AC Milan will host AC Monza in a Serie A clash at San Siro this weekend, and they will look to finish the season as strongly as possible.
This has been a disappointing season for them, and they are ninth in the Serie A table. For a club of their stature, it is simply unacceptable, and AC Milan will hope to finish the season strongly in the game vs AC Monza and bounce back next term.
The Rossoneri are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive defeats in all competitions. It remains to be seen whether they can get back to winning ways here. AC Milan were on a four-match winning run prior to the defeats to Bologna and AS Roma.
However, the home side have an impressive record against Monza, with eight wins from the last ten meetings against them. It remains to be seen whether they can come out on top here. Meanwhile, the visitors are at the bottom of the Serie A table, with just three wins all season.
The Biancorossi have lost five of their last six league matches, and they will be major underdogs here. Monza have been quite poor all season, and they are completely devoid of form and confidence. They are likely to crash to yet another defeat here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
The home side will be without Warren Bondo (ankle), Theo Hernandez (thigh) and Samuel Chukwueze (groin) due to injuries. Pierre Kalulu and Santiago Gimenez are suspended. AC Milan are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs AC Monza, with Mike Maignan in goal.
Emerson Royal and Kyle Walker will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Fikayo Tomori will start alongside Strahinja Pavlovic at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Youssouf Fofana will start alongside Tijjani Reijnders and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the central midfield. They will look to add defensive cover, control and physicality to the side. Finally, Tammy Abraham will lead the line for AC Milan vs AC Monza, with Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Royal, Tomori, Pavlovic, Walker; Reijnders, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao
AC Monza
Pedro Pereira is suspended for the visitors. Silvere Ganvoula, Roberto Gagliardini, and Omari Forson are out with knocks. Armando Izzo has a thigh injury, Danilo D’Ambrosio has an ankle injury, and Matteo Pessina has a thigh injury.
AC Monza will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs AC Milan, with Semuel Pizzignacco in goal. In the back three, Andrea Carboni will start alongside Arvid Brorsson and Tomas Palacios.
Samuele Birindelli and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to protect the back three and hit AC Milan on the break. Kevin Zeroli, Alessandro Bianco, and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro will start in the central midfield, and they will look to add control, composure, and defensive cover to the side. Gianluca Caprari and Keita Balde will lead the line for the away side.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Pizzignacco; Carboni, Brorsson, Palacios; Birindelli, Zeroli, Bianco, Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Caprari, Balde
Key Stats
- AC Milan have scored at least three goals in their last four home matches against AC Monza in all competitions.
- AC Milan have won eight of their last ten matches vs AC Monza in all competitions.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- AC Monza have lost five of the last six matches in the league.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
The United States international has been in fine form for AC Milan, and he is our key player to watch out for. He could trouble the Monza defence with his creativity and goalscoring ability. The visitors are quite vulnerable at the back, and they will struggle to contain the AC Milan attacker. Pulisic could make a defining impact in the final third, and he will look to help his side grind out all three points.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 AC Monza
The home side are undoubtedly the favourites here, and they should be able to grind out all three points. The Rossoneri will be desperate to bounce back from the last two defeats, and this is a golden opportunity for them.
AC Milan are up against the worst team in the division, and they have an impressive record against AC Monza as well. The visitors will look to put up a fight and salvage some pride here, but Milan have the quality in the attack to edge this contest. A narrow victory for the home team is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Sergio Conceicao and his charges.
