Hellas Verona, seeking a safety net from the relegation zone, will host a resurgent AC Milan eager to keep hold of their second spot.
Hellas Verona are far from breathing a sigh of relief in their quest to get as far away as possible from the relegation zone ahead of their game against AC Milan. As things stand, the Serie A strugglers are sitting in 14th place but only two points away from 18th-placed Frosinone, which will likely keep them on their toes ahead of the end-of-the-season run-in.
Consecutive league victories have certainly helped their cause, as Hellas Verona are now seeking to win three games in a row for the first time in over a decade. Their game against Lecce caused controversy, as the opposition’s manager, Roberto D’Aversa, lost his job following a headbutting incident after the game.
In their quest to seek a third win on the bounce, Verona face up to a visiting AC Milan side, who are also flying now. A win over the Rossoneri will be a dream result for them, although the home side will at least hope for a point in the process.
On the other hand, Milan are in a stellar run of form heading to this clash with Hellas Verona. Stefano Pioli’s men wrapped up a place in the YEFA Europa League quarter-finals with a stunning 7-3 aggregate win over Slavia Prague, and they now have a date set up with league rivals AS Roma in the Last Eight of the tournament.
Milan have been performing well on league matters while taking full advantage of Juventus’s bad displays. Over the last few weeks, the Rossoneri have closed down the Bianconeri and are now a point above their rivals in second.
With the title clearly out of sight heading into the last ten games of the season, Milan will certainly want to keep hold of their second spot and keep sight of their objective. Hence, a win over Verona will be what Pioli will demand, and Milan have looked like a team that will get the job done.
Team News & Tactics
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona are missing some key stars, although they might have one returning to action ahead of the clash with Milan. Juan Manuel Cruz and Alessandro Berardi are out of contention for this one, while Thomas Henry remains suspended for this clash after being set off against Lecce last weekend.
Pawel Dawidowicz might return to the setup, feature in the defence, and replace Diego Coppola at the heart of the defence. He will partner Giangiacomo Magnani with Jackson Tchatchoua at right-back and Juan Cabal operating over in that left-back slot.
Ondrej Duda and Suat Serdar are the best candidates for Verona to rely on to marshall the central midfield slots. At the same time, Michael Folorunsho will feature in Verona’s advanced midfield or No.10 role against Milan.
Up front, Tijjani Noslin will lead the line for Hellas Verona. Tomas Suslov will star on the right wing, eager to enter the goalscoring conversation, while Darko Lazovic will start on the left-hand side of the front three.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mintipo; Tchatchoua, Magnani, Dawidowicz, Cabal; Duda, Serdar; Suslov, Folorunsho, Lazovic; Noslin
AC Milan
AC Milan’s injury problems are nearly over, with only Tommaso Pobega the only potential absentee for Stefano Pioli’s side ahead of the trip to Verona. The bigger concern for the side would come in the absence of keeper Mike Maignan, who may have suffered a knee problem in the game against Slavia Prague.
Should he stay out of the squad, Marco Sportiello will deputise. On the positive side, Rafael Leao and Alessandro Florenzi are set to return after serving their suspensions. The former is certain to keep his place in the lineup, while the latter could slot in at right-back and replace Davide Calabria.
Pioli has been managing the minutes and fitness of his centre-forward and could recall Luka Jovic back into the setup at the expense of Olivier Giroud. The Serbian also started last week against Empoli, and this time around, he will want to be among the goalscorers that will likely help him nail down a starting berth.
Ismael Bennacer and Tijjani Reijnders will form their midfield partnership, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek, fresh from his goal in midweek, will retain the No.10 spot. Leao and Christian Pulisic will occupy the wide areas as Milan aims to win and maintain their second spot on the table.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sportielo; Florenzi, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Jovic
Key Stats
- Hellas Verona are vying to win three games in a row for the first time in over a decade.
- Hellas Verona have lost only once in their last six home games
- AC Milan have won four of their last five games on the road.
- AC Milan have won their last six matches against Verona in all competitions.
- AC Milan are undefeated in 12 of their last 13 matches in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
Stefano Pioli needs game-changers in this late-season run-in, as there will be a lot of opportunities to win something, particularly in Europe. AC Milan are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while they might even hope for a small opening to challenge for the title again, although Inter Milan need to start dropping points at an alarming rate for that to happen.
As he looks up to some of his players, Pioli hopes Pulisic will perform better. The American winger bagged the winner against Empoli, and the manager will want more of that performance when they travel to Hellas Verona.
Prediction
Hellas Verona 1-2 AC Milan
Both teams are coming into this clash because of impressive results, with Hellas Verona eyeing a third successive league win in a long time. This game does promise plenty of fireworks, but AC Milan might have the edge coming here and may keep hold of their second spot on the table.
Verona can certainly challenge their visitors, but the overall quality of players on both ends will ultimately decide this contest. AC Milan have the means to win here, as Stefano Pioli hopes for a better goal return this time.
