AC Milan will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against Como, who are fighting for survival in Serie A.
Following a poor first half of the 2024/25 Serie A season, AC Milan have a lot of catching up to do and they will look to start that with their first league win of the new year against Como away from home.
The home team are 15th on the points table with 19 points in as many outings. They are just a point above the drop zone but have a game in hand over 18th-placed Cagliari, and a positive result here would help them move clear of danger.
Como have two wins in their last five league games and with a win and a draw in their last outing, they will be confident about causing an upset against AC Milan. Meanwhile, the Rossoneri are eighth on the table with just 28 points in their 18 outings. AC Milan have only won seven games so far and they are already eight points behind the team in fourth.
While the Suppercoppa Italiana win would have been a massive boost for them, they have only won one of their last five league games and are heading into this one on the back of a 1-1 draw against Cagliari. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put together.
Team News & Tactics
Como 1907
Manager Cesc Fabregas will be without the services of Nico Paz, Alberto Dossena, Maximo Perrone and Sergi Roberto. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Edoardo Goldaniga is back after serving a suspension.
Como will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Jean Butez will be in goal. Ignace Van der Brempt and Alberto Moreno will be the full-backs, while Edoardo Goldaniga will pair up with Marc-Oliver Kempf in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Luca Mazzitelli and Yannik Engelhardt will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. Gabriel Strefezza and Alieu Fadera will provide width to their attacks. Lucas Da Cunha should be the attacking midfielder in Nico Paz’s absence, while Patrick Cutrone should start up top.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Butez; Van der Brempt, Goldaniga, Kempf, Moreno; Mazzitelli, Engelhardt; Strefezza, Da Cunha, Fadera; Cutrone
AC Milan
Sergio Conceicao will be without the services of Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Alessandro Florenzi. Meanwhile, Emerson Royal is back in the mix after serving a suspension last time out.
AC Milan will be involved in seven games in less than a month, and Conceicao will look to ensure he manages his squad well. As a result, he could look to make a few changes to the XI that started in his last outing.
The visitors will also line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan will be in goal. Emerson Royal and Theo Hernandez should be the full-backs, while Fikayo Tomori should partner Malick Thiaw in central defence.
In the centre of the park, Youssouf Fofana will form the double pivot alongside Ismael Bennacer. The duo will look to control the tempo of the game. Tijjani Reijnders will be the attacking midfielder, with Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao providing the width from the flanks. Meanwhile, Alvaro Morata should be lead the line from AC Milan against Como.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Bennacer; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata
Key Stats
- AC Milan do not have a convincing away record in Serie A having won just three out of their eight games.
- The two teams last met in the Italian top flight during the 2002/03 season with Milan winning both games.
- Cesc Fabregas’s team have only lost one out of their last six league games.
- AC Milan have only won one out of their last Serie A games.
- Como will be looking to extend their three-match unbeaten run at home.
Player to Watch
Alvaro Morata
While AC Milan have quite a few attacking options, Alvaro Morata could prove to be a key player for them in this fixture with his physical presence and strong link-up play in the final third. With just six goal contributions in his 14 league outings, the Spanish international will be eager to add to his tally against Como in this away fixture.
Prediction
Como 1-2 AC Milan
Milan have not been at their best in recent weeks, while Como have become a resilient unit that is tough to beat. While it will be a closely fought encounter, the Italian giants could eventually come out on top given the kind of impact players they have on their roster. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for AC Milan.
