AC Milan will look to return to successful methods in yet one more Saturday fixture in Serie A, this time in opposition to Frosinone on the Stadio Benito Stirpe.
Milan are left with a bitter style of their mouth after the final recreation at residence in opposition to Bologna, during which they took a 2-1 lead within the final 10 minutes by means of Ruben Loftus-Cheek earlier than an added-time penalty for the guests noticed two factors slip away.
Stefano Pioli pressured the significance of a response in his pre-match press convention, even when catching the groups above will likely be exhausting and there’s a massive hole to fifth place.
Recreation date: Saturday, February 1
Kick-off time: 18:00 (CET)
Venue: Stadio Benito Stirpe
Referee: Luca Pairetto (VAR: Mariani)
Group information
Milan will likely be with out long-term absentees Tommaso Pobega and Pierre Kalulu as they proceed their recoveries from surgical procedure, whereas Fikayo Tomori and Malick Thiaw won’t return both.
Mattia Caldara and Samuel Chukwueze will miss the sport – the previous because of harm, the latter because of being on the African Cup of Nations – which implies a complete of six absences for the sport.
The excellent news is that Ismael Bennacer has returned to coaching with the remainder of the squad forward of the sport having recovered from an adductor downside he sustained at AFCON.
By way of the beginning line-up, Mike Maignan will clearly be in objective with an unchanged defensive position of Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia and Theo Hernandez.
The deeper-lying midfield duo of Yacine Adli and Tijjani Reijnders are anticipated to maintain their place, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek taking part in a bit additional ahead because the attacking midfielder..
Christian Pulisic is down as the best winger, with Rafael Leao on the left aspect and Olivier Giroud main the road.
Luka Jovic, Noah Okafor, Yunus Musah and Ismael Bennacer are listed among the many substitutes who may come on throughout the recreation.
Possible Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez; Reijnders, Adli; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud.
The opponents
Frosinone had been tipped as promotion favourites in Serie B final season they usually definitely delivered, ending prime of the league with 24 wins in 38 video games and on 80 factors – 15 factors above Bari in third.
The step up is all the time powerful, they usually misplaced Daniel Boloca to Sassuolo for €10m in addition to Matteo Ricci to Sampdoria for €1.25m, that means there was a have to strengthen.
Abdou Harroui and Riccardo Marchizza got here from Sassuolo for a mixed €4m, Simone Romagnoli arrived from Lecce and Gennaro Borelli from Pescara.
Emanuele Valeri, Mehdi Bourabia, Michele Cerofolini and Marvin Cuni got here on free transfers, whereas Marco Brescianini landed from Milan and Caleb Okoli on mortgage from Atalanta.
By way of the choice points for Eusebio Di Francesco to take care of, Kalaj and Marchizza will certainly miss the sport, as will Ibraimovic, Oyono, Lirola and Lusuardi.
The record of absentees doesn’t finish there, with Baez, Zortea, Cuni and Bonifazi anticipated to additionally not be accessible, with the latter a recreation day choice.
The entrance three is predicted to be Harroui, Kaio Jorge and Soule, with Gelli, Barrenechea and Mazzitelli the midfield trio in entrance of Monterisi, Okoli, Romagnoli and Brescianini in defence.
Possible Frosinone XI (4-3-3): Turati; Monterisi, Okoli, Romagnoli, Brescianini; Gelli, Barrenechea, Mazzitelli; Soule, Jorge, Harroui.
Face to face
Milan have solely performed Frosinone 5 occasions of their historical past throughout all competitions they usually have by no means misplaced to them, with three wins and two attracts.
The primary assembly between the golf equipment was again in December 2015 and the Rossoneri gained 4-2 on the Stirpe with Ignazio Abate, Carlos Bacca, Alex and Giacomo Bonaventura all netting. The reverse fixture was a 3-3 thriller.
The latest fixture was after all the one at San Siro this season and it was solely in December. Jovic, Pulisic and Tomori scored in a 3-1 residence win.
Match information…
➤ Milan are unbeaten in opposition to Frosinone in Serie A (W3 D2), solely going through Pisa (12), Crotone and Lecco (each six) extra usually within the top-flight with out ever dropping.
➤ Milan have scored twice as many targets as Frosinone in 5 matches in opposition to the Ciociari within the top-flight: 12 v 6.
➤ After 5 defeats in a row, Frosinone haven’t misplaced of their final two league matches (W1 D1), the Ciociari may register an extended streak with out defeat in Serie A for the primary time for the reason that interval between August and September 2023 (5 in that case).
➤ Frosinone have picked up 20 factors from their 11 residence league video games this season; as many as of their earlier two Serie A campaigns mixed at this stage (19 – 14 in 2015/16 and 5 in 2018/19).
➤ Frosinone have scored 29 targets in 22 league matches this season, as many as they netted within the entirety of their earlier Serie A marketing campaign (29 targets in 38 MDs in 2018/19) – certainly, solely in 2015/16 (35) have the Ciociari scored extra targets in a single Serie A season.
➤ Milan have gained their final two away league video games, the Rossoneri may win three away matches in a row in a single Serie A season for the primary time for the reason that interval between September and October 2022 (in opposition to Sampdoria, Empoli and Hellas Verona in that case).
➤ This recreation will see the staff that has scored essentially the most first half targets in Serie A this season (Milan, 24) tackle the aspect that has conceded essentially the most targets within the opening 45 minutes this time period (Frosinone, 20).
➤ Milan and Frosinone are two of the 4 groups which have scored essentially the most targets from corners in Serie A this season: each six, degree with Juventus and Atalanta.
➤ Matías Soulé (9 targets within the present league season) may develop into the primary participant to attain a minimum of 10 targets in a single Serie A season for Frosinone (9 additionally for Daniel Ciofani and Federico Dionisi, each in 2015/16).
➤ Ruben Loftus-Cheek has scored 5 targets in Serie A this season, solely in 2018/19 has he netted extra in a league marketing campaign (six targets for Chelsea). The Englishman has scored in his final two league appearances, the final Milan midfielder to attain in three Serie A video games in a row was Franck Kessié in July 2020, whereas excluding penalties, Mathieu Flamini in April 2013 was the final midfielder to take action for the membership.
Ones to observe
It goes with out saying that Leao is underneath immense stress to finish his objective drought which stretches again to September, whereas Giroud will wish to make up for his penalty miss final weekend.
Loftus-Cheek has 4 targets in 4 video games and is in purple sizzling kind in consequence, whereas Bennacer’s potential return to the beginning line-up can be good to see and Theo will even look to avenge a missed spot kick.
There isn’t any doubting who the stand-out participant has been for Frosinone this season: 20-year-old Juventus loanee Matias Soule. He has 9 targets taking part in totally on the wing, plus an help.
Monterisi, Marchizza and Harroui every have 4 objective contributions. It’s Turati in objective plus Simone Romagnoli and Okoli at centre-back who’ve shaped the guts of the rearguard.
Prediction
Predicting Milan to maintain a clear sheet looks like a daring name in the meanwhile, and we don’t suppose one will come on Saturday night. Nevertheless, Pioli’s males ought to have the standard to bounce again and declare all three factors.
Frosinone 1-3 Milan