Lazio vs. AC Milan: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
What a difference a week makes.
Within the last seven days AC Milan have won two consecutive games. In the process, they sneaked from lower mid-table to the outside of the European places, whilst also quashing fears over Sinisa Mihajlovic’s future as head coach.
While back-to-back one-goal victories at home to Sassuolo and Chievo is hardly a return to the good old days, it is a step forward. As a result, Milan are currently unbeaten in three matches, but that run will be thoroughly tested by a trip to Rome to face Lazio.
Stefano Pioli’s men have been an image of inconsistency this season; however, their difficult moments have come away from home.
Lazio have lost four of their five away games in the league this season, but at the Stadio Olimpico, they have won all five while conceding just one goal.
Ultimately, this meeting should provide plenty of information about the realistic possibilities for both teams in the 2015/16 season.
While imperious home form sees Lazio sitting in a respectable sixth place, all of their visitors are languishing towards the bottom of the league table. The highest-placed team Lazio have defeated in front of their fervent home crowd is Torino, who currently occupy 10th place.
As such, Milan should present Lazio with the greatest threat to their undefeated home record thus far. However, the Rossoneri themselves are on less-than-stable footing. Although the recent wins were confidence boosters, context is needed.
Sassuolo went down to 10 men within half an hour of their clash with Milan yet still managed to equalise and put up a stern fight before succumbing in the 85th minute. Then Chievo offered next-to-no attacking threat, but Milan could only score once despite attempting 24 shots, per WhoScored.
The truth is neither Lazio nor Milan can afford a loss in their meeting this weekend. Defeat for Lazio would burst their Olimpico bubble, while for Milan, it would mean starting all over again with renewed pressure.
Date: Sunday, 1 November
Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT (2:45 p.m. ET)
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK)
Live Stream: Not available
Form Guide
Atalanta 2-1 Lazio
Lazio 3-0 Torino
Lazio 3-1 Rosenborg (Europa League)
Sassuolo 2-1 Lazio
Lazio 2-0 Frosinone
Milan 1-0 Chievo
Milan 2-1 Sassuolo
Torino 1-1 Milan
Milan 0-4 Napoli
Genoa 1-0 Milan
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Milan travel to Roma still without key attacking players in Jeremy Menez and Mario Balotelli. Menez has been out for the entirety of the season so far and is a longer-term absentee, but the sooner Mihajlovic has Balotelli to call upon again, the better.
Fortunately, Milan’s attacking options should be boosted by the return from injury of M’Baye Niang. The talented 20 year-old impressed in pre-season and, after returning to training in midweek, should take his place on the bench.
The only real change Mihajlovic is expected to make from his side’s Wednesday night win over Chievo is at right-back. Ignazio Abate departed that game early after picking up an injury, so Mattia De Sciglio will start in his place against Lazio.
Mihajlovic has caused controversy of late in his selection of 16 year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma ahead of Diego Lopez, but Milan’s coach is likely to be unmoved by the criticism.
Fielding a consistent selection has been something Mihajlovic has been unable to do regularly this season, and so he is unlikely to tamper with the lineup unnecessarily on the back of two consecutive wins.
Milan can take confidence from the fact that Lazio’s injury woes are of far greater scale than their own.
The Aquile are currently without Dutch international and defensive leader Stefan de Vrij due to a knee problem, while fellow centre-back Mauricio may also miss this Sunday’s match.
This will probably prompt Pioli to start with new signing Wesley Hoedt alongside Santiago Gentiletti as a makeshift centre-back pairing, a duo that shouldn’t strike fear into the heart of Milan’s attack, particularly lethal Colombian striker Carlos Bacca.
Lazio’s spine will be further weakened by the absence of influential central midfielder Marco Parolo. Commentator’s nightmare, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, will probably start in place of Parolo, though Danilo Cataldi is also an option.
Up front, Felipe Anderson is starting to find the form that made him one of Europe’s most tantalising prospects last season, having scored four goals in his last four matches in all competitions. He and Antonio Candreva will present a genuine threat to Milan’s defence, though who will lead Lazio’s line remains unclear.
Miroslav Klose has yet to score since returning from a spell on the treatment table, while Alessandro Matri has yet to fully impress since arriving on loan from Milan in the summer.
Filip Djordjevic is also recently back from injury and probably represents the best option out of Lazio’s three available strikers, though Pioli may opt for Klose’s vast experience and utilise Djordjevic from the bench.
Lazio (4-3-3): Federico Marchetti, Dusan Basta, Wesley Hoedt, Santiago Gentiletti, Senad Lulic; Ogenyi Onazi, Lucas Biglia, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic; Antonio Candreva, Miroslav Klose, Felipe Anderson
Milan (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mattia De Sciglio, Alex, Alessio Romagnoli, Luca Antonelli; Juraj Kucka, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci; Alessio Cerci, Carlos Bacca, Giacomo Bonaventura
Players to Watch
Felipe Anderson (Lazio)
As aforementioned, Anderson has been in excellent form of late. The Brazilian can be explosive on his day, and Milan will do well to minimise his impact on the game.
Capable of playing on either wing, Anderson will likely be utilised on the left against Milan, meaning De Sciglio will have the hard task of tracking him.
De Sciglio has been in poor form, losing his place in the starting lineup recently, and he seemed to lack confidence initially after coming on against Chievo. This, and his occasionally wayward positioning, is something Anderson will look to exploit.
Andrea Bertolacci (Milan)
After a disappointing start to life in a Milan shirt, Bertolacci is finally beginning to show why the club paid €20 million for his signature from Genoa in the summer transfer window.
As discussed in this recent article, his defensive performance has stood out of late, particularly in Milan’s draw with Torino, in which Bertolacci was WhoScored’s man of the match.
While he is yet to show the defence-splitting passes and creativity that made him so sought after, he seems to be finding his feet at San Siro, something of which the player himself is cognisant.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Goal’s Stefan Coerts), he said: “It’s always taken me time to get into peak condition... However, this is all part of my growth process as a player and my form has clearly improved lately.”
Key Battle
Wesley Hoedt (Lazio) vs. Carlos Bacca (Milan)
At 21 years of age and having only joined Lazio from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar over the summer, Hoedt is still within the growth stage of his development. He is yet to totally convince since his move to Italy, and Bacca will be a formidable test of the youngster’s resolve.
Bacca has scored five goals in eight league starts since completing a €30 million move from Sevilla in the summer, and his movement, opportunism and persistence make him a handful for even the best of defenders to deal with.
Without his more experienced compatriot de Vrij alongside him, Hoedt will have to put in a mature performance to handle Bacca and prevent the Colombian from gaining the slightest sniff of goal. With his clinical finishing, all Bacca needs is one chance to change the game.
Odds
Lazio: 2.16
Milan: 3.38
Via Odds Shark
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