The Rossoneri are in fourth place in the table heading into the weekend, but Roma is only a point behind them, and both Atalanta and Juventus are looking to close the gap even further.
As a result, there is little room for error between now and the end of the season if we are to return to the Champions League next season, and the pressure is on Stefano Pioli and the players given our poor form prior to the international break.
It doesn’t get much more difficult than visiting the league leaders, but Milan must respond and perform against Luciano Spalletti’s side this weekend to get back on track.
Up to five changes could be made from Milan’s starting lineup against Udinese before the break, with two changes almost certainly forced on Pioli due to injuries sustained by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pierre Kalulu while on international duty.
Both have been ruled out, so Davide Calabria is expected to return at right-back as we reintroduce the 4-2-3-1 system, while Olivier Giroud is the obvious candidate to replace Ibrahimovic and lead the line for us.
Meanwhile, Simon Kjaer is expected to replace Malick Thiaw in the heart of the defense alongside Fikayo Tomori, while Theo Hernandez returns at left-back as the backline looks to rediscover its pivotal influence with Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer ahead of them in the midfield
Brahim Diaz, Rade Krunic and Rafael Leao are likely to provide the support behind Giroud in the final third, although Alexis Saelemaekers is perhaps best placed to push Diaz for a starting spot on the right side, with Krunic deployed through the middle.
Although Pioli’s team reacted negatively to the switch to a three-man defense, this system is arguably better suited to the players he has at his disposal, and it should allow key individuals to step up and be more effective in their more natural roles.
The priority will be to rediscover our defensive solidity, and then build on that by showing more quality in our attacking play to cause problems for Napoli, as we were poor in both phases last time out and will need to significantly improve against tougher opposition.
Naturally, it will take some effort to win, but these players must start proving themselves again and laying a foundation for the rest of the season as we look to finish strong and comfortably in the top four by the end of the season.
Predicted AC Milan XI: Maignan, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Theo Hernandez, Tonali, Bennacer, Diaz, Krunic, Leao, Giroud.
Leave a Reply