Serie A preview: Fiorentina vs. AC Milan

AC Milan are about to achieve the midway level of their season, taking over Fiorentina away from dwelling, and it will likely be so much more durable than the league desk suggests.

After 18 video games performed, Milan are sitting in second place with 39 factors, the identical factors tally they’d within the 2021-22 (Scudetto) season after 18 video games. Tomorrow, they’ll formally attain the midway level with their nineteenth sport, albeit on matchday 20 as a result of Supercoppa Italiana break.

As highlighted by Massimiliano Allegri in his press convention, it will likely be a really powerful sport for the Rossoneri, not simply because it’s at Artemio Franchi but in addition as a result of Fiorentina are in a very good second. Certainly, their finest second of the season.

Sport date: Sunday, January 11Kick-off time: 15:00 (CET)Venue: Stadio Artemio FranchiReferee: Davide Massa (VAR: Fabio Maresca)

Workforce information

Allegri will just about have a full squad for tomorrow’s sport, however there are some caveats to notice. Initially, Fikayo Tomori will probably be serving a suspension as a result of yellow card accumulation, which isn’t preferrred given his significance this season.

Secondly, it was confirmed through the aforementioned presser that Luka Modric will probably be rested for the primary time within the league this season. Then, in fact, Santiago Gimenez continues to be recovering from his long-term harm.

On the brilliant facet, Christopher Nkunku is okay and has travelled with the workforce, which implies Allegri can have 4 choices in assault. That hasn’t occurred typically this season and it’s additionally one thing the gaffer highlighted through the presser, clearly completely happy concerning the truth.

Transferring on to the eleven, and beginning on the again, Koni De Winter would be the one to exchange the suspended Englishman. Matteo Gabbia and Strahinja Pavlovic will full the defence, so there aren’t any main surprises right here.

Additional up the pitch, Alexis Saelemaekers and Davide Bartesaghi will hold their spots because the wing-backs, whereas Adrien Rabiot can also be a given today. Regardless of the miss final day trip, Youssouf Fofana is seemingly forward of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with Allegri praising him through the presser.

The ultimate spot, i.e. the one which Modric normally occupies, will more than likely be handed to Samuele Ricci. The previous Torino man has accomplished properly off the bench, typically as a mezz’ala, however his finest place is certainly the deep-lying function. After all, it could be a blow for Ardon Jashari.

Up entrance, as alluded to earlier than, Milan have various choices for as soon as and it appears Allegri hasn’t fairly determined what to do right here but. After two video games in its place, Niclas Füllkrug may get the prospect from begin for the primary time, battling it out with Leao.

The Portuguese worldwide has improved his bodily situation but when he’s nonetheless not 100%, that might be simply the opening the German striker wants. As for the remaining slot, Christian Pulisic ought to stay, hoping to get on the scoresheet this day trip.

Predicted Milan XI (3-5-2): Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Ricci, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Fullkrug/Leao.

Predicted Milan bench: Terracciano, Torriani, Athekame, Dutu, Odogu, Estupinan, Fofana, Jashari, Modric, Nkunku, Fullkrug/Leao.

The opponents

As alluded to above, it’s been a surprising season for Fiorentina up to now. After appointing Stefano Pioli in the summertime, whereas conserving gamers resembling Moise Kean and Pietro Comuzzo, the objective was undoubtedly to struggle for the European spots.

Pioli even aimed a jab at Massimiliano Allegri for not together with La Viola as a candidate for the top-four race, which didn’t precisely age properly for the previous Milan supervisor. In equity to him, although, Allegri revealed earlier right now that he simply forgot to say Fiorentina.

In any case, after accumulating simply 4 factors within the first ten video games (4 attracts, so no win), Fiorentina introduced the choice to half methods with Pioli. A number of days later, Paolo Vanoli was confirmed as the brand new supervisor and began his tenure with two attracts.

After that, nevertheless, the struggles returned with three defeats on the trot. It’s solely in the previous few weeks that La Viola have turned issues round, profitable two and drawing one in every of their final 4 video games. In different phrases, they’re taking over Milan throughout their finest second of the season.

As for the squad, as we mentioned above, Vanoli has many good gamers at his disposal. Kean is the apparent star, however the likes of Luca Ranieri, Robert Gosens, Rolando Mandragora and Albert Gudmundsson are additionally skilled names within the league. To not point out Comuzzo and Nicolo Fagioli.

Tariq Lamptey and the veteran Edin Dzeko are the one injured gamers too, so Vanoli doesn’t actually have any excuses when it comes to squad high quality. The identical might be mentioned for Pioli although actually, and he nonetheless struggled to get issues going.

The above signifies that Milan will probably be up towards a reasonably robust beginning eleven. It’s the third time he’s talked about right here, we all know, however Kean will clearly be the one to observe given simply how a lot injury he may cause (to the opponents) on a very good day.

The previous Milan man Marco Brescianini will probably be on the bench, having joined the membership simply yesterday on an preliminary mortgage deal from Atalanta.

Predicted Fiorentina XI (4-1-4-1): De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Pongracic, Gosens; Fagioli; Parisi, Mandragora, Sohm, Gudmundsson; Kean.

Predicted Fiorentina bench: Christensen, Lezzerini, Kuoadio, Ranieri, Fortini, Marì, Kospo, Nicolussi-Caviglia, Brescianini, Fazzini, Ndour, Piccoli, Kouame, Solomo

Face to face

There have been 184 encounters between the 2 sides, with Milan profitable 82 and Fiorentina profitable 53. The remaining 49 video games resulted in attracts, even when that has been a reasonably unusual outcome for this fixture in latest occasions.

The final time Milan visited the Artemio Franchi was in October 2024, when Paulo Fonseca was nonetheless in command of the workforce. It was a reasonably loopy one as three penalties had been awarded, one to Fiorentina and two to the Rossoneri, however not a single one was transformed.

Yacine Adli opened the scoring in that sport, on mortgage from Milan, and Pulisic equalised with a stunning end within the second half. As an alternative of sparking a win, nevertheless, that objective was adopted by a mistake on the again and a 2-1 strike by Gudmundsson.

As for the reverse fixture this season, Milan prevailed 2-1 as Leao bagged each objectives: the primary a strike on the sting of the field and the second a penalty. Gosens was the goalscorer for Fiorentina in that sport.

Key details and stats

➤ AC Milan have received 79 of their 171 Serie A matches towards Fiorentina (D45 L47), with the Rossoneri solely recording extra victories towards Roma (81) within the competitors. Fiorentina are additionally the facet towards whom AC Milan have scored essentially the most objectives (268) in Serie A.

➤ Solely one of many final 11 Serie A matches between Fiorentina and Milan has resulted in a draw (2-2 on 5 April on the Meazza), with Milan profitable seven and Fiorentina profitable three throughout this era.

➤ Fiorentina have received three of their final 4 dwelling Serie A matches towards AC Milan (L1), as many victories as they’d recorded of their earlier 18 league video games on the Artemio Franchi towards the Rossoneri (W3 D7 L8).

➤ Fiorentina are at the moment two Serie A video games unbeaten (W1 D1), however they haven’t gone three consecutive matches with out defeat within the competitors this season. The Viola have gained seven factors of their final 4 Serie A fixtures, yet one more than they collected of their first 15 league video games of the season.

➤ After victories towards Udinese and Cremonese, Fiorentina may win three consecutive Serie A house matches for the primary time this season. The final time they achieved this was between February and March final 12 months, beneath Raffaele Palladino, after they beat Lecce, Juventus and Atalanta.

➤ AC Milan may report as few as one defeat after 19 video games in a single Serie A season for under the fourth time within the three-points-for-a-win period, after 1995/96, 2003/04 (AC Milan received the Scudetto in each of those seasons) and 2004/05 (AC Milan completed second within the league).

➤ AC Milan are the one away facet to stay unbeaten in Serie A this season; with a report of W5 D3 of their eight video games, conceding simply 5 objectives (the perfect away defence within the present Serie A marketing campaign). Throughout Europe’s huge 5 leagues in 2025/26, Bayern Munich are the one different facet additionally nonetheless unbeaten on the street.

➤ Fiorentina have dropped 18 factors from profitable positions in Serie A this season, greater than another facet. Conversely, AC Milan have gained 9 factors from dropping positions, the second-most within the league behind solely Cagliari (11).

➤ Albert Gudmundsson is one in every of 4 gamers, alongside Kevin De Bruyne, Riccardo Orsolini and Nikola Vlasic, to have scored three penalties in Serie A this season. Because the begin of the 2023/24 season, the Fiorentina participant has transformed 9 of his 10 penalties within the competitors; solely Paulo Dybala (91%) has a greater shot conversion charge from the spot than him (90%) amongst gamers who’ve taken at the very least eight within the top-flight over this era.

➤ Fiorentina are one of many two groups – together with Cagliari – towards whom Rafael Leão has scored essentially the most Serie A objectives; the Portuguese ahead has netted six occasions in simply eight video games towards the Viola, though solely a type of objectives got here on the Franchi (on thirtieth March 2024, in Fiorentina 1-2 Milan; Leão additionally supplied an help for Ruben Loftus-Cheek in that match).

Ones to observe

By the sounds of it, Ricci would be the one to exchange Modric within the deep-lying midfield function. It’s an enormous job for the Italian, that a lot is obvious, however it could even be an opportunity for him to show himself in his normal place. As a sub, he has typically come on as a mezz’ala, which is admittedly his second function.

One other participant that has some extent to show is Saelemaekers, who was fairly disappointing towards Genoa mid-week. Allegri even touched on it through the presser, stating that the Belgian doesn’t should work 100% on a regular basis as that makes him drained, taking away his composure in assault.

For Fiorentina, let’s begin with the large man in objective: De Gea. The Spaniard has had some wonderful performances towards Milan, together with the aforementioned sport when he saved two penalties, and the Rossoneri must be medical to beat the skilled goalkeeper.

Then, it could be negligence to not point out Kean on this part. The striker didn’t begin final day trip resulting from a minor harm however now he’s again in full swing, hoping to impress in entrance of his pal Leao. If Colombo can damage the Milan defence, then so can the Fiorentina star.

Prediction

Will probably be a a lot more durable sport than the standings recommend, however most Milan followers know this already. Fiorentina have turned a nook and the Rossoneri have struggled on this fixture earlier than, so it appears like a basic slip-up second.

That mentioned, Allegri will probably be eager to show himself after some query marks towards Genoa, and the identical goes for the gamers. Plus, Fiorentina are nonetheless a little bit bit fragile mentally, which should be taken benefit of.

Fiorentina 0-1 Milan