The five key battles that could win or lose the game for Milan against Sassuolo

AC Milan are aiming to take an important step towards Champions League qualification today, taking on Sassuolo away from home. As always, there are some player battles to note. 

As a result of Como’s draw against Napoli yesterday, Milan could increase the gap down to fifth place to eight points this afternoon. Roma could decrease it to six with a win against Fiorentina on Monday, but either way, a win would be massive.

Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!

Massimiliano Allegri is expected to make three changes to the starting eleven for this one, hoping to revive a struggling attack. Luka Modric is also out of action, which has opened the door for Ardon Jashari to shine in this season finale.

Sassuolo vs. AC Milan: The five key battles

Let’s start with the defensive phase for Milan. In the reverse fixture, Matteo Gabbia struggled a bit with Andrea Pinamonti, a strong and mobile striker who does the hold-up play really well. The battle between the two should definitely be revived today.

Gabbia’s return has definitely helped improve the defence, but even he can lose concentration sometimes. He cannot afford to do it again this time out as all Pinamonti needs is that fraction of a second for his flicks to create something dangerous.

On the left-hand side, it would be impossible not to mention Pervis Estupinan and Domenico Berardi. The Milan defender has had his fair share of poor-defending moments this season, while the Sassuolo veteran loves facing the Rossoneri.

Beyond the obvious threat, which is Berardi cutting inside and shooting himself, Estupinan will have to limit him in other areas too. Letting him pass so that he can send in a cross could be just as dangerous as letting him shoot.

In the centre of the pitch, I expected Adrien Rabiot to get stuck in with Nemanja Matic a few times. The Sassuolo midfielder plays in a central role, so they likely won’t face each other all the time, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he offered support on the left in the defensive phase.

After all, Rabiot is the last player to score for Milan, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Matic to spend more time trying to stop him than the attackers. The two also match each other in size, which could make for some great battles.

Out on the right, Alexis Saelemaekers was one of the best players against Juventus and since the other attackers are struggling so much, his creativity could actually be crucial. In other words, he could make stuff happen with a little space.

He will be up against Ulisses Garcia, who arrived from Marseille during the January window and thus didn’t feature in the reverse fixture. It will definitely be interesting to see who comes out on top in that battle.

Finally, Allegri has opted to give Christopher Nkunku a chance and assuming that he will operate mostly on the right side, he will be up against Jay Idzes. The defender has been linked with Milan in the past and certainly has a lot of Serie A experience.

For Nkunku, it’s one of the final chances to prove himself ahead of the summer transfer window. Not so Milan will decide to keep him, by the way, but rather to increase the interest for himself a little.