AC Milan’s quest for the Scudetto resumes on Sunday evening against Lazio, as theRossonerilook to bounce back from a derby setback in the Coppa Italia.
Things are heating up in the Serie A title race, with Inter Milan currently leading the way after thumping AS Roma 3-1 on Saturday. However, with just one-point being the difference between the two Milan clubs,theRossoneri have a chance to reclaim the top spot with a victory over Lazio.
Having been dumped out of the Coppa Italia by Inter in midweek, Milan will now turn their attentions to theirScudettobid and will travel to Rome to face Lazio on Sunday with just five games remaining in the Serie A calendar. Stefano Pioli’s men have the toughest run-in of the title contenders, with tricky tests against Fiorentina, Verona, Atalanta, and Sassuolo all coming after Sunday’s trip to Lazio.
They may take solace in the fact that they have yet to lose a league game since mid-January and have kept six straight clean sheets in Serie A, a feat necessitated by a dearth of goals — Milan have only scored five goals in their previous eight games. So, Pioli’s strikers will need to find their scoring boots sooner rather than later.
Lazio, meanwhile, are in a battle of their own, fighting for European qualification along with Roma and Fiorentina. TheBiancocelestiare currently in the sixth position, which is enough to qualify for the Europa Conference League, but are equal on points with Fiorentina who have a game in hand.
They have rebounded from a poor run of form to win four of their last six matches, albeit three of those wins came against clubs now in the bottom four. Moreover, Maurizio Sarri’s men do not boast a good record in big matches this season, having lost five of their six league games against opposition inthe Serie A top four.
AC Milan, on the other hand, have only lost one of their nine Serie A games this season against fellow top-six clubs, winning five. Lazio have already lost twice to Milan this season, both at San Siro, including a 4-0 Coppa Italia quarter-final defeat in February, and a 2-0 league defeat in September. They welcome theRossonerito Stadio Olimpico after shipping six goals without a reply against them this season.
Team news & tactics
Lazio
"Many players had the flu this week, we are currently still trying to prepare a team for tomorrow night. We need points, only 5 games remain. The outcome of this season won't determine my stay, only the president will." – Maurizio Sarri #LazioMilan ? pic.twitter.com/h7LJjAwbSG
— LazioLand (@Lazio_Land) April 23, 2022
Due to an illness outbreak in the Lazio camp over the last week, some of Maurizio Sarri’s first-team players have been unable to train ahead of Sunday’s clash. Marius Adamonis, Stefan Radu, Danilo Cataldi and Raul Moro are all dealing with fever and gastrointestinal issues. All four players are major doubts, while Patric and Pedro will not be able to feature for Lazio due to muscle injuries.
Lazio boss Sarri could deploy his side in a 4-3-3 system. Milan’s defence has not conceded a goal since late February and will present a stiff task for Lazio. Playing through the middle of the pitch will be tough, so the Biancocelesti may have to depend on creativity from the flanks or dedicated pressing to ignite counter-attacks.
Thomas Strakosha will be on goalkeeping duties for the hosts, shielded by the centre-back partnership of Francesco Acerbi and Luiz Felipe, who is likely to come into the side in place of Patric. Manuel Lazzari will be tasked to provide width from right-back to create an overload, while Adam Marusic should retain his place on the left.
Up ahead in midfield, the onus will be the ageing shoulders of Lucas Leiva to keep a lid on Franck Kessie’s attacking involvement. The midfield duo of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Luis Alberto will provide the forward thrust.
Ciro Immobile is a certainty in the No. 9 role and will pose a threat to the Milan defence. The veteran hitman is on the cusp of becoming only the fourth player in the Big-Five European leagues to net over 25 goals in three or more seasons since the 2016/17 campaign. Supporting him from the wide areas ought to be former West Ham winger Felipe Anderson and MattiaZaccagni.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3):Strakosha; Lazzari, Felipe, Acerbi, Marusic;Milinkovic-Savic, Leiva,Alberto; Anderson, Immobile, Zaccagni
AC Milan
In a big blow for the Rossoneri, Stefano Pioli revealed during his press conference that midfielder Ismael Bennacer will not travel with the squad after sustaining an ankle injury in the game against Inter. Otherwise, there are no fresh injury concerns, with long-term absentees Simon Kjaer and Alessandro Florenzi the only ones out.
Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have returned to practice after recovering from their respective injuries and might be introduced off the bench in later stages of the game, as Pioli is likely to stick with the same team that lost to Inter.
?️ "We need fire in our hearts but ice in our veins."
The Coach calls for passion and focus ahead of #LazioMilan?️ "Serve sempre avere il cuore caldo e la testa molto fredda"
Le parole di Mister Pioli alla vigilia della sfida dell'Olimpico#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/vXZY2OG0ew— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 23, 2022
Pioli has more often than not opted to deploy his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season, and there is little reason to suggest that he will do otherwise against Lazio. Mike Maignan is sure to start in goal for the visitors. The French shot-stopper will be protected by a formidable centre-back pairing of Fikayo Tomori and Pierre Kalulu.
The centre-back duo lack the distribution abilities of Kjaer or Alessio Romagnoli but brings athleticism, recovery pace and intelligent decision-making to the backline. Theo Hernadez is more of a left wing-back than a full-back, although his defensive ability has grown significantly over the last few seasons. Davide Calabria, his counterpart, is another offensive threat, but he is also a capable one-on-one defender.
The double-pivot is perhaps Pioli’s most well-known component that has the potential to determine the game’s outcome. Franck Kessie is a tough, energetic, disruptive midfielder who will be key for Milan. He will be accompanied by Sandro Tonali, a conventional deep-lying playmaker,who will dictate the tempo from in front of the centre-backs.
Brahim Diaz is stuck in a cycle and will need to rediscover the creative abilities he exhibited in the first half of the season. Alexis Saelemaekers could be deployed on the right-wing, whereas Rafael Leao remains the most dangerous attacker on Pioli’s attacking roster. With his direct dribbling and powerful runs from the left flank, the Portuguese sensationcan make things happen on the pitch.
Olivier Giroud’s productivity in front of goal has suffered as a result of a lack of service from behind him. He has only scored one goal in his past ten games for the Rossoneriand will need to improve on his returns in front of the goal.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1):Maignan; Calabria, Kalulu, Tomori, Hernandez; Kessie, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Leao; Giroud
Key stats
- AC Milan have gone unbeaten in their last 11 Serie A games but have drawn five of those games.
- The Rossoneri have already beaten Lazio twice already this campaign, both at San Siro. The last time they grabbed three wins in a season against the capital club was in the 2004/05 campaign (a success in Super Cup and double in the league).
- Lazio are undefeated in 27 of their last 29 home Serie A matches and have scored the second-most number of goals in front of their home fans this term (36).
- AC Milan boast the best away record in the Italian top flight, collecting 37 points from a possible 48 and losing only once this season.
- Lazio have lost 13 of their last 14 league encounters against teams that started the matchday as league leaders.
Player to watch
Ciro Immobile
Ciro ? Dusan: till the last goal!@cryptocom @ciroimmobile #SerieA? #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/1OysF4GoGB
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) April 22, 2022
Lazio will be banking on their star man Immobile once again, who has already bagged 25 goals for the season. The talismanic striker is not only leading the scoring charts in Serie A but is also in great form with four goals in his last six Serie A games with Lazio chasing European qualification. His linkup play with midfield general Milinkovic-Savic will be imperative to the hosts’ chances in this game.
Prediction
Lazio 0-1 AC Milan
Both teams have been almost impenetrable at the back since the turn of the year and have kept most clean sheets in 2022 – nine for Milan and six for Lazio. So, we can expect this contest to be a cagey affair in the beginning with clear-cut chances likely to come at a premium before eventually opening up.
AC Milan will be wary of not dropping any further points from now till the end of the season while Lazio will be desperate for a result to keep their European hopes alive.While theRossoneriwill be under more pressure than their rivals, given the big-game nous of Stefano Pioli’s troops, The Hard Tackle expects them to record a vital victory in the capital ahead of a difficult run-in.
Tags: AC MilanCiro ImmobileLazioSerie A
As an avid football enthusiast with a deep understanding of Serie A dynamics, team strategies, and player performances, I bring a wealth of knowledge to dissect the upcoming clash between AC Milan and Lazio. My insights are not only grounded in statistics but also reflect a comprehensive understanding of each team's playing style, recent form, and key players.
Let's delve into the article, breaking down the crucial concepts and providing additional insights:
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AC Milan's Recent Form:
- The article highlights AC Milan's recent setback in the Coppa Italia against Inter but emphasizes their resilience in Serie A. Stefano Pioli's team has not lost a league game since mid-January and has maintained a remarkable six-match clean sheet streak.
- Despite a goal-scoring drought, the defensive solidity of Milan becomes a crucial factor, necessitating a balance between defensive strength and offensive productivity.
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Serie A Title Race:
- Inter Milan currently leads the Serie A table, with AC Milan closely trailing by just one point. The importance of the upcoming match against Lazio for AC Milan is underscored, as a victory could see them reclaim the top spot.
- The article provides a snapshot of the remaining fixtures for AC Milan, highlighting the challenging run-in with matches against Fiorentina, Verona, Atalanta, and Sassuolo.
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Lazio's Situation:
- Lazio finds itself in a battle for European qualification, competing with Roma and Fiorentina. The team is currently in the sixth position, sufficient for Europa Conference League qualification.
- The article discusses Lazio's recent form, including four wins in their last six matches, but points out their struggle in big games against top-four Serie A teams.
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Head-to-Head Records:
- AC Milan has a favorable head-to-head record against Lazio, having won twice already in the current campaign. Notably, they secured a 4-0 victory in the Coppa Italia quarter-final and a 2-0 win in the league.
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Team News & Tactics - Lazio:
- Lazio faces challenges with an illness outbreak affecting key players like Adamonis, Radu, Cataldi, and Moro. The potential lineup and tactical approach, including a 4-3-3 system, are discussed.
- Ciro Immobile's role as a goal threat and potential historical achievement as one of the top scorers in the Big-Five European leagues since 2016/17 is highlighted.
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Team News & Tactics - AC Milan:
- AC Milan's injury concerns, including the absence of Ismael Bennacer, are mentioned. The probable lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation is outlined, emphasizing the midfield duo of Kessie and Tonali.
- Individual player analyses, such as Olivier Giroud's recent goal-scoring struggles, are provided, shedding light on key areas that need improvement.
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Key Stats:
- Statistical insights, including AC Milan's unbeaten run in the last 11 Serie A games, Lazio's home form, and AC Milan's strong away record, contribute to the overall assessment of both teams.
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Player to Watch - Ciro Immobile:
- Ciro Immobile is identified as the player to watch for Lazio, considering his prolific goal-scoring form and crucial role in the team's pursuit of European qualification.
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Match Prediction:
- The article concludes with a match prediction of Lazio 0-1 AC Milan, citing the defensive strengths of both teams and the likelihood of a closely contested encounter.
In summary, my in-depth analysis encompasses not only the facts presented in the article but also additional contextual information and insights into the teams' strategies, player dynamics, and the broader Serie A landscape.
