AC Milan vs. Bologna: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
AC Milan kick off 2016 by welcoming Bologna to San Siro on Wednesday afternoon in what could prove to be a tricky Serie A clash.
While Bologna are submerged in the bottom half of the league table, they have been resurgent since Roberto Donadoni was brought in as coach, winning four and drawing one of their last seven league games.
Donadoni was an integral member of the legendary Milan side of the 1980s and 1990s, winning six Scudetti and three Champions Leagues during his time as a Rossoneri player. Now in charge of Bologna, however, he will be hoping to continue on his side’s recent upswing against the team he used to represent.
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Milan are in a much better position than Bologna, sitting in sixth, but they have been frustratingly inconsistent of late. A 4-1 hammering of Sampdoria in late November was followed up by draws with Carpi and Verona, before Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men ended 2015 with a 4-2 away win over Frosinone.
The level of difficulty Milan encountered against the league’s minnows suggests they may also run into trouble against a well-organised Bologna side filled with confidence. Formerly relegation fodder, the Rossoblu are now looking up the table rather than over their shoulder.
Their recent run of results means that five points separates them from the bottom three, with the prospect of an immediate return to Serie B looking less and less likely. They seem to relish a challenge—something evidenced by a 3-2 win over Napoli and a draw with Roma towards the end of last year—and hence will be excited by their trip to face Milan.
Enthusiasm was evident in Donadoni’s pre-match words, as spoken to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). “San Siro will be a great stage for us to show what we can do”, he said before ominously adding “we want to cause the Rossoneri real problems.”
This year could prove critical for Milan as they look to make a push for a top-three spot and seal a return to Europe, though in order for that to happen they will have to iron out the mercurial nature that plagued them in the first half of this season.
Wednesday’s clash with Bologna shouldn’t be taken for granted, but if Mihajlovic is to lead the club back towards the top of Italian football, this is exactly the type of game Milan must win.
Date: Wednesday, 6 January
Time: 2 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. ET)
Venue: San Siro, Milan, Italy
TV Info: BeIn Sports 8HD (U.S.)
Live Stream: Bet365.com
Form Guide
Milan 4-2 Frosinone
Sampdoria 0-2 Milan (Coppa Italia Round of 16)
Milan 1-1 Verona
Carpi 0-0 Milan
Milan 3-1 Crotone (Coppa Italia Fourth Round)
Bologna 2-3 Empoli
Genoa 0-1 Bologna
Bologna 3-2 Napoli
Torino 2-0 Bologna
Bologna 2-2 Roma
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Part of what made Milan’s form so erratic last year was the constant changes in formation deployed by Mihajlovic. Starting the season with a 4-3-1-2, the Serb then switched to 4-3-3 after the 4-0 home humbling to Napoli before bringing in a 4-4-2 in late November.
Using three different formations within six months is not a good way of building cohesion within the team, and Milan suffered as a result; however, the 4-4-2 looks likely to remain Mihajlovic’s system of choice for the time being.
With Alessio Romagnoli suspended, Philippe Mexes will join Alex in central defence for this game, meaning Milan will have a centre-back duo with a combined age of 66. Their lack of pace is something Bologna will look to exploit with quick, direct counter-attacks and long balls over the top for striker Mattia Destro.
Due to injury, Mario Balotelli has made just two starts since re-joining Milan on loan from Liverpool at the start of the campaign. He was expected to be back to full fitness come the resumption of league fixtures but recent speculation suggests he is not entirely settled.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t 90min.com), “his famous agent Mino Raiola is attempting to engineer a move back to England and seize on an opportunity to impress Jurgen Klopp amidst (Liverpool’s) striking crisis.”
With such rumours, it appears that injuries may not be the only thing preventing Balotelli from returning to Milan’s starting lineup. Fortunately, M’Baye Niang has shown enough talent and potential to continue as Carlos Bacca’s partner atop Mihajlovic’s 4-4-2.
Since Donadoni took charge, Bologna have been operating in a 4-5-1 formation with particular emphasis on quick transitions from defence to attack, especially against stronger teams such as Milan.
Bologna’s energetic central-midfield three will likely screen Riccardo Montolivo and Andrea Bertolacci in an attempt to stifle Milan’s passing game. Meanwhile, wingers Emanuele Giaccherini and Anthony Mounier, will track Milan’s full-backs in the defensive phase before looking to support Destro at every given opportunity.
The Rossoblu will be without strong-running, versatile midfield workhorse Luca Rizzo and 36-year-old playmaker Franco Brienza through injury. They will be replaced by Godfred Donsah and Giaccherini respectively.
Milan (4-4-2): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Ignazio Abate, Alex, Philippe Mexes, Luca Antonelli; Keisuke Honda, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci, Giacomo Bonaventura; M’Baye Niang, Carlos Bacca
Unavailable: Diego Lopez, Jeremy Menez (both injured), Alessio Romagnoli (suspended)
Bologna (4-5-1): Antonio Mirante; Luca Rossettini, Marios Oikonomou, Daniele Gastaldello, Adam Masina; Anthony Mounier, Saphir Taider, Amadou Diawara, Godfred Donsah, Emanuele Giaccherini; Mattia Destro
Unavailable: Emil Krafth, Lorenzo Crisetig, Luca Rizzo, Franco Brienza (all injured)
Players to Watch
With his exquisite left foot and ball-playing skills, Andrea Bertolacci established himself as one of Serie A’s finest central midfielders last season while at Genoa. His performances caught the eye and earned him a move to Milan in the summer.
However, following the transfer, Bertolacci was initially unable to find consistently good form. Much of this will have had to do with Mihajlovic’s frequent tactical alterations, though a hamstring injury also played a part in the 24-year-old’s struggles.
Within this period he still managed to show glimpses of brilliance. There was his all-round display against Torino that earned him WhoScored.com’s Man of the Match award, then there was his goal in the 3-1 win away to Lazio.
Now fully fit, the first test for Bertolacci will be to earmark a regular spot in Milan’s midfield. The second objective should be to find the form that made Milan sign him in the first place.
For Bologna, one player stands out above the rest. Mattia Destro made little impact while on loan at Milan last season and continued to struggle at Bologna to start with, but since Donadoni came in, he has appeared rejuvenated.
Prior to Donadoni’s arrival, he had not scored in 10 league appearances. Since then, he has scored five goals in seven games, assisting twice for good measure.
Key Battle
With the transfer window now open, Keisuke Honda will be looking to confirm he still has a future with Milan. Unfortunately, if he starts on the right of Milan’s midfield four, he will find himself up against Adam Masina.
Born in Morocco but a member of the Italian under-21 side, Masina has emerged this season as one of the most precocious young players in Serie A. At 22 years old, he shows strength, commitment and no little attacking skill.
While Honda will look to cut inside and link up with Milan’s strikers when attacking, it is likely that he will have a tough defensive job to do as Masina likes to get forward and supply crosses. If Honda doesn’t do his defensive duties, Milan could have a problem down their right-hand side.
Odds
Milan: -175
Bologna: +450
Draw: +320
All odds kindly provided by Odds Shark
