Serie A Preview: Milan vs Como – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Title-bidding Milan continue their pursuit of Serie A pacesetters Inter today as they entertain Como at San Siro. There’s no margin for error in this ‘game in hand,’ as they trail the Nerazzurri by eight points.

Milan left it late to beat newcomers Pisa last Friday, as Luka Modric slotted home an 85th-minute winner to inspire his side to a 2-1 victory at the Garibaldi Arena. In addition to securing their second consecutive league win following a 3-0 rout of Bologna, Massimiliano Allegri’s men are now unbeaten in their last 23 outings in Serie A (W15, D3).

However, a high volume of draws has hampered their Scudetto chances. Another slip-up could spell the end of the Rossoneri’s hopes of clinching a landmark 20th title in Italy’s top flight. With that in mind, the visit of European hopefuls Como to Giuseppe Meazza bodes well, given the recent history of this match-up.

Despite utterly outplaying their opponents in January’s reverse fixture, Cesc Fabregas’ side suffered a dismal 3-1 defeat at home, extending their losing streak against Milan to five matches. Furthermore, Como have failed to beat the San Siro giants in 15 consecutive meetings (D5, L10) since 1985, highlighting the size of the task ahead.

Match Preview

Milan

Anything other than three points in this midweek showdown would likely inflict irreparable damage on Milan’s title ambitions, as Allegri’s men return to San Siro for the first time in a month. Therefore, optimism must be sky-high, considering they’ve avoided defeat across their last 11 home matches in all competitions (W8, D3).

Few would bet against Milan dropping points here, and their traditionally impressive starts can only inspire further confidence. Indeed, Milan have only conceded two first-half goals across their last nine Serie A matches, making it hard to put it past Allegri’s in-form side to lead at halftime. However, that’s not a foregone conclusion.

Milan’s attacking setup usually sparks into life after the break, with 11 of their last 15 goals in Serie A coming in the second half. Two of them came in a 3-1 victory at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia in January. Adrien Rabiot netted both, yet the Frenchman won’t be at Allegri’s disposal tonight due to a yellow-card suspension.

Como

Unlike Milan, Como had a weekend to forget. Relegation-threatened Fiorentina beat Fabregas’ side 2-1 at the Sinigaglia, dampening their spirits following a huge Coppa Italia quarter-final win over Napoli. As a result, they’ve dropped out of the top six and are now trailing sixth-placed Atalanta by a point.

Fabregas’ lads are desperate to avoid losing further ground in the race for European qualification. The Lariani can take heart from an eye-catching run of three consecutive league victories away from home. However, a poor record of just one win from seven games (D3, L3) against teams who are above them in the table suggests they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Defying that dreadful record would see Como set a new club record for most consecutive away wins in the top flight. With no side conceding fewer goals on the road in Serie A this season than Como’s nine, the visitors seem to be well-positioned to frustrate their more esteemed hosts in this potentially season-defining fixture.

Team News

In addition to the suspended Rabiot, Milan will be without long-term absentee Santiago Gimenez. After starting from the bench last Friday, Rafael Leao is likely to return to the starting lineup, perhaps at the expense of French forward Christopher Nkunku. Meanwhile, Zachary Athekame should start on the right wing, with Alexis Saelemaekers lacking match fitness.

On the other hand, Como boss Fabregas cannot call upon Assane Diao and Edoardo Goldaniga due to injuries. Former Milan striker Alvaro Morata is not in contention after receiving a red card against Fiorentina last time out, meaning Tasos Douvikas is likely to lead the line for the visitors.

Milan vs Como Potential Starting Lineups

Milan (3-5-1-1): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Loftus-Cheek; Leao.

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.

Milan vs Como Prediction

Milan should have enough quality and momentum to secure all three points at San Siro. Allegri’s side boast a formidable home record and rarely drop points in fixtures of this magnitude, especially against opponents they have historically dominated.

Therefore, we expect the Rossoneri to pull off another league double over Como.