AC Milan will look to return to winning ways in the Serie A when they host Atalanta at San Siro on Sunday.
Both AC Milan and Atalanta have not been in the best of form this season, and they will be eager to get their campaign back on track by securing all three points from this high-voltage fixture.
The home team are unbeaten in Serie A, but they have dropped points on three occasions. With three wins and three draws in their six league outings, Ruben Amorim’s men are sixth on the table, four points behind leaders Inter Milan.
After a disappointing 1-1 draw against Sassuolo in their last league outing, Milan bounced back in fashion and secured an important 4-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Europa League. Not only have they got their European campaign back on track, but they will certainly be confident of their chances heading into this one.
Meanwhile, Atalanta are tenth on the points table with nine points in their six league outings. While they started the campaign with back-to-back wins, the visitors went on to lose three in a row before securing all three points against Venezia last time out.
They backed it up with a 3-0 win over Pafos in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Atalanta have been in fine form post the international break, and they will certainly give AC Milan a run for their money. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Mattia Gabbia (tendon) and Alexis Saelemaekers (ankle). But apart from the duo, everyone else is available for selection.
Ruben Amorim’s team are expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mike Maignan starting in goal. Mario Gila, Koni De Winter, and Strahinja Pavlovic should form the back three, providing defensive solidity and looking to build play from the back.
Samuel Chukwueze and Pervis Estupinan are likely to operate as wing-backs, offering width and supporting the attack. Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot are expected to partner in central midfield, helping Milan control possession and dictate the tempo.
Christian Pulisic and Alphadjo Cisse should operate behind Goncalo Ramos, who is likely to lead the line for AC Milan against Atalanta. The attacking duo will look to create chances between the lines and provide Ramos with quality service in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Estupinan; Pulisic, Cisse; Ramos
Eljif Elmas is suspended for this fixture, while Odilon Kossounou (thigh), Kamaldeen Sulemana (knee), and Isak Hien (hamstring) are all out injured. On top of that, Giorgio Scalvini (thigh), Giacomo Raspadori, and Franck Kessie are all doubts for this game.
Atalanta are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation vs AC Milan, with Marco Carnesecchi starting in goal. Raoul Bellanova and Lorenzo Bernasconi should operate as full-backs, while Thomas Kristensen is likely to pair up with Sead Kolasinac in the heart of the defence.
Ederson, Gianluca Gaetano, and Mario Pasalic are expected to form the midfield trio, providing defensive cover and helping Atalanta compete for control of possession.
Charles De Ketelaere and Jonathan Rowe should operate on the flanks, with Nikola Krstovic leading the line. The front three will look to stretch the opposition defence and make the most of their opportunities in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Carnesecchi; Bellanova, Kristensen, Kolasinac, Bernasconi; Ederson, Gaetano, Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Krstovic, Rowe
Ramos has had quite an impact at AC Milan since joining them in the summer. While the 25-year-old has shown a lot of promise, the end product is not quite there just yet. In his eight outings across competitions, he has found the back of the net just twice.
However, having bagged a goal against Red Bull Salzburg last time out in his 30-minute cameo, the Portuguese international will be looking to build on that performance and add to his tally against Atalanta in front of the home fans.
AC Milan will take confidence from their emphatic UEFA Europa League victory, but their recent struggles to turn draws into wins in Serie A remain a concern. Atalanta have also shown signs of improvement after a difficult run, and their attacking players could trouble Milan’s back three if they find space on the counter-attack.
The Rossoneri should have the edge at San Siro, particularly after their convincing performance against Salzburg. Meanwhile, Atalanta have enough attacking threat to find the net, but their defensive absences could leave them vulnerable against Milan’s forward line. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 3-2 win for the home team.
