AC Milan travel to the Stadio Ezio Scida to meet F.C Crotone this Sunday. The Rossoneri have been in fine form ever since football’s post-COVID-19 restart. As of now, they are unbeaten in their last 16 matches. The last time this happened was 12 years ago under the coaching of Carlo Ancelotti. Clearly, a lot has changed for Milan since then, but brighter days look inevitable. Milan will look to continue their form this weekend versus the newly-promoted club.
AC Milan Look to Continue Form Against Newly-Promoted Side
Milan’s Form this Season
The Rossoneri have only played three official games as part of the 2020/21 season. This includes two Europa League fixtures and one league fixture. All three of the matches, however, have resulted in victories.
The first came in a 2-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers in Ireland. Milan were dominant in the match. They held 68 per cent of the possession, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was hardly ever threatened. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a goal within the first 25 minutes of the match, and Hakan Calhangolu solidified the victory in the second half.
Milan’s second victory came in Serie A against Bologna. The scoreline was the same as the prior game, 2-0. Once again, it was Ibrahimovic who stole the show. He scored in the first half and cemented the win with a penalty in the second half. Milan, however, looked drowsy in the last 15 minutes and were fortunate not to concede a goal.
The third victory came this past Thursday in the Europa League versus Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt. Milan won 3-2, but it didn’t come easy. Calhanoglu performed admirably, scoring a brace and providing an assist. Youngster Lorenzo Colombo scored a goal as well, filling in for Ibrahimovic. Milan’s defence, specifically Matteo Gabbia, looked shaky, however, conceding two goals.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Void and Expected XI
Ibrahimovic missed the last Europa League fixture due to testing positive for COVID-19 this past Wednesday. Unfortunately for Milan, this means he will miss the Crotone fixture as well.
The Swede is the heart and soul of the team’s attack. Although Calhanoglu caught fire in the last match, Ibrahimovic’s absence was obvious in both the attacking play and the leadership on the pitch. After his brace in the last league fixture, replacing him will be no easy task.
Milan will likely roll out their usual defence – Donnarumma, Theo Hernandez, Gabbia, Simon Kjaer, and Davide Calabria. They cannot afford an injury, as centre-backs Alessio Romagnoli and Leo Duarte are missing as well.
The midfield will also feature the same double pivot of Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie. Even with the arrival of Sandro Tonali, there is no reason for change here as Bennacer and Kessie are consistently top performers on the pitch.
The attacking midfield trio will be Samu Castillejo, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Alexis Saelemaekers. Castillejo will retain his spot on the right, but this time, expect Saelemaekers to be deployed on the left. This is due to a fill-in at striker for Ibrahimovic. If Castillejo continues his struggles, expect Brahim Diaz to come in as soon as possible.
Although Colombo started up front in the Europa League, that was due to Ante Rebic being suspended. Rebic will be Milan’s main scoring threat and will fill in at striker as opposed to the left-wing. He’s not unfamiliar to the role and will look to get back to his scoring streak with this opportunity.
Prediction: Crotone 1-3 AC Milan
Crotone struggled in their first match against Genoa, losing 4-1. Milan are a better team overall than Genoa, even without Ibrahimovic, so they should win this match with relative ease.
Calhanoglu and Rebic will be the focal points of the attack, and at least one should find their name on the scoresheet. Potential players off the bench like Colombo and Diaz will also be hungry for goals as soon as they’re on the pitch.
At some point, however, Milan’s defence will likely slip-up. Gabbia has been decent filling in for the injured Romagnoli, but it’s clear Milan need a better third-option at centre-back.
Look out for Simy at Crotone, who scored 20 goals in 37 Serie B matches last season, to take advantage of a defensive mishap and score a goal for the home side.
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