Preview: Hellas Verona vs. AC Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Posted Friday, December 20, 2024 by sportsmole.co.uk

With their Serie A title hopes all but ended before reaching halfway, AC Milan hope to boost their pursuit of a top-four finish when they visit Hellas Verona on Friday evening.

While Milan have slumped into mid-table following a run of one win from five, Verona ended a run of four straight defeats with victory last time out.

Now 11 points behind arch-rivals Inter Milan and 13 shy of Serie A leaders Atalanta BC, surely Milan's Scudetto hopes must be shelved for another year, as last week's grim goalless draw against Genoa left them eighth in the standings.

Paulo Fonseca's side have won only six of their first 15 league fixtures, which represents the club's worst tally at this point since 2019, and speculation is growing about the ex-Roma coach's long-term future.

Unable to get balance right between attack and defence, his team tend to either open up and get caught on the counter, or shut up shop and grind out a draw - introducing two fresh-faced teenagers to the starting XI made little difference against the Grifone.

After conceding twice in their first three Serie A matches, the Rossoneri have since kept a clean sheet in seven of the next 12 - only Napoli have managed more during that period - but they have still proved too inconsistent to keep pace with Italy's top four.

In contrast with their ailing league form, Milan recently posted a fourth Champions League win on the spin after progressing to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, so Fonseca's salvation could yet come in knockout competitions.

Winners in all of their last seven top-flight contests with Verona - and going unbeaten through the last 11 - nothing other than victory will do at Stadio Bentegodi.

Having conquered their second-city counterparts twice in games with huge significance for the Rossoneri, Friday's hosts had become known as 'Fatal Verona' to Milan fans - the Bentegodi was almost a venue to be feared.

However, Hellas have more recently lost all of the clubs' last five meetings in Verona, while their manager's position is currently under even more scrutiny than Fonseca's.

After his side's 12th league or cup defeat of the season - a 4-1 loss to former club Empoli - Paolo Zanetti was surprisingly given a stay of execution, and he has since bought more time by pulling off a 3-2 away win over fellow strugglers Parma.

Verona have trailed for the most minutes in Serie A this season (639, with 356 at home - another league high) but they actually struck first at Stadio Tardini, where Diego Coppola's early goal put them in front.

While that success keeps the Gialloblu just outside the relegation zone, there are still several issues to address if they are to stay afloat: they have conceded at least once in their last 13 league matches and have not posted back-to-back wins since March.

Milan were already missing Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Luka Jovic, Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi due to various injuries, and Swiss forward Noah Okafor has now been ruled out until next month by a calf problem.

It remains to be seen whether potential Manchester United target and usual first-choice left-back Theo Hernandez will be recalled, having been dropped for Spanish teenager Alex Jimenez last week; after being given his first senior start against Genoa, 17-year-old Mattia Liberali may make way.

Handed the captain's armband last time out, mercurial winger Rafael Leao will aim to increase his modest tally of three Serie A goals this season - all of which have come away from home.

Following a late strike in Parma, Verona's Daniel Mosquera has scored the most goals as a substitute (four) throughout the Italian top flight, emulating Colombian compatriot Jhon Duran, who has earned 'super-sub' status in England.

He may be offered a rare chance to start up front, but Amin Sarr, Dailon Livramento and Casper Tengstedt - the latter of whom was left on the bench because of a minor calf issue at Stadio Tardini - are also vying for selection.

The hosts will be missing Juan Cruz and Martin Frese through injury, plus ACL victim Abdou Harroui, whose season was cruelly ended after setting up two goals last weekend.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Ghilardi; Tchatchoua, Duda, Belahyane, Lazovic; Suslov, Tengstedt; Sarr

AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Thiaw, Jimenez; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Morata, Leao; Abraham

We say: Hellas Verona 0-2 AC Milan
Milan's away record alone would see them occupying a place in the bottom half of the table, but their short trip to Verona should still end with a much-needed win.

Conceding goals at a rate nearing three per game at Stadio Bentegodi, the hosts simply cannot keep their back door shut.