AC Milan vs Udinese

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AC Milan, who recently slipped from the top spot to third place in Serie A, are aiming to regain their winning form as they host Udinese at San Siro this Saturday evening.

Before their exciting draw with Napoli last weekend, Milan had suffered two consecutive losses. On the other hand, Udinese has yet to secure a victory in the league this season and was also eliminated from the Coppa Italia recently.

For Milan, the 2-2 draw with Napoli may feel like they missed an opportunity, given that Olivier Giroud scored twice in the first half, giving them control of the game at Stadio Maradona last Sunday. However, their absence-plagued team, managed by Stefano Pioli, faced further challenges as Pierre Kalulu was forced off with an injury, and he was replaced by the untested Marco Pellegrino. Napoli mounted a comeback in the second half, earning a point in a captivating match between the last two Scudetto champions.

Milan's struggles extended beyond Serie A, as they had suffered losses to Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. Their woes in Europe were particularly pronounced, with a 3-0 defeat at Parc des Princes last month, resulting in them failing to score in their last five European matches. They currently occupy the bottom spot in Group F, which includes Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United.

Desperately in need of three points in the upcoming match against PSG in the reverse fixture, last season's semi-finalists in the Champions League must initially focus on securing their first league victory in nearly a month.

Milan, who have won six out of their last seven Serie A home matches, with their only loss against their potential title rivals, Juventus, should anticipate stabilizing their form by defeating a struggling opponent they have typically dominated in the past.

Despite persistent injury concerns plaguing Pioli's squad, Milan has an impressive record of remaining unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 league encounters with Udinese at San Siro. Furthermore, Udinese has not tasted victory anywhere since August.

While Udinese managed to secure their first Serie A win over Milan in seven attempts with a 3-1 victory earlier this year, repeating such an achievement seems like a daunting task for the Fruili side this weekend.

Despite the return of Gabriele Cioffi to the club following Andrea Sottil's dismissal, Udinese has struggled to turn their fortunes around under new management. Following a 1-1 draw against Monza last week, they are still waiting for their first league win in the 2023-24 season.

The draw against Monza made Udinese only the third team in the 21st century to draw at least seven of their first 10 Serie A fixtures. Before their visit to Milan on Saturday, they had drawn four out of five away matches this season.

Although Udinese ended the previous season with five consecutive away defeats, their current run represents a slight improvement. Nevertheless, Cioffi's team occupies the 17th position in the Serie A standings, and their troubles deepened when they were eliminated from the cup competition on home turf on Wednesday.

Udinese missed the opportunity to face Milan in the last 16 of the cup competition, as their second-string team had initially taken the lead against Cagliari with a goal from teenage defender Axel Guessand. However, they were later equalized and eventually conceded another goal at the end of extra time. Consequently, their last victory remains a 4-1 win against Serie B side Catanzaro nearly three months ago.

While Pierre Kalulu may remain sidelined until 2024 due to a thigh injury he sustained in Naples last week, Malick Thiaw is set to return from suspension after receiving a costly red card against Juventus. Thiaw is expected to rejoin his usual defensive partner at the core of Milan's defense.

Since Thiaw made his debut in Serie A back in October, Milan has maintained an average of 2.3 points per game and conceded just 0.7 goals when the German center-back and Tomori have been paired in the starting lineup. These statistics shift to 1.3 points and 1.8 goals conceded when at least one of the two is absent from the lineup.

On the attacking front, Lorenzo Lucca has recently shown promising form, having scored two goals in his last four Serie A appearances. This comes after a goal drought of six matches, with Lucca breaking the spell with an equalizer against Monza last week, likely earning the former Ajax loanee a starting position at San Siro.

Udinese currently occupy the 17th spot in the Serie A standings and have not been performing at their peak this season. They recently suffered a significant setback with a 2-1 loss to Cagliari in the Coppa Italia, and they face a challenging task in regaining their form for their upcoming match.

In contrast, AC Milan finds themselves in a more favorable position, currently sitting in third place in the league table. They have displayed impressive performance throughout the season. Although they were held to a 2-2 draw by Napoli in their last match, they aim to elevate their game in the upcoming weekend.

When examining their head-to-head history, AC Milan has a strong track record against Udinese, securing victory in 25 out of the last 52 encounters, while Udinese has managed 16 wins. In their previous meeting, Udinese ended a six-game winless streak against AC Milan, a feat they haven't achieved since 2017. It's worth noting that AC Milan has been remarkably consistent at home, remaining unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 Serie A matches against Udinese, with their sole defeat during this period dating back to 2016. An interesting statistic is that, since Stefano Pioli assumed the managerial role at AC Milan, matches between Udinese and the Rossoneri have yet to witness a clean sheet.

AC Milan's Serie A performance this season has been outstanding, and they will be eager to recover from their relatively disappointing result against Napoli. Rafael Leao has been a standout player for the Rossoneri, and he aims to further increase his goal tally in the upcoming match.