Milan return to Serie A action after a week off to take on relegation-threatened Pisa in a must-win clash tonight. Friday’s showdown at the Arena Garibaldi has all the makings of a ‘make or break’ clash for the visitors, whose Scudetto hopes are hanging by a thread.
Back to Serie A for the first time since the early 1990s, Pisa are staring down the barrel of an immediate return to the second tier. Indeed, the newcomers sit 19th in the standings, six points adrift of 17th-placed Lecce, largely thanks to a dreadful 13-game winless run (D6, L7).
It’s up to new manager Oscar Hiljemark to steer the team back to winning ways after replacing Alberto Gilardino in the dugout. However, securing safety does seem like an arduous task for the hosts, who have won just a single league match all season (D12, L11).
With title-bidding Milan set to roll into town, Pisa’s top-flight credentials will be on the test, as the Rossoneri desperately need a victory to stay within striking distance of table-topping Inter. Massimiliano Allegri’s men trail their arch-rivals by eight points, though they do have a game in hand.
Nevertheless, any slip-up could prove costly for Milan, especially considering Inter’s formidable form. Therefore, they need to pick up three points in Pisa if they’re to stay in contention for a landmark 20th Serie A title.
Match Preview
Pisa
Pisa have established themselves as ‘stalemate specialists’ this season, drawing a league-high 12 games so far. One of those 12 draws came in October’s reverse fixture at San Siro, as the Nerazzurri overhauled a halftime deficit, only to concede a late equalizer in a nerve-shredding 2-2 stalemate.
A catalog of missed opportunities saw Pisa share the spoils with Hellas Verona in a scoreless draw last weekend, recording only their first scoring blank in five league outings. The impending home return may not necessarily inspire confidence, as Pisa have lost five of their last six Serie A matches at the Arena Garibaldi (D1).
It’s also worth noting that Hiljemark’s charges have been prone to dropping points from winning positions this season. Indeed, they’ve drawn the most league games after going in front this term (W1, D6, L1). That hardly bodes well, as the hosts seek only their second-ever win over the 19-time Italian champions (W1, D4, L14).
Milan
After several underwhelming performances, including a 1-1 draw at Roma, Milan ran riot at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara last time out, thrashing Bologna 3-0. In doing so, Allegri’s men have extended their unbeaten league streak to an eye-catching 22 games since the opening-day loss to Cremonese (W14, D8).
Despite being heavily fancied to post another win here, Milan would be naive to take anything for granted. They have drawn three of their last six matches in Serie A (W3), with two of those three stalemates coming against teams that are 15th or worse.
However, as the division’s third-best offensive team, Milan should have enough firepower to beat misfiring Pisa. They’ve netted 38 league goals this season, with 55.26% of them coming on the road (21). As such, it’s unsurprising that they’re the only side in Italy’s top flight yet to lose an away game this term (W7, D5).
Team News
Hiljemark will be unable to call upon several stars on his touchline debut, as Raul Albiol, Daniel Denoon, and Isak Vural are all on the sidelines with injuries. All eyes will be on winter signings Samuel Iling-Junior and Rafiu Durosinmi, with the latter already contributing to two of Pisa’s three home league goals this season.
On the other hand, Milan will take this trip without long-term absentee Santiago Gimenez and Belgian wingback Alexis Saelemaekers. The latter’s absence is likely to open space for Zachary Athekame to make a rare Serie A start following a brilliant performance against Bologna.
Pisa vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups
Pisa (3-4-2-1): Scuffet; Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Bozhinov; Toure, Loyola, Aebischer, Angori; Stojilkovic, Moreo; Durosinmi.
Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Athekame, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Nkunku, Leao.
Pisa vs Milan Prediction
Although Pisa fans can rely on a ‘new manager bounce’ to inspire the team’s resurgence in this high-stakes fixture, it’s hard to imagine Milan dropping points at the Garibaldi Arena. Allegri’s men will take the field in high spirits, and we expect them to live up to their tag as odds-on favorites.
Prediction: Milan to Win
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