AC Milan looking to bounce back to winning ways as Udinese visits.
Milan vs
Udinese
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, an intense Serie A encounter awaits at the iconic San Siro as AC Milan, eager to bounce back from their frustrating defeat against Fiorentina, confront the confident fifth-placed Udinese, who are riding high on recent victories and seeking to repeat their past triumph at Milan's fortress.
Milan
In 6th place, AC Milan, with 11 points, are surprisingly trailing their visitors in the league standings. They find themselves two points behind Udinese, who have 13 points, and are in desperate need of a win to reclaim a higher position.
The Rossoneri’s last outing before the international break was a frustrating 2-1 loss against Fiorentina. This result ended their four-match unbeaten run in the league (DWWWL), and Paulo Fonseca is under increasing pressure to rectify the team’s defensive issues.
Milan will be looking to return to winning ways this weekend when they face Udinese. In the last seven Serie A encounters between these two teams, both sides have won two matches (2W, 3D, 2L), with Milan winning the last meeting 3-2 at the Bluenergy Stadium on 20 January 2024.
The loss against Fiorentina means Milan could suffer back-to-back defeats in Serie A for the first time since January-February 2023. The absence of left-back Theo Hernandez, who is suspended after a red card in the Fiorentina match, adds to Fonseca’s challenges.
Key players like Ismaël Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, and Davide Calabria are unavailable due to injury, requiring crucial tactical adjustments from the manager. Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic is enjoying a remarkable scoring streak, having netted in four consecutive league matches.
A 4-2-3-1 formation with Tammy Abraham in attack is expected against Udinese.
Udinese
Currently sitting fifth in the Serie A standings, Udinese will head into the weekend's fixture with plenty of confidence. Under the management of Kosta Runjaić, they have made a strong start to the season, winning three of their last five Serie A games [WWLLW].
The Little Zebras will be looking to pick up back-to-back victories when they make the trip to Milan. Having won their last Serie A away match against AC Milan (1-0 on 4 November 2023), a victory here would be their first consecutive wins on the road against the Rossoneri in the top-flight.
Udinese's attacking duo of Lorenzo Lucca and Florian Thauvin, both of whom have found the net three times this season, will pose a significant threat to Milan's shaky defense in a 3—5—2 formation. Thauvin is back in action following a brief layoff, joining the fit midfield duo of Martín Payero and Sandi Lovric.
