AC Milan face a pivotal showdown with Juventus on Sunday night, one that could have major consequences in the battle for a top-four spot.
The Rossoneri fell to fifth place in the Serie A table on Saturday after Napoli’s win, and with Juve and Atalanta level on points with us, there is no room for error in the final four games of the campaign.
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Stefano Pioli looked to play down the question of whether or not this particular clash would be decisive, but a positive result in Turin would certainly be a major turning point for us in what looks set to be a dramatic run-in.
Given what’s on the line, Pioli must put out the best possible XI suited for this encounter and get that right before a ball is even kicked, and it appears as though there could be one surprise in the starting line-up on Sunday.
As per MilanNews, via Sky Sport Italia, it’s suggested that Brahim Diaz will get the nod ahead of both Ante Rebic and Rafael Leao, despite it being suggested all week that it was ultimately a battle between the latter duo for a berth on the left wing.
Instead, the Spaniard could start through the middle with Hakan Calhanoglu moved out to the left, with Alexis Saelemaekers on the right side in support of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will lead the line.
Meanwhile, it’s also suggested that Fikayo Tomori is set to start alongside Simon Kjaer in the heart of our defence, with captain Alessio Romagnoli dropping back down to the bench.
That seems to make sense as we lack pace in that department without the Chelsea loanee, and so the balance with Kjaer could be crucial in helping us keep a clean sheet and in turn winning the game.
Elsewhere, Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer will occupy the two deeper-lying midfield roles, with Theo Hernandez and Davide Calabria operating as the full-backs in what is very close to a full-strength XI.
As per the graphic below, La Gazzetta dello Sport are also going with the same XI to start the showdown in Turin, and so all signs are seemingly pointing toward that being the case.
Milan are fully aware of what’s at stake here, as are Juventus and the other clubs involved in the Champions League qualification scrap.
Our form when visiting the Bianconeri has been woeful for years, but it’s hoped that we can produce a solid performance and show enough quality to come away with what would undoubtedly be a fundamental three points in the battle for a top-four finish.
