Serie A Preview: Milan vs Atalanta – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Sunday marks a landmark occasion for Milan and Atalanta as they lock horns in Serie A on Easter for the first time. Both sides will be eager to absorb the energy of the holiday backdrop, using it as fuel to deliver a performance worthy of the spotlight.

Milan offered their best showing under Sergio Conceicao yet in last weekend’s 4-0 rout of mid-table Udinese. Standout winger Rafael Leao pieced together a vintage performance, while Tijjani Reijnders hit a ten-goal milestone in Serie A to inspire a crucial win.

However, Milan are still at risk of missing out on European qualification via their Serie A placing, with five points separating them from sixth-placed Lazio pre-round. With only six games left, the Rossoneri may have to pursue alternate ways to secure continental football for next season.

One such comes through the Coppa Italia. Milan will renew hostilities with arch-rivals Inter in the second leg of their evenly-poised semi-final tie in a few days, hence a potential distraction ahead of this clash. Atalanta may benefit from the importance of Milan’s upcoming cup duties.

Despite being in the Scudetto picture until last month, Atalanta must navigate a pulsating run-in to secure a top-four finish. Indeed, Gian Piero Gasperini’s charges boast a feeble four-point lead on fifth-placed Bologna, only thanks to a 2-0 home win against this opposition last week.

Mateo Retegui and Mario Pasalic were on the scoresheet inside the opening 21 minutes to help Atalanta recover from an embarrassing three-match losing league run without scoring.

Match Preview

Milan

Milan slumped to a 2-1 defeat in December’s reverse fixture in Bergamo. As a result, they could lose both league matches against La Dea in the same season for the first time since 2007/08, a disturbing prospect that would likely dampen their spirits ahead of a season-defining encounter against Inter.

The San Siro has not been the fortress Milan fans have been hoping for lately, with Conceicao’s side picking up just one win across their last five home outings in all competitions (D3, L1). Worryingly, they conceded precisely twice in both league games against fellow top-half rivals in that underwhelming sequence (D1, L1).

A lack of defensive resilience has been Milan’s undoing on this ground, as they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last eight home league fixtures. That’s a far cry from a scintillating run of six shutouts from seven previous home games in Serie A.

Atalanta

Not since 1978 have Atalanta tasted Serie A football on Easter Sunday. Ominously, their last such showdown produced a defeat to Milan’s eternal rivals Inter. With Juventus threatening their third spot, La Dea must defy history to build on the abovementioned win against Bologna, which saw them attempt only four shots – their joint-lowest in a single game of this league campaign.

However, Atalanta slumped to a 1-0 loss at Fiorentina on their last Serie A travel, relinquishing an outstanding 12-match unbeaten league run on the road (W9, D3). That puts them in danger of losing back-to-back away matches in this competition for only the second time this season. Yet, the last time it happened was on this ground against Inter.

Conceding first may not necessarily end Atalanta’s quest to topple Milan at San Siro in Serie A for the first time since January 2021. Indeed, only their hosts (16) and Bologna (17) had won more points from losing positions than La Dea’s 15 ahead of this round.

Team News

Despite suffering a head injury against Udinese, star goalkeeper Mike Maignan should start between the sticks. But Milan will still be without Emerson Royal, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Kyle Walker, with the latter expected to recover for the Coppa Italia decider.

Meanwhile, Atalanta cannot call upon several first-team stars, including Charles De Ketelaere, Sea Kolasinac, Giorgio Scalvini, and Gianluca Scamacca. Furthermore, Stefan Posch is a doubt due to a minor thigh injury.

Milan vs Atalanta Potential Starting Line-ups

Milan (3-4-3): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Jimenez, Fofana, Reijnders, Hernandez; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao.

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Toloi, Hien, Djimsiti; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; Pasalic, Lookman; Retegui.

Milan vs Atalanta Prediction

Three points are absolutely imperative for Milan. Despite their abysmal season, they’ve fared superbly against high-profile opposition under Conceicao, leading us to believe they’ll pounce on Atalanta’s drop-off on Sunday.