Massimiliano Allegri will be scratching his head at his team’s recent run of form, which shows four defeats in seven league games. This run includes a period where they were somewhat back in the title race following a win over Inter Milan, but defeats to Lazio, Napoli, and Udinese have them scrambling to secure a top-four place instead.
Last weekend’s harrowing 3-0 loss at home against Udinese was the worst result of the four defeats, and with Juventus winning over Atalanta, the gap between the two teams is just three points. The Bianconeri are widely expected to win against Bologna on Sunday, which does add to Milan’s pressure to secure three points over a relegation-threatened Hellas Verona side.
More importantly, Allegri will want to see a response from his players following that display against Udinese, as well as consolidating a top-four spot, preferably third place. The current run also represents the first time Milan have lost consecutive games this season, although their run of six straight wins away at Verona does give their fans plenty of hope heading into the fixture on Sunday.
In fact, Milan can not only win away at Verona, but also nail their coffin as far as relegation is concerned. Heading into this matchday, Paolo Sammarco’s side are nine points behind 18th-placed Lecce, as another loss is likely to kill whatever slim hopes they have of avoiding the drop.
They could be dragged into a battle with bottom-placed Pisa over who might finish last. With one win to show from their last 15 home games, Verona have not beaten Milan since December 2017, and they are likely to extend that run on Sunday.
Unlike AC Milan, Hellas Verona have a few fitness issues to contend with, as they are missing long-term absentee Suat Serdar, while there are significant doubts about Sandi Lovric and Armel Bella-Kotchap for this clash with the Rossoneri.
However, there is some good news, as Tomas Suslov will return following a suspension. While he is not pencilled in to start, Paolo Sammarco may make some tweaks to his formation.
Last week, Sammarco replaced the misfiring Gift Orban with Scotsman Kieron Bowie, and this weekend, he might pair the attacking duo together. Sammarco will likely play with a similar formation to Massimiliano Allegri, with a 3-5-2 expected to take the pitch.
At the back, Andrias Edmundsson, Victor Nelsson, and Martin Frese will feature, with Daniel Oyegoke and Rafik Belghali in the wing-back roles. Roberto Gagliardini will sit at the base of their midfield, with Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Antoine Bernede on either side. The aforementioned Bowie and Orban will start together up front.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Montipo; Edmundsson, Nelsson, Frese; Oyegoke, Akpa Akpro, Gagliardini, Bernede, Belghali; Bowie, Orban
Injuries aside, the main change that Massimiliano Allegri might make is with his formation after switching to a back four against Udinese to disastrous effect. Hence, the experienced coach is likely to use a back three, especially with a full squad of players to choose from.
This might be a game where Allegri experiments with his forward line after back-to-back losses in which his preferred forwards, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, have not delivered from the get-go.
Hence, there could be a chance for Niclas Fullkrug, Santiago Gimenez, or Christopher Nkunku to stake a claim for a starting spot. It might be the case that Pulisic still starts in a bid to help himself end a goal drought that has lasted 14 games since he last scored against Hellas Verona in December.
Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic are the likely starters in the back three, while Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot will manage the midfield setup, although Samuele Ricci might have a shout for a starting spot if Allegri desires changes.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Nkunku
There is a special focus on Pulisic, with the American attacker failing to score since the end of December, which may have played its part in their downfall from the title race. Still, there is a lot to be achieved for Milan in the time remaining this season, as Massimiliano Allegri will want the American to find form.
In fact, Pulisic last scored against Verona before his drought began, and this might be a game for the USMNT international to make amends. He also has the World Cup to worry about, as Pulisic cannot go into the tournament in this dismal state of form to represent his country, meaning he must kick-start a revival, beginning with the Verona clash.
Verona are probably in the final leg of keeping their slim hopes of survival together, as the game against Milan could be the final nail in the coffin. The hosts might think they can hurt the Rossoneri following their run of bad results, but the quality on show would be enough for Massimiliano Allegri’s men to get over the line.
AC Milan have not lost consecutive games this season, and Allegri will not want to go three without a win in one stretch. He will have to tweak his setup to ensure three points away to relegation-threatened Verona, something his players will deliver.
