AC Milan vs. Lazio: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
AC Milan welcome Lazio to the San Siro on Sunday evening in what could turn out to be a pivotal match in both teams’ seasons.
The Rossoneri have picked up just one point from their last two league fixtures, a run that included a 2-0 defeat to Sassuolo and a 0-0 draw with Chievo. Perhaps even more concerning than the winless run itself is the fact that Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side failed to score in either game.
This issue of not being able to make or take chances is something that could potentially derail the club’s hopes of returning to continental competition through a top-six finish.
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While the UEFA Champions League now looks unlikely for next season, the UEFA Europa League remains a very achievable target for Milan. Failure to reach that target through league performance would heap a huge amount of pressure on Mihajlovic.
Rossoneri owner Silvio Berlusconi was ambivalent in certifying whether the coach would remain with the club for the 2016-17 campaign. "It’s premature to talk about it now," he told Rai Radio One (h/t Football Italia). "Sinisa Mihajlovic’s future...will depend on how the rest of the season goes."
The Milan boss isn’t the only one whose job is under threat. Stefano Pioli guided Lazio to third in Serie A last year but has failed to repeat such heroics this time around.
Currently, the Biancocelesti lie in eighth place in the league table, well below expectations for this term. To add to the club’s domestic woes, they bowed out of the Europa League on Thursday evening after a disastrous 3-0 loss at home to Sparta Prague.
Lazio captain Lucas Biglia was disappointed with the performance. "It was shameful," he told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Forza Italian Football). "We have not proved anything and we hope that this will serve as experience for the future."
After the unexpectedly heavy defeat, fans protested at the club’s Formello training ground as rumours that Pioli was on the verge of being sacked were fuelled. Indeed, according to LaLazioSiamoNoi (h/t Football Italia), "President Claudio Lotito is considering a change on the bench."
Mihajlovic spent six productive years with Lazio as a player and can’t enjoy watching his old team struggle, but he will no doubt eschew any sentimentality with such a make-or-break game ahead. Were Milan to lose this weekend’s clash, their visitors would move just four points behind them.
Date: Sunday, 20 March
Time: 7:45 p.m. GTM (3:45 pm ET)
Venue: San Siro, Milan, Italy
TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK)
Live Stream: Bet365.com
Form Guide
Chievo 0-0 Milan
Sassuolo 2-0 Milan
Milan 5-0 Alessandria (Coppa Italia)
Milan 1-0 Torino
Napoli 1-1 Milan
Lazio 0-3 Sparta Prague (Europa League)
Lazio 2-0 Atalanta
Sparta Prague 1-1 Lazio (Europa League)
Torino 1-1 Lazio
Lazio 0-2 Sassuolo
Team News
Ahead of last Sunday’s draw away to Chievo, Mihajlovic was considering a 4-3-3 shape, as mentioned in this post. However, an injury to Juraj Kucka in the warm-up meant the coach retained the 4-4-2 setup he has preferred for much of the last four months.
It’s worth noting that when Milan beat Lazio 3-1 in the Stadio Olimpico earlier this season, they did so in a 4-3-3 that became a 4-5-1 out of possession.
However, it appears likely that, with Kucka still injured, the Rossoneri will avoid playing three in central midfield. Instead, they are set to continue with two up front.
One of that strike pairing will undoubtedly be Carlos Bacca, the team’s top scorer. However, with Mario Balotelli and Jeremy Menez lacking form, Luiz Adriano may get another chance to show what he’s worth alongside the Colombian up front.
Mihajlovic wants more from his forward players, telling reporters in his pre-match press conference (h/t Football Italia):
"It is just not possible that there have been zero shots on target from the strikers in our last two games. These players have 10 more matches left to honour the shirt. We’ve had injuries, but I expect a lot more from them.
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Milan have other fitness doubts, namely with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and centre-back Alex. The former came off against Chievo with a head injury and has suffered from the flu in the past week, while the latter has a bad back and may not be able to play, per Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia).
As a result, Christian Abbiati may start between the posts, and Cristian Zapata will come in to replace Alex alongside Alessio Romagnoli at centre-back.
Like Milan, Lazio have had tactical issues throughout this season. Often they have been unable to build good possession in games due to a poor layout, with too much space between players.
They nonetheless still have quality individuals in Biglia as well as Felipe Anderson and Keita Balde Diao, whose pace and skill can turn a match on its head.
Several of Lazio’s key players will be unavailable for this weekend through injury, however. This list includes influential centre-back and Dutch international Stefan de Vrij, Serbian right-back Dusan Basta and classy, versatile midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Antonio Candreva hasn’t found consistency, but if Pioli chooses to start him on one of the wings in his favoured 4-3-3 formation, the Italian cannot be ignored. While out of form for much of 2015-16, he was his team’s best player against Sparta Prague in midweek, earning a 7.64 WhoScored.com rating and making an impressive six key passes.
Predicted Lineups
Milan (4-4-2): Christian Abbiati; Ignazio Abate, Cristian Zapata, Alessio Romagnoli, Luca Antonelli; Keisuke Honda, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci, Giacomo Bonaventura; Luiz Adriano, Carlos Bacca.
Unavailable: Juraj Kucka, M’Baye Niang (injured), Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex (to be evaluated).
Lazio (4-3-3): Federico Marchetti; Abdoulay Konko, Mauricio, Wesley Hoedt, Senad Lulic; Danilo Cataldi, Lucas Biglia, Marco Parolo; Keita Balde Diao, Alessandro Matri, Felipe Anderson.
Unavailable: Stefan de Vrij, Ricardo Kishna (injured), Dusan Basta, Stefan Radu, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (to be evaluated).
Players to Watch
Ignazio Abate has been one of Milan’s few in-form players of late. In his last five appearances for the club, he has picked up two WhoScored man-of-the-match awards and achieved ratings of above 7.33 or above on four occasions.
The 29-year-old’s speed and directness have been great assets to the Rossoneri’s attacking play, offering a penetrative edge that can otherwise be missing.
He will be integral against Lazio not merely for his offensive abilities but for his tactical role. His surges down the flank will be important to push the opposition wingers back and reduce their counter-attacking threat.
Felipe Anderson was one of Serie A’s stars last season. His exceptional showings featured dazzling dribbling, audacious trickery and explosive acceleration, making him a difficult prospect for any defence to handle.
Unfortunately for Lazio, the Brazilian has not replicated such mesmerising form this season. While he remains a threat, he has had far less impact, often appearing isolated on the edge of a game as opposed to being in the thick of the action.
The Biancocelesti may well find themselves counter-attacking Milan this Sunday, and if this does prove to be the case, they could do with the best version of Anderson to exploit space on the break.
Key Battle
Alessio Romagnoli has improved since joining Milan last summer. The 21-year-old centre-back has developed into an increasingly imposing presence, something that—when combined with his refined left foot—makes him a potential leader of the defensive line.
However, this Sunday he will have a tough task on his hands in restraining Alessandro Matri.
Matri has had several spells with the Rossoneri but is currently on loan at Lazio, where he has scored four goals in five Serie A starts this season. And even when he doesn’t score, he is a tough, physical and hard-running striker who can give defenders plenty to think about.
Odds
Milan: 10/11
Lazio: 3/1
Draw: 12/5
All odds via Odds Shark.
