Week 32: Milan vs Sassuolo 21/04/2021 18:30 CET

joyrider

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Lets win this


Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to the Milan squad on Wednesday, after serving a suspension last week, so should replace Rafael Leao at centre-forward.

While defender Davide Calabria and young forward Daniel Maldini are set to miss out again for the Rossoneri, coach Stefano Pioli has no other injury concerns, as Alessio Romagnoli returned to the bench last time out.

In Calabria's continued absence, Diogo Dalot will hope to unseat Pierre Kalulu at right-back, with Ismael Bennacer again having to fend off the claims of Sandro Tonali for a role in central midfield.

Though striker Francesco Caputo could still remain sidelined for Sassuolo - along with Kaan Ayhan (COVID-19) and long-term injury victim Filippo Romagna - star man Domenico Berardi returned to spectacular effect at half-time on Saturday and can now start.

Primavera product Giacomo Raspadori should continue up front for the visitors, as Caputo misses out, while Italy international Manuel Locatelli is expected to come back into the XI for Pedro Obiang.

AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Dalot, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Bennacer, Kessie; Saelemaekers, Calhanoglu, Rebic; Ibrahimovic

Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Muldur, Chiriches, Ferrari, Kyriakopoulos; Lopez, Locatelli; Berardi, Djuricic, Boga; Raspadori




After a string of unforced errors on home territory, which have starved Milan of the chance to fight for the title with relentless rivals Inter during the run-in, Stefano Pioli's side were more than relieved to scrape over the line against Genoa at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Sunday.

Achieved by virtue of Gianluca Scamacca's unfortunate own goal - plus a pair of desperate goal-line clearances in the closing stages - the Rossoneri's 2-1 win now leaves them nine points adrift of their table-topping foes.

Thoughts at Milanello have long since turned to keeping the closing pack at bay, with their sole objective to secure Champions League football after an absence of eight long years - of course, only if the European Super League does not get off the ground.

Their overdue triumph last weekend put a pause on some sluggish home form since the turn of the year, as Milan had failed to take maximum points at in their previous five home games in all competitions. In fact, before beating Genoa, their previous San Siro success had come as long ago as the beginning of February.

While they have the best away record by far in Serie A this season, Pioli's men have won just seven of 16 league matches on home turf, but that strange combination of results has still seen Milan equal their Serie A points tally from the entire 2019-20 campaign with seven games yet to play.

On Sunday, top-scoring talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic was absent again, as the Swedish star had previously been sent off against Parma for insulting the referee.

Becoming increasingly peripheral of late - due to a string of injuries, illness and suspensions - the veteran striker has watched on as deputies such as Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic have struggled to fill the goalscoring void. With January signing Mario Mandzukic - a more obvious like-for-like replacement - only now recovering his full fitness, the route to goal against Sassuolo may rely on Milan's leading man staging another spectacular comeback
 

Thenebra

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Are these considered friendly matches now?
 

Pingu

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Our only goal this season is beat Atlanata to stop them winning the Scudetto!!!
 

Benz_1803

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Only to watch for players reaction.
 

Polotelli

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Ibra, Theo, Hakan and Bennacer are in doubt for tomorrow's game
 

Nestafan

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Super League already ruining football when we're not sure if this game matters ?
 

Polotelli

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As long as nothing is official these games matter I'd say
 

yonggoh

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Sassuolo are always a decent team.
One thing for sure is that they will be wary of us trying to score right from kick off.
 

joyrider

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De Zerbi furious about Super League: 'I don't want to play against Milan'

awesome, he is completely not focussed
 

fray

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Frankly, I expect less from this than I expect from Lazio on Monday.
 

voom

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De Zerbi bitch. I hope we crush them . Your club lives from selling your best players to big clubs. We sold you Locatelli from whom you will profit greatly .You sold Demiral and Sensi for big money to Juventus and Inter .
De Zerbi you bitch ,you stood up to talk about Milan you bitch.
 

Kasoka

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If Pioli plays Krunic as LW again, as some italian media report, despite having Hauge, Diaz, Leao and Rebic available than he is a lost cause. That should never happen.

Home games against smaller sides should be played with confidence, not the old-school italian mentality of conservative and defensive submissiveness.
 

Hitchens

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:lol:

We have a game to play. Forza Milan!
 

Pingu

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Well this game is going to be special. Wonder how the players will react to everything? I wouldn't be surprised at a shitshow of a match.
 

Polotelli

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Roma - Atalanta
Napoli - Lazio

Could be a good week for us if roma wins
 

Bird

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De Zerbi bitch. I hope we crush them . Your club lives from selling your best players to big clubs. We sold you Locatelli from whom you will profit greatly .You sold Demiral and Sensi for big money to Juventus and Inter .
De Zerbi you bitch ,you stood up to talk about Milan you bitch.

:lol:
 

taura

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Ibra, Theo and Bennacer not called up, Calha and Calabria are in the team
 

Pingu

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Ibra, Theo and Bennacer not called up, Calha and Calabria are in the team

Calabria back :love:

Sad about the others, but maybe Hakan + Leao 5 second goal this time? And, Theo has been underperforming lately so maybe Dalot starting isn't so bad. Hope I didn't jinx it :o
 

Goodfella

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Back to a similar XI as in the Old Trafford game, but this time with Rebic available?
I don't mind it.
 

joyrider

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Leao AM?


EzcWNpnX0AQ5JwZ
 

Polotelli

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No krunic Grazie
 

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Why the fuck isn't Hauge starting? :fp:
 

Pingu

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Ante Rebic has scored 17 goals in the second half of the season in the last two Serie A campaigns (out of 18 with Milan): excluding penalties.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo (18) has scored more in the last two campaigns considering only the second half of the season.
 

Milan10

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Well this game is going to be special. Wonder how the players will react to everything? I wouldn't be surprised at a shitshow of a match.

Isn?t it a shame there aren?t fans in the stands right now :(
 

Hitchens

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I have to admit I approach the game with mixed feelings. It's hard to pretend that the whole ESL debacle never happened, especially when our feelings are supposed to be geared up for securing qualification to a competition we wanted to formally end less than 24 hours ago.

I hope watching the game puts my football psyche back together again.
 
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