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

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·27 de fevereiro de 2025

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

AC Milan are currently preparing for a huge game against Bologna tonight, and the outcome will likely be pivotal to the Rossoneri’s position at the end of the season.

Talk leading up to this game has represented how big of a fixture this is to Milan. The next two games are quite literally make or break, as the side could be in the Champions League contention places by Monday, or sitting way away.

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Bologna currently sit level on points with the Diavolo, and have gone quite under the radar with Vincenzo Italiano this season, despite a quite large rebuild in the summer, so it will be a difficult game at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

The five key battles

The biggest battle of the game will be in the middle we think, and it involves Tijjani Reijnders and Remo Freuler. Reijnders is set to operate in the No.10 role, where he has admittedly struggled a little, which already causes a little worry.

To then partner this with a battle against Freuler, who is phenomenal at what he does, makes it a game where Tijji could go missing if he is not careful. Whilst we have seen the Dutchman pop up out of nowhere, this is a game where the big guns must shine.

Photo by AC Milan

Following this, Theo Hernandez will have a challenge against Riccardo Orsolini. The Frenchman has struggled for a lot of the season, so he is facing a mental and physical battle here (though this has been the case for months now).

Orsolini, who was eyed by Milan in January, is just returning from injury, so there is a chance that Theo could have an advantage from the get-go. If the Italian is anywhere near his best, then the seemingly exit-bound defender will have to be ready for the threat.

In recent weeks, with the Rossoneri lacking a light, they have been often looking to Santiago Gimenez, who has provided a spark consistently – it would certainly be fair to say that he has been carrying things a little.

He has faced quite a range of different defenders since the move, but whether he has faced anyone like Jhon Lucumi is debatable. The Colombian defender is a brick wall, and considering the Mexican struggled against David Hancko, who is also not afraid to be a bit of a pest, the Bologna stalwart could prove a real challenge.

It feels almost cliche to put this next battle forward, but we have to say Rafael Leao against Davide Calabria is set to be one of the best battles of the game. A lot of what was said about Theo can be reiterated here, but Leao knows this.

Someone else who will know this is Calabria, who will not be an easy opponent for the Portuguese, considering he knows the player, and how Sergio Conceicao wants him to play, which may be an overlooked factor in this game.

In honesty, it would not be surprising if the former Rossonero gets the better of the winger if the game is played more centrally. However, if Calabria is forced to defend in wider areas against the No.10, the Rossoneri may have a fun night.

Finally, we’re looking to another midfield battle involving Lewis Ferguson and Yunus Musah. The latter is on somewhat of a redemption arc after his mistake in Zagreb, nevertheless, this game could be pivotal to a surge.

Ferguson is a player who is well-rated in football, especially by the Diavolo, and if the former Valencia man can limit his game and make the Scotsman the lesser player in the game it would bode well for his future.

Given both play a box-to-box role, if either can create a midfield advantage for their side, it will be massively costly for the losing side of that battle, and it could be a dictator of the game. Huge pressure for the American, who is still admittedly finding his feet centrally.