AC Milan will be eager to break into the top four and end their two-game losing run when they take on Serie A’s surprise package, Udinese.
AC Milan will have ideally aspired to be where Udinese are right now in the table, and they can overtake their visitors with a win at the San Siro. Paulo Fonseca appeared to have turned a corner after a shallow start to the campaign, but things again stumbled for the new Milan boss.
Two significant victories over rivals Inter Milan and then Lecce seemed to restore the former Lille boss’s confidence. However, a second Champions League loss in as many games, followed by a morale-sapping defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, summed up Milan’s inconsistent start to the season before the international break.
Fonseca will want a significant response against Udinese, who have been in flying form since the start of the season. Milan could certainly leapfrog their visitors in the standings with a win, but nobody knows which Rossoneri side will turn up, although spectators will hope for the one that beat Inter Milan recently.
Kosta Runjaic is hoping for his best when coming to San Siro, as Udinese eye back-to-back wins away to Milan for the first time. They are hoping to follow up on their narrow 1-0 reverse win at this venue last November, and their current form certainly warrants them to dream of a scrap once again.
Heading into a fight for Serie A survival, Udinese have since won six of their last ten games, including four this season. They had managed as many in the previous 46, which tends to show their massive improvement under Runjaic.
Either way, they head to San Siro, hoping to stay close to the teams above them. Although the test against Milan is as big as it can get for them this season, Runjaic’s men will be hopeful of a positive result, as this does promise to be a feisty encounter.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
The big blow for Milan ahead of the weekend is Theo Hernandez’s absence, who must serve a one-match suspension. Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Sportiello, and Davide Calabria are all out of contention for this Udinese game.
Paulo Fonseca will have to carefully choose his defensive setup, as Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic look like the best bets at the heart of the defence. With Calabria and Florenzi both absent from proceedings, Emerson Royal is expected to keep his place at right-back, while Filippo Terracciano will replace the suspended Hernandez.
Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana are the current best pairing that Fonseca can station in the central midfield. At the same time, Alvaro Morata could be given a role in the No.10 slot, acting more like a second striker.
Noah Okafor is expected to lead the line, Rafael Leao will start on the left, and Christian Pulisic, chasing a fifth straight Serie A goal, will join some esteemed gentlemen of AC Milan in that regard.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Royal, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Reijnders, Pulisic, Morata, Leao; Okafor
Udinese
Udinese are without veterans Alexis Sanchez, Martin Payero, and Thomas Kristensen. However, they do have some positive news regarding their other stars, such as the prolific Florian Thauvin and Sandi :ovric.
Italian striker Lorenzo Lucca is also expected to play a key role. He and Thauvin have three goals apiece, with the latter directly responsible for six points this season so far. Udinese will stick with their tried-and-tested shape of a back three and five in midfield.
Jordan Zemura and Kingsley Ehizibue are in the wing-back roles. Between them will be Lovric, Jesper Karlstrom and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp. At the back, Christian Kabasele, Jaka Bijol and Lautaro Giannetti are all stationed in that three-man defence. Thauvin and Lucca are expected to form the partnership up front in the hope of troubling a somewhat shaky Milan defence.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Okoye; Kabasele, Bijol, Giannetti; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp, Zemura; Thauvin, Lucca
Key Stats
- In their history, the Udinese have never won back-to-back Serie A games against AC Milan at San Siro.
- Udinese have won six of their last ten games in Serie A.
- Before that, Udinese won six games out of their last 46 in the league.
- AC Milan have lost their last two games in all competitions.
- Only Rafael Leao has more dribbles (16 than Udinese star Florian Thauvin (13) in Serie A this season.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic is not a winger, but he can feature across the frontline in whatever attacking position the manager desires. Yet, this season, he has predominantly started on the right wing, and it has proven to be a fantastic decision from Paulo Fonseca.
Having scored in four straight Serie A games, Pulisic can score a fifth and join a group of esteemed AC Milan players like Olivier Giroud, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (twice), Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko (twice), and George Weah. He could be among them, as the American will have to continue with his consistent display for a Milan side that has struggled for relevance this season.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 Udinese
Udinese might have confidence in their players to pull off something special against AC Milan, who have been huffing and puffing all season. However, they will come to San Siro as underdogs to a certain capacity, and some of their missing stars will lead to a narrow defeat here.
Paulo Fonseca, on the other hand, will have come under tremendous pressure after another set of terrible results before the International break. However, he could have used this period to galvanise his side ahead of the next few games. AC Milan have the superior quality to get three points here, and they might do so narrowly. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home side.