AC Milan Women will play their final match of the season this Sunday, taking on Hellas Verona at home. The match will take place at 15:00 CEST (06:00 PST / 09:00 EST).
Since the team has already qualified for next season’s Champions League, they can use this match to experiment and prepare for the Coppa Italia final against Roma on May 30th.
Here’s an overview of what you need to know before this Sunday’s game:
➤ AC Milan will finish the league second in Serie A Femminile. Their last game against Sassuolo ended in a draw and since Milan have the advantage on goal difference and a head-to-head record, it means that they’ll finish in second, even if they somehow lose to Verona. The latter will most likely not happen, however. Milan’s current record in the league is 16 wins, two ties, and three losses.
➤ Verona, on the other hand, sits in ninth place in the league. To date, the team have won six games, tied two, and lost thirteen. With this in mind, Milan will most certainly be the favourites to pull off a win this Sunday.
➤ Milan will lineup in their usual 3-5-2. There is no word on who will be fielded on Sunday, but one should expect them to use the same players that have brought them success in their past three matches.
➤ Verona tends to alternate between fielding a 5-3-2, a 3-5-2, or on occasion, a 4-3-3. Their most likely lineup for this Sunday: (5-3-2) Durante; Ledri, Solow, Meneghini, Sardu; Mella, Jelenčić, Nichele (or Bragonzi), Motta; Santi, Ambrosi.
➤ The last time these two teams met was on January 16th Milan won that match with a solitary goal that was scored by Natasha Dowie.
➤ The Gialloblu’s most talented player is Asia Bragonzi. The Juventus loanee is an up-and-coming, talented forward who has been instrumental to the team’s survival in Serie A. Bragonzi also recently signed a contract with Federico Pastorello, who is one of Italy’s super agents. Her signature with his agency is also a sign of the times, as this is the first time the agent has signed a women’s player. With Bragonzi signing with Pastorello and fellow Juventina Barbara Bonansea signing with Mina Raiola, it is a sign that women’s football is growing in Italy and is now being seen as a profitable venture.
➤ Milan will also go into this match with a sense of security, as they’ve recently renewed Verónica Boquete’s contract for another season. Refiloe Jane, Yui Hasegawa, and Christy Grimshaw will also renew their contracts for next season within the upcoming days.
➤ Though it’s hard to predict a final scoreline, it is most likely that Milan will win this Sunday’s game. They have the experience, talent and momentum on their side and unless Ganz decides to do something drastic, it is most likely that Milan will emerge the winners of this match.
➤ There is talk of a turnover happening in the lineup, as seldom-used players Deborah Salvatori Rinaldi, Caroline Rask, Giorgia Spinelli, and Claudia Mauri being fielded during the last game of the season. This is being done not only to give the main starters a rest but to also assess what players and tactics should be used in the Coppa Italia final in May.’
How to Watch
Milan TV, TimVision, the AC Milan app, and Dailymotion page.
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