Boy, talk about shifting the goal posts. A few weeks back we had pipe dreams of a Scudetto and now we’re all looking over our shoulder at Como and Juventus and hopefully NOT falling out of the top 4 in the league. Crunch time is and has been here and Milan have 3 wins in their last 7, including 3 losses. They had 1 loss prior to this most recent stretch.
Is the Allegri late-season fade coming into view? He wasn’t great down the stretch during his last stint with Juventus…is a repeat in the cards?
MATCHDAY:
LAST FIVE
MILAN: WWLWL
UDINESE: WDLWD
FORMATIONS
MILAN (4-3-3) *Predicted*: Maignan (C); Athekame, De Winter, Pavlović, Bartesaghi; Fofana, Modrić, Rabiot; Pulisic, Giménez, Nkunku
UDINESE (3-5-2) *Predicted*: Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Ehizibue, Piotrowski, Karlstrøm, Ekkelenkamp, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis
TIME/LOCATION
TIME: 12pm EST/5pm 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:
There are serious rumors that Allegri is finally going to switch to a winger formation. Even FotMob above is showing that even before official lineups have been revealed. This is good, a change has been needed. There are two things that are tamping down my enthusiasm of this potential switch so let’s talk about them.
The first thing is around the rumors of the formation switch but Leão being left out with Nkunku starting at LW instead (Pulisic is slated to be at RW). Switching to a winger formation makes the most sense because yes the team has a lot of wingers but it makes the MOST sense because you have one Rafael Leão on your squad and you want to cater the team to get the most out of your most talented offensive weapon. Sitting him, unless he’s actually hurt, is a level of stupid I can’t even comprehend. I hope it’s not true.
The other thing that worries me is the team is going to play this new winger formation with the same ol’conservative approach we’ve had all season, which almost defeats the purpose of switching and really prevents the team from pressing and take the game to Udinese. A midfield of Fofana-Modrić-Rabiot is good at certain things but one of the things won’t be creating in the final third. We know Modrić could do it but Allegri won’t deploy him that high up the pitch. Rabiot isn’t a creative midfielder, and Fofana is mostly a ball-winner even though he thinks he’s good at creative-midfielder-things (we’ve all seen him play and can assure him he is not). All 3 guys can thread a ball in the middle-third and having Pulisic-Giménez-Leão out there helps with that type of play. But, those types of plays happen a few times a game and Milan should be in the final third a lot if the game goes like I think it will.
Other changes appear to have Tomori sitting with De Winter and Pavlović starting, which is fine. Not a lot of drop off between all 4 CBs to be honest but as you all know, I like having a fast CB out there with a bigger one so you benefit from catch up speed but also a big body to help with aerial threats. This also means Athekame is set to start at RB if it is indeed a back 4. I’m fine with this and I think the kid should play. Bartesaghi should be at LB and I know he wasn’t exactly spectacular last game but these are necessary going pains for a 20yr old. Plus he’s actually pretty damn good. Also, Saelemaekers is set to go to the bench and this is way past due as well. Guy hasn’t played really well since the end of 2025.
PREDICTION TIME:
I think Milan win this and if Leão starts I think they win by a couple of goals. This isn’t the Udinese that has caused Milan problems of the last decade as evidenced by Milan’s 0-3 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season. So, let’s hope Allegri realizes he needs to let these guys loose and get this one put away by halftime. Here’s hoping anyway!
Forza Milan
gillis