Another weekday game, this time vs just-above-the-relegation-zone Genoa. Milan have managed to take care of similar bottom table foes the last 2 games, winning by a combined 4-0 in games where the opponent didn’t really threaten or otherwise generate any meaningful plays. With Napoli dropping points yesterday and Inter winning, it’s important to gain on one foe while keeping pace with the other.
MATCHDAY:
LAST FIVE
MILAN: WDLWW
GENOA: WLLLD
FORMATIONS
MILAN (3-5-2): Maignan (C); Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlović; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modrić, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic; Leão
GENOA (3-5-2): Leali; Marcandalli, Østigard, Vásquez (C); Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup , Malinovsky, Thorsby, Caricol; Colombo, Vitinha
*Lineups updated
TIME/LOCATION
TIME: 2:45pm EST/7:45pm GMT
PLACE: San Siro, Milan
WHERE TO WATCH:
Paramount+ and FuboTV here in the US of Aye (Spanish broadcast on Fox Deportes in the US); FuboTV and TLN for Canada; TNT in the UK (maybe?); ESPN for Mexico; DAZN for Germany, Austria, Switzerland; a website called GXR for our friends in India; and illegal streams that support dictators and oligarchs everywhere.
*Let us know if this needs updating or if you have additional broadcasters to add*
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Milan have seemed to right the ship against the smaller sides but more of that is needed today. And really, there is no reason to not take home all 3 points. Genoa, although technically not in the relegation zone, are just one spot out of it at 17th. They are amongst the worst scoring teams in the league and are in the bottom 3 for goals conceded/goals conceded per game. Their recent form matches their season-long form, as they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 12 games (conceding 23) and scoring just 15 during the same stretch.
For Milan, they’ve slowly started to regain form after a tough October and seeing another drop in December, although that was less important and consequential as 2 of the 3 games they dropped points in were loses in the Coppa and Supercoppa. No hearts broken with those.
As mentioned at the opening of this post, they have taken care of business vs bottom table clubs the last 2 games and they need to make it 3. Helping that cause will be Leão and Pulisic playing together at home for the first time this season. That fact alone is striking considering Milan are near the top of the table. All told, they’ve only logged about 115 together, on the pitch at the same time, all season. Hopefully that’s a good omen but that will depend on the gameplan.
If Genoa come out aggressive then Milan needs to absorb and counter. If Genoa sit back, Milan is going to need lots of movement and overlapping runs since they’ll be without a true striker in the starting lineup. If Genoa is sitting back and Milan can’t get a first half goal, I’d bring in Füllkrug and KEEP Leão and Pulisic on the pitch – go all out offense. It should be more than enough with Genoa’s porous defense.
PREDICTION TIME:
As long as Allegri doesn’t botch this tactically, Milan should take home all 3 points by a couple of goals. Go get it.
Forza Milan
gillis
*Lineups updated