AC Milan vs. Sassuolo: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
The build-up to AC Milan’s home game against Sassuolo is an example of how quickly football’s tables can turn. At the start of this season, Milan were expected to compete with the division’s best while many felt Sassuolo would struggle somewhere around lower mid-table.
However, after just eight Serie A fixtures, the two teams have experienced a sort of role reversal, with Sassuolo sitting prettily in fifth with just one defeat thus far while Milan languish in 13th having lost half of their league fixtures.
It’s an uncomfortable position for the Rossoneri to be in, particularly as they began the campaign so enthusiastically with Sinisa Mihajlovic promising great things as the club’s new coach.
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To make matters worse for Milan, there are few more dangerous teams they could face than Sassuolo in the hope of getting back on track. Since the Neroverdi won promotion to Serie A in 2013, they have played Milan four times in the league and Sassuolo have won three times.
Having gone three games without a win, it is imperative that Milan don’t continue their poor record against Sassuolo in this Sunday’s clash.
Another defeat would prove a crushing blow to their hopes of making European football next season while, with pressure mounting on Mihajlovic, it could also severely shorten the coach’s time in charge.
Date: Sunday, 25 October
Time: 2 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. ET)
Venue: San Siro, Milan, Italy
TV Info: BT Sport Extra 2 (UK)
Live Stream: Not available
Form Guide
Milan 0-1 Inter (friendly)
Torino 1-1 Milan
Milan 0-4 Napoli
Genoa 1-0 Milan
Udinese 2-3 Milan
Sassuolo 2-1 Lazio
Empoli 1-0 Sassuolo
Sassuolo 1-1 Chievo
Palermo 0-1 Sassuolo
Roma 2-2 Sassuolo
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Milan are likely to be without Andrea Bertolacci after the midfielder picked up a knee injury during Wednesday’s friendly against Inter for the Luigi Berlusconi Trophy. This will probably clear the way for Andrea Poli to come in and make his first start of the season.
Poli would come into the team as one of the two outside central players in the midfield three, with Riccardo Montolivo continuing his deep-lying role and Juraj Kucka on the opposite side. However, the formation this midfield trio will play within is not entirely clear.
In Milan’s most recent league fixture against Torino, Mihajlovic fielded a 4-3-3 system, breaking with his favoured 4-3-1-2 for the first time since arriving at San Siro. The new system wielded a positive result and thus he may decide to stick with it against Sassuolo.
In that case, the main issue for him will be who to select up front. Mario Balotelli is still unavailable through injury, as are Jeremy Menez and M’Baye Niang. According to Sky (h/t Football Italia), Carlos Bacca may also miss out due to a muscular strain.
These absences will give Mihajlovic a real headache when it comes to picking his attacking trident. Without Bacca, he has no choice but to continue playing the underperforming Luis Adriano as a lone striker, while there is a dearth of quality competition for the wide berths.
Alessio Cerci started on the right against Torino but once again failed to deliver anything of note, while Giacomo Bonaventura doesn’t look like a natural fit on the left.
Ideally, Mihajlovic would drop Bonaventura back into a more suitable central midfield role and leave Cerci out, but the only other candidates to fill in the wing roles are Suso and Keisuke Honda, neither of whom inspire.
Defensively, Mihajlovic must choose whether to continue with Alex alongside Alessio Romagnoli or to bring back the more mobile Cristian Zapata, while Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) recently speculated that experienced goalkeeper Diego Lopez may be replaced by 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma if his bad form continues.
Sassuolo, on the other hand, have no major injury problems ahead of their visit to Milan. Alfred Duncan has been out of late but could return in time for this Sunday’s match. Other than that, young defender Luca Antei is the only player to miss out.
Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco utilises a 4-3-3 formation, and with some excellent attacking options, his team are capable of playing exciting, fluid football.
Simone Zaza left the club for champions Juventus over the summer, but the €18 million fee received for his signature allowed for the safeguarding of other key players such as right-back Sime Vrsaljko and versatile strike sensation Domenico Berardi.
Berardi plays on the right side of Sassuolo’s front three, cutting in on to his favoured left foot in the hope of committing opposition defenders and creating goalscoring opportunities. Nicola Sansone does the same thing on the left side, cutting in on to his preferred right foot.
The striker berth is up for grabs at this moment, with new signing Gregoire Defrel and Diego Falcinelli both distinct possibilities. Falcinelli started Sassuolo’s 2-1 win over Lazio last weekend and thus may retain his starting place.
If Duncan does return to full fitness in time, he will be expected to take Davide Biondini’s place in midfield alongside the deeper-lying Francesco Magnanelli and the hard-working Simone Missiroli.
Milan (4-3-3): Diego Lopez, Ignazio Abate, Cristian Zapata, Alessio Romagnoli, Luca Antonelli; Andrea Poli, Riccardo Montolivo, Juraj Kucka; Alessio Cerci, Luiz Adriano, Giacomo Bonaventura
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Andrea Consigli, Sime Vrsaljko, Paolo Cannavaro, Francesco Acerbi, Federico Peluso; Simone Missiroli, Francesco Magnanelli, Alfred Duncan; Domenico Berardi, Diego Falcinelli, Nicola Sansone
Players to Watch
Alessio Romagnoli (Milan)
Milan’s defensive woes have not only continued but actively gotten worse this season. Their 14 goals conceded after eight league games is their worst tally since 1983/84.The one shining light amidst the defensive doom and gloom is 20-year-old centre-back, Romagnoli.
Signed from Roma in the summer after a lengthy pursuit, the youngster has quickly established himself as the main influence in Milan’s back four and, as highlighted in this recent post, has shown signs of developing maturity despite the chaos surrounding him.
Sassuolo are known for their vibrant forward play so if Milan are to keep a clean sheet against the Neroverdi, they will require a top-class performance from their new defensive leader.
Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
Berardi has a tendency for scoring against Milan. It was against the Rossoneri that he became the second youngest player to score four goals in one Serie A match, behind only the legendary Silvio Piola, in a 4-3 win at Mapei Stadium in January 2014.
In May of this year, he once again tormented Milan, scoring a hat-trick in a 3-2 win as Sassuolo and Milan met towards the end of last season.
Berardi is undoubtedly Sassuolo’s star player, and his incisive dribbling, turn of pace, delicate touch and accurate finishing will require Milan’s full attention.
Key Battle
Luiz Adriano vs. Francesco Acerbi
After failing to make the grade at Milan, Acerbi has become a mainstay at Sassuolo since joining the club in 2013, establishing himself in Antonio Conte’s Italian national team squad on the back of strong club performances.
His left foot is a starting point for attacks from the back for Sassuolo, and, as such, Adriano will need to be fully alert and motivated to pressurise the centre-back into mistakes and hurried passes.
Adriano should have a point to prove after several underwhelming displays, and with Bacca and Balotelli out, he must start taking advantage of the chances given to him.
