Milan’s quest for Coppa Italia glory is hampered by mounting injuries, particularly in defense. Both Samu Chukwueze and Ismael Bennacer are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw, and Pierre Kalulu are all sidelined. This leaves Simon Kjaer and Jan-Carlo Simic as the only remaining center-backs. To compensate, the ever-attacking Theo Hernandez has been dragged into central duty.
Midfield Shakeup and Traore’s Rising Star:
Tommaso Pobega and Noah Okafor are also unavailable, but this opens a potential starting spot for 19-year-old Chaka Traore. The youngster has impressed, scoring in both Milan’s 2024 games so far.
Atalanta: Lookman Out, Muriel and Scamacca In:
Atalanta have their own AFCON absentee in top scorer Ademola Lookman. However, Aleksei Miranchuk has seized the opportunity, shining as Atalanta’s best player in recent games. With this being a Coppa Italia match, expect manager Gian Piero Gasperini to rotate his squad. Luis Muriel and Gianluca Scamacca could lead the attack, with Mario Pasalic and Davide Zappacosta potentially joining the fray. Juan Musso is likely to replace Marco Carnesecchi in goal.
Here’s a look at the possible starting lineups:
AC Milan (4-3-3):
- GK: Maignan
- DF: Calabria, Kjaer, Hernandez, Florenzi
- MF: Reijnders, Adli, Loftus-Cheek
- FW: Pulisic, Jovic, Traore
Atalanta BC (3-4-2-1):
- GK: Musso
- DF: Scalvini, Djimsiti, Kolasinac
- MF: Zappacosta, De Roon, Pasalic, Koopmeiners
- FW: Ruggeri, Muriel, Scamacca
AC Milan v Atalanta H2H
AC Milan has enjoyed a strong recent track record against Atalanta, winning 18 out of their last 43 encounters, compared to Atalanta’s 12 victories. The team is currently unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions, netting a total of 15 goals during this impressive run. Their sole recent defeat was a 3-2 loss to Atalanta in a Serie A fixture just last month. Additionally, AC Milan has maintained three clean sheets in their last five games while conceding only three goals in that span.
On the other hand, Atalanta remains undefeated in their previous seven matches in all competitions. However, their most recent loss was a 3-0 defeat against Torino in a Serie A match one month ago. The last three matchups between AC Milan and Atalanta have seen a flurry of nine goals scored, with only one clean sheet kept throughout these encounters.
Prediction
Milan’s recent home performances have been nothing short of phenomenal. Victories have become the norm, with the atmosphere at San Siro electrifying and the team demonstrating an almost unyielding defensive resilience. Their potent attack adds to the equation, making them a formidable proposition on their own turf.
Leave a Reply