AC Milan will suit up for a massive fixture against Roma this Sunday. The Rossoneri have slid down to second in the Serie A table after a huge defeat to Inter Milan last weekend. Juventus are also slowly creeping behind Milan in third. Roma, on the other hand, are fourth and a victory will put them just two points behind Milan.
AC Milan Face Massive Fixture Against Roma
AC Milan Form
Milan, simply put, haven’t been great defensively in 2021 compared to the first half of this season. The last match against Inter was a testament to that. Captain Alessio Romagnoli was awful, to say the least. At this point, Fikayo Tomori may be a better option alongside Simon Kjaer. The midfield without Ismael Bennacer also barely competed defensively, and couldn’t contribute going forward.
That’s one match, however. The two fixtures before that, against Crotone and Spezia, were won by a combined score of 6-0.
The one worry for Milan is Bennacer’s absence. The double-pivot midfield of him and Franck Kessie is astounding. Many can argue it’s the best in Italy. Sandro Tonali, Bennacer’s back-up, is still young and learning, therefore not the best option for big fixtures. That’s not an excuse, however. The Scudetto is still very much within reach, something Milan haven’t seen for a decade.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic needs to show up in a big way for the Roma match. He didn’t do much against Inter, which is rare for a ‘big-game player.’ Roma are very good, but not at Inter’s level. Ibrahimovic should, at the very least, be targeting a single goal. Lastly, Milan need Hakan Calhanoglu to return to his pre-injury form. At one point, he shined as the best creative midfielder in the league.
Roma Form
Roma are in the middle of somewhat of a rollercoaster season. In some matches, they’ll look like a clear-cut Champions League team, and in others a mid-table squad. With that being said, they still at fourth in the table. Atalanta, Lazio, and Napoli are right behind them, however.
The team has been led by some terrific midfield play, most notably from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jordan Veretout. Both have nine goals to their name this year. Mkhitaryan, very impressively, also has an additional eight assists.
Edin Dzeko also has seven goals, remaining a consistent threat. Age is creeping up to him, but he’s still a powerful striker and a menace in the box.
All in all, Roma are pretty balanced as a squad. With the top four easily in reach, and a massive match in their own Stadio Olimpico, expect them to come out firing against Milan.
Match Prediction: Roma 1-2 AC Milan
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