1 week ago
58
AC Milan will take on Roma at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night in what feels like a six-pointer at a crucial point in the season.
Milan go into the game having won their last two games against Como and Lecce, while Roma have won four games on the spin and all by a 2-0 scoreline.Massimiliano Allegri described the clash in the capital as an ‘exciting’ test for his side during his pre-match press conference, with two in-form teams.
Opposition insight on Roma
➤ Manager: Gian Piero Gasperini
➤ Form (all comps): L-W-W-W-W
➤ Top scorer (Serie A): Matias Soule – 6
➤ Most assists (Serie A): Matias Soule – 4
➤ Injuries & suspensions: Dovbyk, Angelino, Hermoso, El Shaaway (?).
The 2024-25 season was rather hectic for Roma, or at least up until November, with two coaches shown the door (Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric) before Claudio Ranieri was brought back. Unsurprisingly, he managed to get the team going and secured a 5th-place finish in the end.
In our preview before the meeting with Roma at San Siro earlier in the season, we recapped what was a busy summer for the Giallorossi. Gian Piero Gasperini is at the helm, and his side have quite literally teetered one way and the other.
Why is that? Roma have played 21 league games, one Coppa Italia game and seven in the Europa League, and they are yet to draw a single won. In Serie A they have won 14 and lost seven, while they have five wins in seven in Europe, and lost in the cup to Torino.
Roma are quite remarkably coming into this game off the back of four 2-0 wins in a row. Domestically they beat Lecce away, Sassuolo at home and Torino away, then on Thursday night they emerged victors against Bundesliga high-fliers VfB Stuttgart to jump into the top eight.
There are four probably absentees for the game, according to the latest from La Gazzetta dello Sport: Artem Dovbyk (returns on matchday 30), Stephan El Shaarawy (to be evaluated), Mario Hermoso (returns on matchday 26) and Angelino (to be evaluated).
The coach has a few doubts about his side, starting from the presumption that Dybala and Malen are effectively guaranteed to start in attack. Cristante, Pellegrini and Soulé are competing for the final spot in the front three. That means Pisilli (or El Aynaoui) in midfield alongside Koné.
Alternatively, he could go with the 3-4-2-1, a formation in which Pellegrini currently has the advantage over Soulé in the left attacking midfielder role. In defence, Ghilardi ‘s excellent performance against Stuttgart means he should play alongside Mancini and Ndicka. Wesley and Celik should be wing-backs.
Predicted Roma XI (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Pellegrini, Dybala; Malen.
Predicted Roma bench: Gollini, Vasquez; Tsimikas, Rensch, Ziolkowski, Lulli; Pisilli, El Aynaoui, Arena; El Shaarawy, Ferguson, Vaz, Soulé.
Injuries & suspensions: Dovbyk, Angelino, Hermoso.
English (US) ·