Milan face another tough challenge on the road as they travel to the Stadio Olimpico to face Lazio, a place where they’ve only won 3 of their last 10 matches vs Lazio and won just 12 of a possible 30 points. Across from them will be a Rino Gattuso side who are trying to prove themselves to be a legitimate contender for the top 4 after winning their first 3 games. Are Milan catching them at the wrong time or are they due for their first loss of the season? Time to find out…
MATCHDAY:
LAST FIVE
LAZIO: WLWWW
MILAN: LWWWD
FORMATIONS
LAZIO (4-3-3) *Predicted*: Mandas; Mussolini, Doekhi, Provstgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Isaksen, Pinamonti, Zaccagni
MILAN (3-5-2) *Predicted*: Maignan (C); Gila, De Winter, Pavlović; Chukwueze, Modrić, Musah, Estupiñan; Rabiot, Cissé; Ramos
TIME/LOCATION
TIME: 12pm EST/6pm GMT
PLACE: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
WHERE TO WATCH:
***Let us know if this needs updating or if you have additional broadcasters to add***
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.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
Last week was a bit of a let down in that Milan played their worst game of the season so far. BUT they still left with a point vs Juventus and those types of results can make or break a top 4 season. So we’ll take it!
But today is another challenge vs a Lazio team not conceding much (only 1 goal allowed through 3 games) and Milan trying to find their offensive identity vs non-bottom of the table sides. The tinkering with the lineup wasn’t the issue per se, but how or what was changed was, as Amorim took off Milan’s best player in Chukwueze and threw on a newly-acquired Diego Moreira to make his debut in a tough place. So, we can expect Chukwueze back out there but the two players sitting behind Ramos is still a work in progress.
Teenager Alphadjo Cissé is proving to have a good shot and a knack for goal but there are still many flaws in his young game. Rabiot, who started last game behind the striker had possibly his worse game in a Milan jersey. Saelemaekers did Saelemaekers things. Pulisic is maybe fit? Rumors are we’ll see him at some point in this game. I haven’t been high on him this summer but I’d love to be wrong. So, for me the selection here is as important to what Amorim has the guys trying to accomplish on the pitch.
For Lazio, they appear to have taken on the tough-nosed grinder approach this season, scoring just 4 goals in 3 games, with 3 of those goals coming from Davide Frattesi. Seems to be if you stop him, you stop Lazio. But Zaccagni is usually tough vs Milan but we’ll see if that still holds with a Gattuso-led side. I’m guessing he will…once a thorn, always a thorn.
One last thing worth noting here: there is a Mussolini playing for Lazio. Clearly a person can’t be held responsible for the sins of their father (or grandfather…or great grandfather or any any ancestor), but a MUSSOLINI??? Kind of fitting for a side affectionally known to non-fans as Nazio…
PREDICTION TIME:
I think Milan pull out at least a point but I think they can walk away with all 3 with a little luck. It’ll likely be lower scoring, something like 0-1, or 1-1, maybe 2-1 with a very late winner. But I’m not expecting goals to be raining down. I guess we’ll see…
Forza Milan
gillis