Milan Could Try Something New Tactically Versus Udinese | OneFootball

Sergio Conceiçao could go for a big swing as Milan take on Udinese and switch to a three-man defense. The previous experiments in that sense were short-lived under Stefano Pioli and Paulo Fonseca. He tested it out in the final practice. It’s neck-and-neck with their standard 4-2-3-1 scheme, Sky informs.

If the Portuguese gaffer opts for the new route, Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic would form the back-line. Alex Jimenez and Theo Hernandez would man the wings. Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana would patrol the middle of the pitch. Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, and Rafael Leao would compose the frontline.

Milan will be without Kyle Walker, who recently fractured his right elbow, and Santiago Gimenez, who’s nursing a hip contusion, against Udinese on Friday. Samuel Chukwueze or Riccardo Sottil would get the nod over a center-back in their usual formation.

The boss also tested another scheme, 4-4-2, during the week. However, he nixed it in his pre-game presser, saying that they weren’t ready because it’d have too many offensive-minded players. They turned to it early in the Fiorentina match, coming back from two-nil but also risking conceding more than a few times.

Our Take on the Milan Tactics

It’s interesting that 3-4-2-1 or something similar has become the crutch for Serie A managers when they want to shake things up. It’s Gian Piero Gasperini’s biggest legacy. They have the horses to pull it off, in particular, Pavlovic, Jimenez, Hernandez, and Pulisic. It’s a bit restraining for Reijnders, but an extra defender should still allow him to attack frequently. Their other tactical detours generally ended because Leao wasn’t comfortable not playing as a pure left winger.