Following the disappointing Coppa Italia exit, AC Milan will probably be trying to bounce again with a robust efficiency within the league, taking over Roma this Sunday. Nevertheless, it guarantees to be a troublesome encounter for the Rossoneri.
Milan managed to take the lead towards Atalanta mid-week however then misplaced their bearings, conceding two targets by Teun Koopmeiners. One other trophy is thus out of sight for the Rossoneri, who might want to bounce again instantly within the league.
In his pre-match press convention, Stefano Pioli admitted that it gained’t be a straightforward recreation for Milan at San Siro. He additionally highlighted the defensive struggles they’ve skilled, conceding far too many targets in numerical superiority conditions.
Sport date: Sunday, January 14
Kick-off time: 20:45 (CET)
Venue: San Siro
Referee: Marco Guida (VAR: Mazzzoleni)
Workforce information
The harm scenario continues to be fairly dangerous for Milan, after all, however Noah Okafor has been given the go-ahead by the medical workers to return to motion. He will probably be obtainable, subsequently, whereas Marco Sportiello and Marco Pellegrino even have recovered however gained’t be obtainable.
Alessandro Florenzi will miss out because the fatigue is current nonetheless, similar to Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori who stay on the harm record. Then, we should additionally add the absences of Ismael Bennacer and Samuel Chukwueze, who each are on the AFCON.
Pioli could have squad to depend on for the conflict, although, with Matteo Gabbia and Filippo Terracciano to rely on now as properly. As per the most recent reviews, the previous will begin within the centre of defence alongside Simon Kjaer, which means Theo Hernandez will lastly be on the left once more.
In midfield, Yacine Adli will probably be again from begin and he’ll accomplice up with Ruben Loftus-Cheek in addition to Tijjani Reijnders. One of the best trio for that division proper now, one might argue, as Yunus Musah didn’t precisely impress towards Atalanta mid-week.
Up entrance, will probably be the traditional ’11-9-10′ trio with Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao all taking part in from the primary minute. The Portuguese winger wants to interrupt his purpose drought within the league, having failed to attain since September, whereas the American will probably be after extra glory.
Possible Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Theo; Loftus-Cheek, Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
The opponents
Identical to final yr, it has been a season crammed with ups and downs for Roma, with Jose Mourinho at all times on the helm. They’d a really tough begin to the season however have considerably recovered since then, even when they’re ‘simply’ in ninth place and with six defeats already.
Within the final 5 video games, actually, they’ve clinched only one victory and that’s merely not adequate for the Giallorossi. It must be famous that these 5 video games had been all towards notable opponents, however the level nonetheless stands.
Going again to Mourinho, he has been despatched off twice within the league this season and as soon as within the Coppa Italia, now on two consecutive video games with a crimson card. He’s ‘The Particular One’, in spite of everything, and this implies he’ll miss the sport towards Milan tomorrow.
Miss is maybe the improper phrase, as he will probably be current within the stands of San Siro and will definitely talk along with his teaching workers on the touchline. In any case, Roma will probably be with out some distinguished gamers: Tammy Abraham, Houssem Aouar, Sardar Azmoun, Paulo Dybala, Evan Ndicka, Renato Sanches and Chris Smalling.
Three of them (we’ll allow you to do the mathematics) are on worldwide obligation for the AFCON, which evens out the scenario with Milan a bit, and the remainder are injured. Mourinho will have the ability to depend on a quite robust XI anyway, even when the absence of Dybala will probably be felt.
Possible Roma XI (3-5-2): Patricio; Mancini, Llorente, Huijsen; Kristensen, Cristante, Paredes, Bove, Spinazzola; Belotti, Lukaku.
Face to face
Having a look on the head-to-head statistics, it’s clear that Milan have carried out higher on this fixture in recent times. Roma haven’t gained towards the Rossoneri since 2019, that’s eight league video games, and Pioli’s males are additionally unbeaten within the final 5 house video games towards the Giallorossi.
The final conflict between these two sides at San Siro ended 2-2, following a late comeback from Roma who appeared out of the sport previous to that. It was the beginning of a really robust interval for Milan, who dominated the affair till that first purpose from Mourinho’s aspect.
Curiously sufficient, Mourinho was additionally within the stands for that recreation resulting from a suspension. You possibly can check out the highlights under.
Match details and stats…
➤ Roma are winless of their final eight Serie A matches towards Milan (D3 L5), since a 2-1 victory in October 2019.
➤ AC Milan are unbeaten of their final 5 house Serie A video games towards Roma (W3 D2), together with the draw 2-2 final season; the Giallorossi’s final win on the Meazza stadium towards the Rossoneri was again on 1st October 2017.
➤ In every of the final seven Serie A matches between AC Milan and Roma, each groups have scored (25 targets in whole, 3.6 on common per match); the final clear sheet was recorded by the Rossoneri within the 2-0 on twenty eighth June 2020.
➤ Within the final seven Serie A MDs, AC Milan have picked up 16 factors (W5 D1 L1), conserving 4 clear sheets: within the interval solely Inter and Juventus (each 17) gained extra factors.
➤ Roma have misplaced (with out scoring) of their final two away Serie A video games: they may lose three consecutive away league video games for the primary time since September-October 2021; the final time they registered three defeats on the street in a row with out scoring in Serie A was again in March 2005.
➤ AC Milan have registered probably the most direct assaults in Serie A this season (41), whereas Roma are nineteenth on this rating (17); nevertheless, the Rossoneri (4) and the Giallorossi (three) are two of the primary 5 groups for targets scored by direct assaults.
➤ Since Josè Mourinho joined Roma, the Giallorossi have at all times misplaced the primary match of the second half of the season (twentieth match in Serie A): defeat towards AC Milan on the Meazza stadium in 2021/22 and defeat towards Napoli at Maradona stadium in 2022/23.
➤ Olivier Giroud – who scored a penalty within the reverse match towards Roma – has netted 9 targets within the present league season; the final AC Milan participant to attain a minimum of 10 targets in three Serie A campaigns in a row was Alexandre Pato (between 2008/09 and 2010/11).
➤ Roma’s Romelu Lukaku has scored in every of the 4 video games he has began towards AC Milan in Serie A; the Belgian closed this primary half of the season with eight targets scored in 16 league appearances, 4 lower than within the first half of 2020/21 season (12) and 6 lower than in 2019/20 (14) – final season he performed solely seven matches, scoring one purpose, within the first 19 Serie A video games performed by his membership.
➤ Roma’s Paulo Dybala has been concerned in 12 targets in Serie A towards AC Milan (seven targets and 5 assists), solely towards Udinese (19) he has had a hand in additional. Nevertheless, his final purpose towards the Rossoneri in Serie A was again on tenth November 2019 (1-0 with Juventus).
Ones to look at
If it’s true that Hernandez will probably be again on the left-hand aspect, then Milan followers ought to certainly hold a detailed eye on him. He confirmed what he can do in these areas towards Atalanta, combining with Leao, and the Rossoneri have to see extra of this.
Along with the Frenchman, Gabbia will probably be one other necessary participant towards a robust Roma assault. He did very well towards Atalanta however needed to depart early with a head harm. Fortuitously, he’s now again and will probably be trying to impress beneath the floodlights at San Siro.
For Roma, it goes with out saying that Milan should include Lukaku as a lot as potential. The Belgian striker has scored eight league targets this season and he actually is aware of what it seems like to attain towards the Rossoneri.
Mancini is one other participant to control. He at all times performs extremely soiled, utilizing each potential trick to get his opponents off steadiness. The battle with Leao will probably be very attention-grabbing in that sense, and the latter should be fast in his motion.
Prediction
It is not going to be a straightforward recreation for Milan, that’s sure, however the feeling is that they need to have the ability to clinch all three factors. Mourinho has some fairly important absences and the latest kind speaks for itself, whereas the Rossoneri are heading into the conflict with a constructive league kind.
That being stated, in large video games kind goes out the window, and we now have seen Pioli’s males battle in these kinds of video games earlier than.
Milan 1-0 Roma