AC Milan will host Salernitana at San Siro in their final Serie A game of the season, looking to bow out of the campaign on a high.
AC Milan are currently second in the Serie A table, and they have nothing to play for as they get set to welcome Salernitana to San Siro on Saturday night. However, they will look to give the fans something to cheer about.
A club of their stature should be winning these games, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. AC MIlan’s form has been quite mediocre in recent weeks, and they have picked up just one win from the last six league matches. It will be interesting to see if they can grind out all three points here.
Meanwhile, Salernitana are at the bottom of the league table, and they have lost five of the last six league matches. The Granata have already been relegated and they will be playing for pride here. It remains to be seen whether they can salvage some pride with a positive performance away from home.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Samuel Chukwueze misses out with a thigh injury, while Mike Maignan misses out with a hand injury. Meanwhile, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has a knee problem. AC will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation against Salernitana, with Marco Sportiello in goal.
Pierre Kalulu and Theo Hernandez will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and create goalscoring opportunities going forward as well. Malick Thiaw will start alongside Fikayo Tomori at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Yacine Adli will start alongside Yunus Musah and Tijjani Reijnders. They will look to add defensive cover to the side. Olivier Giroud will lead the line for AC Milan against Salernitana, with Christian Pulisic on his right and Rafael Leao on the left.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sportiello; Kalulu, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Musah, Reijnders, Adli; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao
Salernitana
Agustin Martegani is ruled out with a muscle injury. Norbert Gyomber, Jerome Boateng, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are all ruled out with muscle issues as well. Iron Gomis misses out with physical discomfort.
Salernitana will start in a 3-4-2-1 formation against AC Milan, with Vincenzo Fiorillo in goal. In the back three, Niccolo Pierozzi, Federico Fazio, and Lorenzo Pirola will feature.
Lassana Coulibaly and Toma Basic in the middle of the park, and they will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the side. Andres Sfait and Junior Samba will start as the wing-backs, and they will help out at both ends of the pitch. Loum Tchaouna and Emanuel Vignato will start as the attacking midfielders, behind striker Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Fiorillo; Fazio, Pierozzi, Pirola; Sambia, Coulibaly, Basic, Sfait; Vignato, Tchaouna; Ikwuemesi
Key Stats
- Salernitana have failed to win their last 19 matches in Serie A.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in eight of AC Milan’s last nine games in Serie A.
- Salernitana have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight matches in Serie A.
- 15 goals have been scored in the last five matches between these two sides.
- Three of the last five matches between these two sides have ended in a draw.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
The 25-year-old American winger has been in impressive form, scoring 12 goals and picking up seven assists in Serie A. He managed to score a brace against Cagliari recently, and he will look to continue his impressive run of form and get on the scoresheet here.
Salernitana have the worst defence in the league, and Pulisic could cause them all sorts of problems with his pace, flair and link up play. The American International is our key player to watch out for, and he could make a defining impact for the home team here.
Prediction
AC Milan 3-1 Salernitana
The home team will be the overwhelming favourites heading into this game. Salernitana have been quite poor throughout the season, and they are unlikely to cause any major problems for Milan here.
AC Milan have not been at their best recently, but they have the quality to grind out a comprehensive victory here. A 3-1 win for the Rossoneri is on the cards. This will be Stefano Pioli’s last game as the AC Milan manager, and he will bow out with a bang.