Will or not it’s a case of higher late than by no means? Thursday night time will yield the reply as AC Milan journey to face Bologna within the rescheduled Serie A conflict.
Milan have discovered themselves ready the place they’ll if they’re to get into the highest 4, and that begins with the match on the Stadio Renato dall’Ara towards a facet additionally hoping for a late surge.
Sergio Conceicao didn’t communicate to the media in a pre-match press convention. Whereas he has skipped them typically resulting from restricted time there did see to be a window to carry one, and never doing so – particularly after two damaging outcomes with two massive video games to come back – .
Sport date: Thursday, February 27Kick-off time: 20:45 (CET)Venue: Stadio Renato dall’AraReferee: Maurizio Mariani (VAR: Di Bello)
Staff information
As a reminder, Bologna-Milan was initially meant to be performed on the finish of October, however what emerged within the 48 hours main as much as kick-off was .
Two days earlier than the sport the concept of it being postponed resulting from antagonistic climate within the Emilia area and the prospect of flooding across the stadium first emerged, then the official announcement got here on the Friday.
Bologna via their CEO, however it will be honest to say . The Rossoneri and Lega Serie A had been in favour or enjoying the match behind closed doorways or shifting it to a impartial floor, and at one level Milan .
Nonetheless, right here we’re on the finish of February, with a niche within the schedule lastly having opened as much as play the sport. Nevertheless, Milan and Bologna come into it in a lot completely different circumstances this time, hoping to offer which means to a troubled marketing campaign.
Extra Tales / The Match
The necessity for the Diavolo to bounce again can’t be understated after they had been knocked out of the Champions League by Feyenoord final Tuesday then overwhelmed by Torino on Saturday. Thus, the European marketing campaign ended early this season, and there could also be no probability to avenge it in 2025-26.
There has as soon as once more been plenty of speak within the build-up to the sport concerning the ‘Improbable 4’, or maybe the ‘Flop 4’ given they’ve one purpose in 168 minutes collectively on the sphere. Conceicao is anticipated to interrupt them up ultimately, with .
By way of damage information, the long-term absentees stay Alessandro Florenzi and Emerson Royal. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is getting nearer to a return however is not going to be out there, whereas Kyle Walker will even sit out. Each Englishmen may very well be again after the Lazio fixture on the weekend.
Defensively, there is only one change anticipated with Malick Thiaw set to be benched after his poor efficiency towards Toro. Barring that, issues stay unchanged, so Conceicao will begin; Mike Maignan, Alex Jimenez, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic and Theo.
Tijjani Reijnders will stay within the center, however not within the double pivot with Yunus Musah set to retain his spot, although Youssouf Fofana is now anticipated to hitch him sitting deeper.
Reijnders, then, will lead that midfield, with Christian Pulisic and Joao Felix sitting both facet of him, alternatively, Musah may begin on the best with Reijnders sitting within the pivot. Main the road can be Santiago Gimenez, as per.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Jimenez, Tomori, Pavlovic, Theo; Fofana, Musah; Pulisic, Reijnders, Felix; Gimenez
The opponents
For Bologna, this was all the time going to be a case of ‘laborious act to observe’ after they completed fifth in Serie A final season. In doing so that they certified for the Champions League, having made their final look in Europe’s high membership competitors within the 1964–65 season, when it was the European Cup.
What didn’t assistance is that their head coach Thiago Motta determined to depart for Juventus, whereas Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori – two of the principle architects from the squad – departed for the Premier League, becoming a member of Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
Quite then spend the over €100m they obtained from gross sales on massive names, they unfold their bets. Thijs Dallinga arrived from Toulouse for €15m to switch Zirkzee, and Nicolo Cambiaghi joined from Atalanta for €10m.
Emil Holm from Spezia and Martin Erlic from Sassuolo (each round €7m) had been the one different summer time signings over €5m. Samuel Iling-Junior and Tomasso Pobega joined from Aston Villa and Milan respectively on preliminary mortgage offers.
The one change they actually made within the winter mercato was at right-back, with Stefan Posch heading to Atalanta and Davide Calabria being signed to switch him, ending .
Vincenzo Italiano was poached from Fiorentina to switch Motta and he had a tough begin, successful simply one in all his first eight league video games in cost (towards rock-bottom Monza) which left them near the relegation zone. As well as, the Rossoblu would lose 4 of their first 5 Champions League video games to successfully guarantee their early exit.
Nevertheless, the crew from Emilia had an upturn on the finish of October, successful six of their subsequent eight Serie A fixtures, together with beating Roma and Fiorentina. They started 2025 with entertaining 2-2 attracts at residence to Roma and away towards Inter.
The brand new calendar 12 months has been blended for Italiano’s males as they’ve misplaced simply as soon as, however it was the latest sport, a 2-0 Derby dell’Emilia defeat to Parma. They did, although, beat Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League and Atalanta within the Coppa Italia, so issues lastly started to click on.
By way of damage information, Holm is out with a primary diploma lesion to the medial flexors of the left thigh. He ought to return within the second half of March. The identical applies to Pedrola, whereas Odgaard will even miss out with a muscle damage and ought to be again in mid-March.
Regardless of the humiliating 2-0 loss towards Parma on the weekend, there ought to be no defensive adjustments made by Vincenzo Italiano so the backline ought to be made up of Ravaglia, Calabria, Beukema, Lucumi and Miranda.
Forward of them, Freuler and one other Rossonero Tommaso Pobega are anticipated both facet of Moro – which ought to keep as a financial institution of three, somewhat than splitting right into a 2-1-esque system.
Dan Ndoye and Cambiaghi ought to be deployed on the wings for the Rossoblu and this leaves Castro to steer the road.
Predicted Bologna XI (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Calabria, Beukema, Lucumi and Miranda; Freuler, Moro, Pobega; Ndoye, Castro, Cambiaghi.
Face to face
Of their 125-year historical past, Bologna are the crew that AC Milan have performed the sixth-most aggressive video games towards. The document is as follows: 186 matches throughout all competitions with 87 wins, 47 attracts and 52 defeats, a win charge of 46.8%.
Milan gained the sport on the Dall’Ara final season in spherical one of many season. Olivier Giroud received the opening purpose after simply 11 minutes, after which ten minutes later Christian Pulisic marked his debut for the membership with a purpose of his personal.
The sport again at San Siro was an entertaining one, as Zirkzee however Bologna forward after half an hour, then Loftus-Cheek scored a brace to place the Rossoneri in entrance. His second was within the 83rd minute, but a penalty in added time gave Riccardo Orsolini the possibility to earn a draw, which he took.
What’s somewhat outstanding is that Milan have misplaced solely two away video games towards Bologna this millenium, they usually had been the primary two video games that they performed, in 2000-01 and 2001-02.
Key info and stats
➤ AC Milan are unbeaten of their final 17 video games towards Bologna in Serie A (W13 D4) – Bologna’s final win got here again in January 2016 (1-0 on the Meazza stadium courtesy of a purpose from Emanuele Giaccherini) – solely towards three sides have the Rossoneri had an extended unbeaten streak within the top-flight: Catania (26), Chievo (25) and SPAL (26).
➤ Following their 2-2 draw of their final match towards AC Milan in January 2024, Bologna may keep away from defeat in consecutive matches towards the Rossoneri in Serie A for the primary time since doing so between 2011 and 2012: two attracts in a row below Stefano Pioli.
➤ Excluding the primary matchday, Bologna and AC Milan (each 41 factors within the present league season) will face one another in a match with precisely the identical factors tally for the primary time since MD16 of the 2017/18 marketing campaign (21 factors every in that case): the Rossoneri gained 2-1 on the Meazza stadium in that case.
➤ Bologna’s final residence win towards AC Milan in Serie A got here again in March 2002 (2-0, targets from Salvatore Fresi and Julio Cruz), going winless in 18 towards them on residence soil since then (D5 L13), solely towards Juventus (21, present open streak) have the Emilians recorded an extended residence run with no win within the top- flight.
➤ After dropping their most up-to-date match towards Parma, Bologna may lose two video games in a row in Serie A for the primary time since January 2023 (towards Roma and Atalanta in that case).
➤ Bologna are unbeaten in 15 of their final 16 residence league video games (W7 D8), with their solely defeat on this interval coming towards Hellas Verona. As well as, the Emilians have gained their final three video games on the Dall’Ara and will win 4 residence matches in a row in Serie A for the primary time since February 2024.
➤ After dropping towards Torino, AC Milan may lose not less than two video games in a row in Serie A for the primary time since doing so between January and February 2023 (three in that case, towards Lazio, Sassuolo and Inter).
➤ Bologna have spent the fewest minutes trailing in residence Serie A matches this season (solely 42), whereas AC Milan (222) rank ninth for many minutes main away from residence within the competitors this time period.
➤ Santiago Castro (six targets within the present league season), may develop into solely the second international participant to attain not less than seven targets in a Serie A season earlier than turning 21 for Bologna, after Harald Nielsen in 1962/63 (seven) and in 1961/62 (eight).
➤ Tijjani Reinders has scored eight targets within the present league season (all from open play), the final AC Milan central midfielder to have scored extra targets excluding penalties in a Serie A marketing campaign was Antonio Nocerino in 2011/12 (10).
Ones to observe
Beginning with the hosts, Dan Ndoye has all of the instruments to torment Theo Hernandez tomorrow night time, and if the Swissman isn’t given the apt consideration, then he’ll trigger hazard for the backline, particularly if Davide Calabria helps him nicely.
We’re staying on Bologna’s proper, and likewise going to place ahead Calabria. It nearly writes itself however reviews have already recommended that the sport can be . Maybe, he may get a little bit of revenge, if you’ll, on Sergio Conceicao for his transfer.
Fikayo Tomori is somebody who must be at his finest, regardless of the minimal stress after Thiaw’s efficiency on the weekend. If he doesn’t impress on this sport, maybe Matteo Gabbia may very well be launched again into the facet, or not less than given an opportunity to be.
Joao Felix is an intriguing participant, and while he has proven indicators of issues since becoming a member of on mortgage, he has failed to actually set up himself as a key participant for the Rossoneri, which is just a frustration. Given he’s anticipated to start out forward of Leao, an excellent efficiency is a should.
Prediction
Given each side are nonetheless preventing for a European place, and with the Champions League a risk, it could be a very cagey sport. With tremendous margins splitting each groups, it may very well be too troublesome to inform them aside on Thursday.
Bologna 1-1 Milan
