Milan continued their tough stretch with a lackluster draw at Juventus last week. It has capped a 5 game run where Milan has only drawn twice, lost three times, and have zero wins (1 point out of 9 in the league and 2 defeats in Europa League). With the calls for Pioli’s ouster getting louder and louder, does Milan bounce back today for their skipper? We’re about to find out…
MATCHDAY:
LAST FIVE
MILAN: DLLDL
GENOA: WLDWD
FORMATIONS
MILAN (4-2-3-1): Sportiello; Hernandez (C), Tomori, Gabbia, Florenzi; Reijnders, Bennacer; Leão, Pulisic, Chukwueze; Giroud
GENOA (3-5-2): Martinez; Vasquez, De Winter, Vogliacco; Caricol, Thorsby, Badelj (C), Frendrup, Spence; Ekuban, Retegui
TIME/LOCATION
TIME: 12pm EST/5pm GMT
PLACE: San Siro, Milano
WHERE TO WATCH:
Paramount+ and FuboTV here in the US of Aye and Canada, BeIn for our Aussie pals, ESPNPlay for our fellas in T&T, JioTV for our Indian leoni, and illegal streams that support dictators and oligarchs everywhere.
*Let us know if this needs updating*
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Last time these two played was the famous Giroud-at-goal-keeper game. The game was testy but one Milan controlled until Maignan got sent off for an inadvertent knee to a Genoa player’s head around the 90th minute (Genoa had a man sent off at about the same time as well). Milan was out of subs at that point so Giroud took the mitts and the rest when down in Milan lore.
Milan held on to the 1-0 win on the day with a goal from Pulisic around the 87th minute. Again, it was a game Milan mostly controlled and ultimately took the lead in but to say the end was testy and nerve-racking is an understatement.
Now, after that memorable first encounter of the season, what does the replay have in store for us? Well, Genoa come in comfortably in 12th and as Lisi likes to say, are happily at the beach knowing they’ve ensured their place in Serie A next season but have no chance of catching anyone for the chance at European football. Their best player, Gudmundsson, who’s had a heck of a campaign, appears to be out sick by the reports. This means the scoring will rest on Retegui and the creativity on Frendrup.
This Gudmundsson loss for Genoa is a gain for Milan. With RLC banged up and Calabria out serving the second of his two game suspension for his actions in the Inter game, Pioli is deploying the very offensive lineup with Pulisic as the CAM and Florenzi at RB. Theo slots back into his normal LB position and Chukwueze gets a run out at RW. Most of the lineup is the same outside of that with Sportiello still taking up the spot between the sticks with Maignan still banged up.
Between the RLC and Maignan injuries, I’m actually quite pleased we will get a nice little extended run with Pulisic as the CAM and Sportiello filling in, since I’d like to see Milan move on from RLC this summer and Pulisic to take over the CAM full time. On the Maignan/Sportiello thing, I’ve been on the record saying I don’t like Milan paying a large wage to keepers, even one like Maignan, so if Milan wants to move anyone who has some real value then Maignan would be the first guy on my list. Seeing Sportiello play would like us know how much of a drop off losing Maignan would be and how urgent finding a replacement would land on Milan’s to-do list. But we can save this for another day in the near future.
With the very offensive lineup, Pioli is going with Bennacer for Adli in the double pivot with Reijnders. I don’t mind this because Adli’s creativity won’t be as needed with Pulisic as the CAM. Pulisic in the middle will help create with or without the ball since he knows how to position himself. Either he’ll distribute/create or suck defenders towards himself and open it up for the wings. Bennacer sitting back as the DM is the best version of Bennacer we’re going to get this season and still still probably Milan’s best DM at the moment.
As for predictions, I really like Milan in this and can see them scoring goals, at least 2 but maybe even 3 or 4. They might give up one but I’m expecting a dominate performance and a goal or an assist for Leão and Pulisic.
Here’s what Lisi says: At home I think we bounce back against Genoa. I expect another clean sheet through Sportiello. I think Chukwueze gets on the board. I expect a really strong finish from him. Pulisic TSOA.
Let’s get one for Pioli.
Forza Milan
gillis