Serie A Preview: Milan vs Fiorentina – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Saturday’s Serie A action closes out at Stadio San Siro with a handsomely-looking showdown between Milan and Fiorentina. Victory is imperative for the out-of-sorts home side as they face an ominous prospect of missing out on European qualification for the first time in nearly a decade.

Last weekend’s 2-1 loss at title-bidding Napoli put another dent in Milan’s top-four pursuit, leaving Sergio Conceicao’s side a whopping nine points adrift of fourth-placed Bologna. With only eight games to go, Milan languish in Serie A’s mid-table, five points behind sixth-placed Roma, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Though they last failed to secure Champions League qualification in 2019/20, that’s a distinct possibility now unless they miraculously turn things around down the final stretch. Despite their woeful league form, the Rossoneri extended their unbeaten run against bitter rivals Inter in midweek Coppa Italia action.

Indeed, they drew 1-1 in the first leg of their semi-final tie to somewhat bolster their spirits ahead of Fiorentina’s visit. However, the visitors head into proceedings in fine form, boasting a three-game winning streak across all competitions, bookended by a gutsy 1-0 home win against third-placed Atalanta last weekend.

Only a point beneath a coveted sixth spot pre-round, Raffaele Palladino’s charges are desperate for a win at the San Siro. Yet, after hitting a rough patch on the road, Fiorentina have got their work cut out to avoid a third consecutive finish outside Serie A’s top seven.

Match Preview

Milan

These are not pleasant times for the Rossoneri faithful by any stretch of the imagination. Indeed, there’s a good chance Milan could finish ninth or worse in Serie A for the first time since 2014 under Filippo Inzaghi. A late comeback might not be sufficient to hand Conceicao a lifeline in the dugout, with the club already scouring the market for a new manager.

However, the Portuguese boss would still want to leave Lombardy with dignity. The first step toward redemption rests on Conceicao’s ability to inspire Milan to only their second league victory against teams starting this round above them in the standings this season (W1, D4, L7), an ominous stat ahead of Fiorentina’s visit.

On a positive note, Milan have got the better of La Viola in their last four meetings at the San Siro, keeping a clean sheet on three occasions. As such, they should be confident of avenging a 2-1 loss from October’s reverse fixture. Furthermore, they have lost just one of their last 16 home matches across all competitions (W8, D7).

Fiorentina

Fresh off beating Atalanta and Juventus ‘to nil,’ Fiorentina will be out to take advantage of Milan’s woeful recent home showings. The hosts have failed to score more than once in four of their last five games on this ground, giving Palladino’s side hope that they could put a decisive stop to their travel sickness.

Since beating Lazio 2-1 in late January, the visitors have lost four consecutive away matches in all competitions, including a brace of 2-1 defeats to fellow top-half rivals Inter and Napoli. Topically, they’ve only won once on the road against fellow top-nine opposition this season (D1, L4).

However, La Viola will have an added motive to defy their recent form wobble on hostile turf as they seek a first league double over Milan since 2001. Much will depend on the way they start this game. Conceding first would likely put them on the path of no return, with Fiorentina winning none of their seven away league matches after letting in the first goal.

Team News

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Emerson Royal are still on the sidelines, while Alejandro Jimenez must serve a one-game ban. Therefore, Riccardo Sottil could start on the wing against his parent club. Tammy Abraham should retain his place in attack at the expense of Santiago Gimenez after netting a superb goal against Inter.

On the other hand, Andrea Colpani is the only high-profile absentee in the visiting camp. Ex-Inter wingback Robin Gosens is back to full fitness after missing last weekend’s game against Atalanta with a minor injury. It will be a landmark occasion for Moise Kean, who’s on the verge of making his 200th appearance in Europe’s top-five leagues.

Milan vs Fiorentina Potential Starting Line-ups

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Bondo; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Abraham.

Fiorentina (3-5-2): De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Fagioli, Cataldi, Mandragora, Gosens; Gudmundsson, Kean.

Milan vs Fiorentina Prediction

Anything other than three points would likely end Milan’s quest to secure a sought-after European qualification. However, the hosts are not in a good mood, while the visitors take this trip in high spirits.

Therefore, a share of the spoils could be on the cards.