AC Milan have the chance to mathematically safe qualification for subsequent yr’s Supercoppa Italiana with a win tomorrow, taking over Genoa at dwelling. Nonetheless, with out the help of Curva Sud, it will likely be a really particular sport for the Rossoneri.
Curva Sud introduced on Friday morning that they are going to be current on the stadium, however there will probably be no cheering, flags or banners of their part. After the assertion printed, that is the second step of their protest in opposition to the administration.
Pioli admitted that it will likely be particular with out their help tomorrow however said that the gamers are totally targeted on defending second place. Throughout the pre-match press convention, he additionally confirmed that it will likely be an attacking-minded XI tomorrow.
Recreation date: Sunday, Could 4
Kick-off time: 18:00 (CEST)
Venue: San Siro
Referee: Alessandro Prontera (VAR: Serra)
Group information
A complete of six gamers will probably be on the sidelines for the sport tomorrow: Mike Maignan (harm), Davide Calabria (suspension), Simon Kjaer (harm), Yunus Musah (suspension), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (harm) and Luka Jovic (harm). Nonetheless, the state of affairs has improved in comparison with the Juventus sport.
Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez are each again from suspension, that means the defence will return to regular operations after Milan began with Yunus Musah at right-back and Alessandro Florenzi at left-back in opposition to Juve. Davide Calabria remains to be suspended, although, it ought to be famous.
Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega have each recovered from their accidents and can thus be known as up for tomorrow’s sport. Pioli even said throughout his presser that they may get a couple of minutes, however clearly that may depend upon how the conflict pans out.
As alluded to, it will likely be an attacking-minded XI as each Samuel Chukwueze and Christian Pulisic will play from the primary minute. Loftus-Cheek’s harm has roughly pressured Pioli to this resolution, but it surely labored effectively in opposition to Lecce so it will likely be fascinating to see it once more.
Olivier Giroud will maintain his spot up entrance, regardless of a troublesome show in opposition to Juventus, and plenty of followers would possibly surprise what Noah Okafor has to do to get an opportunity. Pioli highlighted his potential in the course of the presser, but it surely’s a bit unusual to not see him from begin right here.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Sportiello; Florenzi, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Giroud.
Observe: Sky’s graphic is inaccurate, they’ve said Tomori but it surely says Gabbia.
The opponents
Having been promoted forward of the present season, it have to be stated that Genoa have performed an excellent job underneath the steerage of the previous Milan man Alberto Gilardino. With 4 video games left to play, they’re 13 factors away from relegation and might thus put together for an additional season within the high flight.
Gilardino has reached an settlement with the membership to increase his contract and this exhibits that the administration has plenty of religion in him. From mid-December to the beginning of February, they went eight video games with out dropping and this clearly set them up effectively in avoiding relegation.
In any case, Genoa are not any pushovers and so they confirmed that by beating each Roma and Lazio, drawing twice in opposition to Juventus and drawing in opposition to Inter. Milan, in the meantime, needed to depend on an 87th-minute winner from Pulisic to safe all three factors.
Albert Gudmundsson and Mateo Retegui are the undisputed stars of the group, with 14 and 6 objectives respectively, so it’s an enormous blow that the previous won’t be capable to characteristic tomorrow. He has been combating a fever and it stays to be seen if he will probably be known as up.
For now, the expected XIs have him included within the entrance two however Gilardino himself admitted that they may check him at this time. The supervisor additionally said that Milan are ‘a group of nice high quality, proficient and robust on set-pieces’.
Predicted Genoa XI (3-5-2): Martinez; Vogliacco, De Winter, Vasquez; Sabelli, Thorsby, Badelj, Frendrup, Martin; Gudmundsson, Retegui.
Face to face
Milan have been very robust in opposition to Genoa in recent times, profitable 9 out of the final 12 league video games in opposition to the Rossoblu (2D, 1L). The pattern could be very related in Coppa Italia, profitable the final 5 video games, and the Rossoneri are thus huge favourites for tomorrow’s conflict.
The reverse fixture was removed from given, although, as Milan struggled to place Genoa in issue and will have let in a number of objectives themselves. Finally, although, it was a second of brilliance from Pulisic and heroics from Giroud in aim which sealed the three factors.
The final time they confronted one another at San Siro within the league, although, was in 2022 (the Scudetto season) when Rafael Leao opened the scoring early on and Junior Messias sealed the deal. We didn’t realize it then, but it surely ended up being an important win within the Scudetto race (Inter then misplaced their sport in hand).
Key information and stats
➤ AC Milan have received every of their final 4 Serie A matches in opposition to Genoa. Of their top-flight historical past, solely as soon as have Milan had an extended profitable run in opposition to the Grifone – seven wins between 1959 and 1963.
➤ Genoa have failed to attain of their final three league matches in opposition to AC Milan and will equal their longest streak with out discovering the web in opposition to the Satan within the competitors – 4 video games in a row which they managed between 1965-1974 and between 2011-2013.
➤ Throughout all competitions, AC Milan are winless in every of their final 5 matches (D2 L3). Underneath supervisor Stefano Pioli they’ve solely recorded an extended winless streak as soon as earlier than – a run of seven between January and February 2023 (D2 L5).
➤ AC Milan have misplaced their final two dwelling video games throughout all competitions (vs Roma and Inter) and will endure three defeats in a row at dwelling for the primary time since between February and March 2014 (vs Atlético de Madrid, Juventus and Parma) underneath Clarence Seedorf.
➤ Genoa received final trip in Serie A (3-0 vs Cagliari) and will win back-to-back matches for less than the second time within the league this season – having beforehand performed so vs Salernitana and Lecce in January. Nonetheless, the final time the Rossoblù saved a clear sheet in two video games in a row within the competitors was between February and March 2022 (a run of 4 in that case).
➤ Genoa have solely misplaced one in all their final 9 Serie A away matches (W3 D5), with their solely defeat on the highway on this interval coming at San Siro in opposition to Inter (1-2 in March 2024).
➤ Genoa have scored the fewest objectives from crosses (3) in Serie A this season. In the meantime, AC Milan have conceded the fewest objectives from such conditions (2) this season.
➤ Christian Pulisic scored the profitable aim for Milan within the reverse match (1-0 in October). The American worldwide has discovered the web 10 occasions in Serie A in 2023/24, with all of his final seven coming in opposition to groups presently within the backside a part of the desk.
➤ This match will see the participant with essentially the most huge probabilities created (Rafael Leão, 17) go up in opposition to the one with essentially the most probabilities created from set play within the league this season (Albert Gudmundsson, 47).
➤ Among the many gamers of newly promoted groups within the Huge 5 European leagues this season, nobody has scored greater than Albert Gudmundsson (14) – together with 5 throughout his final seven Serie A appearances.
Ones to look at
For Milan, it will likely be fascinating to see Marco Sportiello between the sticks once more. He did an excellent job in opposition to Juventus final trip and will probably be hoping to proceed on the identical path. He can do much more along with his toes, although, so it stays to be seen if he will probably be bolder tomorrow.
Along with the goalkeeper Samuel Chukwueze from begin is at all times good and his partnership with the others will probably be key for the sport. It labored effectively in opposition to Lecce, as already talked about, and the Nigerian has additionally been in good type these days.
Ought to he make it, it’s clear that Albert Gudmundsson will probably be a very powerful participant for Genoa tomorrow. Milan have truly been protecting tabs on him, however the competitors is fierce, and his capability to create probabilities (and convert them) will probably be essential for the Rossoblu tomorrow.
Lastly, Morten Thorsby is a really robust midfielder who doesn’t hesitate to place in a problem, so he’ll probably make life tough for Milan tomorrow. Particularly Christian Pulisic might wrestle in opposition to his physicality, so it stays to be seen how that may pan out.
Prediction
Milan are the favourites, there’s little question about it, however Genoa have performed effectively sufficient this season to return into this conflict with confidence. Particularly because the win within the reverse fixture was removed from a given, and now the help of the followers is not going to be the identical (on account of Curva Sud’s protest). A slender win, due to this fact, is probably going.
Milan 1-0 Genoa