AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has decided on the team that he will start against Atalanta, opting for a familiar line-up.
Milan have won three games in a row across three competitions, beating Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League, Empoli in the league and Sassuolo in the Coppa Italia all in the space of eight days.
With an eye on the Atalanta game, Fonseca made eight changes to the starting line-up for the Sassuolo game from the team that beat Empoli and it proved to be more than enough to overcome the Neroverdi in a 6-1 win.
Nonetheless, facing La Dea will be a much bigger test. The Rossoneri are still currently six points below Fiorentina in fourth, plus four points off Juve in sixth and 10 behind Napoli at the top (with a game in hand on both), so positive results are needed to keep in touch with the top spots.
Milan’s predicted XI
As MilanNews report, the expectation is that Fonseca will revert back to the team that he was relying on most before the midweek rotation.
That means a back four of Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Malick Thiaw and Theo Hernandez in front of Mike Maignan. The French duo missed the midweek game but are back after respective dental and foot problems.
In the midfield – where the game could well be won or lost – there is no surprise to see the names of Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana present again. The Dutchman is in brilliant form, while his partner offers balance that will be crucial.
The trident behind the striker Alvaro Morata will consist of Yunus Musah, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao. That means Musah will once again play in the hybrid position which he has taken up recently, acting as a stabiliser along the right side.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Gabbia, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Musah, Pulisic, Leao; Morata.
The team looks good but I honestly don’t know whether to choose morata or Abraham, Abraham is a lot smarter but a worse finisher while morata is a better finisher but doesn’t have as much game IQ as tammy
Why wouldn’t use 4 3 3 Theo gabbia thiaw royal fofona tijjani musah pulisic morata leao,that we b better to support our defense.
Musah is really a wingback in this formation.
So is Theo.
It’s really a 3-4-3
Which is why it has worked so well, especially defensively
Of course the club captain is dropped again, and replaced by Emerson Royal.
That just about suns up where we are as a club.
since he his goal oriented he might be a perfect sub when royal runs out of energy or idea. i’m only glad we have goal oriented subs from the mid week game
And don’t forget that Reijnders is a headless chicken!
I like Musah but it’s crazy to think of him starting at right wing is in our best starting XI.
For the 1000th time, Musah is really a wingback in this formation.
Pochettino started playing Musah in this position from the very first time he became USMNT coach (largely due to a huge raft of injuries to the major starters for the USMNT), and just like Fonseca, lists him officially as a right winger in a 4-2-3-1.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Fonseca got this idea from Poch.
But watch Musah, and he’ll be ranging up and down the field like a true wingback.
Atalanta 3:1Milan goal by leao …fonseca lacks confidence as the players also lack confidence .milan needs a coach not an apprentice ,funny enough this team will park the bus against this atalanta side just we did against juventus
Hahahahhahahahaha delusional.
Juve has 9 draws this season and half are 0-0 games.. but we are the ones who parked the bus? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The team moves much more freely and creates better chances with Fofana out.