Italian Serie A Match Preview, Round 26: AC Milan Vs Atalanta
Written By Onyeka Daniel
At the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, also known as the San Siro, it will be AC Milan versus Atalanta in the 26th round of the Italian Serie A and Italian referee, Daniele Orsato will be in charge of proceedings from the centre for this match. It will be a tough one as both teams are in dire need of points, coming into this encounter.
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For Milan, they’ve been far from impressive lately and have failed to remain consistent overall too. Now, with most of their injured players returning, there will be no excuse for Stefano Pioli and his boys. The Rossoneri missed out on the chance to go second in Serie A by losing 4-2 to Monza last weekend, after which the manager lamented that his side were making “too many mistakes”.
Now nine points adrift of leaders and fierce rivals Inter Milan, the third-placed side did at least qualify for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 on Thursday but only after suffering a scare against Rennes. It is also a chance at redemption for Milan following their most recent results against this same opponent. Atalanta have won only three of their last nine league meetings with Milan, but the Bergamo side were 3-2 winners in December’s reverse, when Ademola Lookman struck twice.
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While Teun Koopmeiners bagged a decisive brace in the clubs’ recent Coppa Italia encounter, booking La Dea’s place in the cup semi-finals. That should provide a psychological edge for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men, who secured a sixth successive victory last week, beating opponents battling for Serie A survival.
Having swept Sassuolo aside, with Koopmeiners among the scorers in a 3-0 win, Atalanta now face a crucial run of fixtures in the weeks ahead: after tackling Milan, they must meet Inter next Wednesday, while fellow top-four contenders Bologna will then visit at the start of March.
It is Bologna who they will now have to be wary of, as the Rossoblu have overtaken them in the fourth position with their 2-0 win over Hellas Verona on Friday, but Atalanta have played two games less too. They will play one of those today, before facing Inter Milan on Wednesday, so there’s no guarantee of getting maximum points from these games.
Style Of Play
For Pioli, he seems to have settled on the 4-2-3-1 formation, even if it’s just slightly different from the 4-3-3 formation. In this new one, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is given plenty of room to join the attack and get into the box more to provide extra body and pounce on loose balls from rebounds. The wingers are also expected to help out in defense.
Likewise the wing-backs are expected to join the attack and create an overload on the wings when they’re in attack. For Gasperini, the 3-4-2-1 formation stays and even in the presence of no recognized striker (Gianluca Scammaca has been struggling in front of goal), they still maintain that formation, playing Charles De Ketelaere in attack after selling Luis Muriel.
Recent Form
In their last 20 games played across all competitions, Milan have 12 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws. They’ve lost their last two matches in a row (Monza and Rennes), so they will be keen to bounce back with a win in this encounter. For Atalanta, they’ve 13 wins, 4 losses and 3 draws in the same number of games. Unlike, Milan, they are yet to lose a game in 2024, winning 8 games and drawing one. In fact, they on a 7 games winning streak.
Head To Head
It’s been an almost even affair between these two teams in their last previous clashes, but Atalanta have a slight edge, thanks to their two most recent wins in the Serie A and the Coppa Italia. They’ve 7 wins as against 6 for Milan while 7 has ended in a draw.
Players To Watch
While Olivier Giroud will be their main goal threat upfront, the combination between Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez will also play a key role in unlocking a stubborn defense. Charles De Ketelaere, who is on loan from Milan will be keen to show himself again after his showing in the reverse fixture last year. With support from Teun Koopmeiners and Miranchuk, they will surely create some chances.
AC Milan Possible Starting Lineup: Maignan; Calabria, Gabbia, Kjaer, Hernandez; Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
Read Also: Football Agent Reveals Why No Coach Wants To Join Napoli
Atalanta BC Possible Starting Lineup: Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac; Holm, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners, Miranchuk; De Ketelaere
Injuries And Suspensions
The home side should have an almost full squad to prosecute this match as most of their injured players are returning, but they will be missing Tomas Pobega and possibly Mattia Caldara through injury while Luka Jovic will be serving a suspension after he got a red card in the defeat to Monza last week. Atalanta will be missing I. He in and Jose Palomino through injury while Ademola Lookman is not fully fit since coming back from AFCON, so he may not start.
Verdict
Should probably end in a draw or a slight win for the Rossoneri if they can manage to stay compact at the back (2-2).
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