visitors were held to a 1-1 draw against AS Roma last time out and will be keen to secure a victory over  Milan on the night. They will, however, have to do so without Adema Lookman who is away at the AFCON.

With a largely-fit squad at his disposal, Gasperini has the freedom to rotate his squad. He is likely to retain his trademark 3-5-2 formation that can be doubled up as a 3-4-1-2 when needed.

Juan Musso should be given an opportunity between the sticks, behind a back three of Giorgio Scalvini, Berat Djimsiti and Sead Kolasinac. They should be protected by the duo of Marten de Roon and Teun Koopmeiners.

The Dutch pairing will form the base of the midfield, giving Emil Holm and Davide Zappacosta the freedom to push forward on the wings. Mario Pasalic should don the central attacking role and function as a number 10. Luis Muriel and Gianluca Scamacca should form the frontline and will provide the injury-ridden Milan defence a proper reality check.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Musso; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, De Roon, Pasalic, Koopmeiners, Ruggeri; Muriel, Scamacca

Key Stats

• AC Milan have not won the Coppa Italia for 21 years now, last triumphing in 2003.
• Atalanta last won the Coppa Italia in 1963, 61 years ago.
• AC Milan have made the final of the Coppa Italia 14 times, the fourth most of any side in Italy.
• Neither Stefano Pioli or Gian Piero Gasperini have won the Coppa Italia. The latter made it to the final twice but failed to win on both occassions.

Player to Watch

Luka Jovic

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The Serbian striker is Milan’s reserve striker and should give Olivier Giroud a breather on the night. Jovic scored twice last time out against Cagliari and will hope to continue his good run.

Poor spells at Real Madrid and Fiorentina have sent the 26-year-old’s stock falling in recent, and a solid spell at Milan should do Jovic’s career wonders. Giroud is not getting any younger and will need replacing sooner or later. As long as Jovic does his part, Stefano Pioli will have a readymade alternative on his hands.

Prediction

AC Milan 2-1 Atalanta BC

While AC Milan and Atalanta are attacking sides, the nature of the tournament should see them start off slowly. Neither side are defensively sound and it could all come down to who takes their chances on the night. Given the home support and the quality of their players, The Hard Tackle believes AC Milan will edge Atalanta 2-1 on the night.