Table-topping Milan and bottom-half Bologna will trade tackles at the Stadio San Siro in the ultimate fixture of Serie A Matchday 31 on Monday. The Rossoneri will be looking to conclude the round as they started it – on top of the standings.
A run of three identical 1-0 victories ahead of March’s international break propelled Milan to the top of the Serie A table. Yet, a mere three-point lead on second-placed Napoli means Stefano Pioli’s high-flyers are not off the hook yet, though they can already smell their first Scudetto since 2010/11.
Meanwhile, Bologna will travel to San Siro without head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who is set to undergo cancer treatment. The Rossoblu faithful will be with the Serbian manager, who said he’d ‘teach leukaemia a lesson’ after the nasty disease came back.
Match Preview
Milan
Ismael Bennacer’s second-half winner at the Sardegna Arena on the eve of March’s international break extended his side’s eye-catching unbeaten run in all competitions to ten matches (W6, D4). However, Pioli will hope for a more convincing performance after his men’s narrow wins over bottom-half sides Empoli and Cagliari.
Yet, it is fair to admit that Milan have developed a habit of prevailing in tight, evenly-contested affairs this season. The Rossoneri have racked up 11 Serie A victories by a single-goal margin, more than any other side across Europe’s top-five leagues this season. In fact, their last five league triumphs have been settled by a one-goal margin.
Milan should feel comfortable against Bologna, with the recent H2H record in Serie A firmly on their side. Pioli’s men have registered 11 victories across their last 12 top-flight meetings with this opposition (D1), including an action-packed 4-2 win at Renato Dall’Ara in the reverse fixture.
Bologna
Bologna are not enjoying the best of times. After a run of three consecutive Serie A games without defeat (W1, D2), the Rossoblu have lost their last two league outings by the same 1-0 scoreline, including a late home reverse to Atalanta on the stroke of the international break.
Scoring has been a glaring problem at Bologna lately. Mihajlovic’s men have failed to get on the scoresheet in their last three league matches. Another scoring blank at San Siro would see the Rossoblu fail to find the net in four successive Serie A games for the first time since a run of five in September 2018.
Things are not looking well for Bologna by any stretch of the imagination. Since eking out a 1-0 win in January 2016, they have lost their last five Serie A visits to Milan on the trot, conceding 2+ goals on each occasion, at an average of 2.8 per match. They’ve also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their five away league games this calendar year.
Milan vs Bologna Team News
Apart from long-term absentee Simon Kjaer, Milan coach Pioli will have an otherwise fully-fit squad for Bologna’s visit. Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recovered from a nasty Achilles injury and could return to the starting line-up at the expense of talismanic Frenchman Olivier Giroud.
On the other hand, Bologna will be without Nicolas Dominguez, Kingsley Michael and Federico Santander due to injuries. However, Mihajlovic’s headline performers Marko Arnautovic and Riccardo Orsolini will be looking to throw a spanner into Milan’s title bid.
Milan Potential Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie; Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.
Bologna Potential Starting XI (3-4-3): Lukasz Skorupski; Arthur Theate, Gary Medel, Kevin Bonifazi; Aaron Hickey, Mattias Svanberg, Jerdy Schouten, Emanuel Vignato; Roberto Soriano, Marko Arnautovic, Ricardo Orsolini.