AC Milan will take on Roma away from home this evening and after winning their first two games, they will be looking to add another three points to their tally. In this article, we go over the key battles of the game.
The Rossoneri beat Bologna 2-0 in the opener and then defeated Torino 4-1 in front of a sold-out San Siro. In short, it has been a good start to the season but the first big test is now on the cards. Below are the battles that could decide tonight’s clash against Roma.
Starting at the back, from Milan’s perspective, it will be important for Malick Thiaw to keep Andrea Belotti quiet especially in the hold-up play. The Roma striker is strong and must be stopped early, just as he cannot be left with space in the box.
Between the defence and midfield of Milan, Lorenzo Pellegrini will be roaming and Rade Krunic will have to offer his defenders support in that sense. The Italian is very good on the ball and the Bosnian will have to be present at all times.
In midfield, Tijjani Reijnders will be given a lot of freedom by Stefano Pioli and Jose Mourinho will have to counter this, perhaps putting Bryan Cristante close to the Dutchman. It’s very possible that this game will be won in the midfield, in fact.
Moving on, Christian Pulisic against Diego Llorente will be an interesting one. The Roma defender, at the age of 30, has a lot of experience but the American has been in red-hot form as of late and could be tough to stop.
Finally, Olivier Giroud will be up against an equally strong defender in Chris Smalling. The latter hasn’t started the season that well, though, while the Frenchman has bagged three goals already and will be looking for more.
Roma will have a point to prove and even be galvanized by the arrival of Big Rom, but their defense is a total mess and we should be able to take advantage of it. No doubt Mou could try the low block and counter but also dirty tactics and fouling.
Let’s see how we do. FORZA MILAN ⚫️🔴
Lord Krunic…oh why!