AC Milan are on the verge of losing out on yet another title challenge as they visit Frosinone in a clash that could define their season.
Eusebio Di Francesco is keen to build momentum ahead of the crucial part of Froninone’s season as he looks for favourable results. Since their smashing 0-4 win away to Napoli in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, the Serie A strugglers have suffered in the league and also got eliminated from the cup competition at the hands of Juventus. Up next for Frosinone are AC Milan.
It was Juventus who began Frosinone’s five-game losing streak, where the Bianconeri recorded two victories over them, including their cup elimination courtesy of a 4-0 win. Eusebio Di Francesco’s side have since recovered to a mild degree, achieving a win over Cagliari and a draw against Hellas Verona.
Di Francesco will mind the gap between them and the relegation zone, which stands at five points. A few bad results could exponentially increase the chances of Frosinone getting dragged into the danger zone, but right now, they are in a stable place ahead of their game with AC Milan.
Stefano Pioli will rue the chances of finishing the game off against Bologna in the last matchday, which may have cost them a shot at the title. With Juventus managing only a draw with Empoli, Inter Milan took advantage with a narrow win over Fiorentina, as they returned to the summit with a game in hand over the Bianconeri.
It was a fantastic opportunity for Milan to close the gap on Juventus, but they could only manage a draw against Bologna. With Joshua Zirkzee opening the scoring for the visitors, Ruben Loftus-Cheek equalised in first-half injury time.
Milan then took the lead in the 83rd minute through the English midfielder, only for them to fail at defending the slender advantage. New signing Filippo Terracciano gave away a costly penalty in second-half stoppage time for Riccardo Orsolini to score from the spot. The draw meant that Milan is now eight points away from rivals Inter Milan in the title race, as another lousy result could potentially end that dream altogether.
Team News & Tactics
Frosinone
Eusebio Di Francesco still has many of his critical stars missing from action, as around seven stars could be absent from the home clash against Milan. Riccardo Marchizza, Anthony Oyono, Mateus Lusuardi, and Kevin Bonifazi are all sidelined.
Ilario Monterisi could potentially be back in the starting lineup after making his return from the bench in the last game, which could see him slot in the back four. Alternatively, Di Franceso could keep him on the bench again in favour of other stars, including Emanuele Valeri, who could replace Marco Brescianini at left-back.
In midfield, Di Francesco might go with Enzo Barrenechea at the base of his midfield, with Brescianini taking up his place in midfield instead of his left-back position in the Hellas Verona clash. Abdou Harroui will also join the duo in the central areas.
In the attack, Demba Seck and Kaio Jorge will take their places on the left and central areas, respectively. On loan Juventus attacker Matias Soule, who has nine goals to his name and could potentially become the first Frosinone player to potentially reach double figures in a single Serie A season in their history, will certainly start on the right side of the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Turati; Monterisi, Romagnoli, Okoli, Valeri; Brescianini, Barrenechea, Harroui; Soule, Jorge, Seck
AC Milan
Stefano Pioli could name an unchanged lineup for the trip to Frosinone despite a few players knocking on the doors to get starts. For starters, attacking duo Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor are all in the frame for starts if needed. But Olivier Giroud continues to keep them at bay.
Ismael Bennacer could be another one of those stars keen to start games, as it has been some time since he returned to full fitness. However, Pioli could keep Yacine Adli and Tijjani Reijnders in his midfield for the time being, as the pair have impressed in recent outings.
Samuel Chukwueze remains the only international absentee, with Pioli still dealing with a hefty list of injured stars. Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw, and Pierre Kalulu remain absent from the backline, which has been the main area of concern in recent weeks. Hence, Matteo Gabbia and Simon Kjaer will continue their central defensive partnership.
In the attack, despite the threat of Okafor and Jovic, Giroud will continue leading the line for Milan. However, all eyes will be on Loftus-Cheek after his recent good form and the brace against Bologna, as Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao will join him in the attacking third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez; Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
Key Stats
- Frosinone has won only once in their last seven games across all competitions.
- Matias Soule could become the first Frosinone player to score 10 goals in a single Serie A season.
- Over 2.5 goals have been scored in eight of AC Milan’s last nine games in Serie A.
- AC Milan have scored at least two goals in eight of their last nine matches in Serie A.
- AC Milan are undefeated in their last seven matches in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
The English midfielder and former Chelsea star has shown some promising form in recent weeks, with his brace against Bologna a glowing proof of that. He has taken up an advanced role as opposed to a central midfield spot, and it has paid dividends.
Stefano Pioli would hope for more to come from the England midfielder, and if he continues on his current form for the remainder of the season, he could compete for a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England side for the Euros. That might be the target, and the Milan manager will hope such objectives will allow the former Chelsea man to improve his game from here on.
Prediction
Frosinone 1-3 AC Milan
AC Milan could be in for a breather of a game, as they could look for ways to recover from their disappointing draw against Bologna. Frosinone have not been in good form, despite not losing their last two clashes, although they still have the players to trouble Stefano Pioli’s side.
Milan have the attacking options on the pitch and the bench to get a comfortable result against Frosinone. They will undoubtedly hope title rivals Juventus and Inter Milan also drop points, and a win would bring them back into the reckoning of the title race.
