Seeking amends for a heartbreaking 2-2 home draw against Bologna, Serie A top-four hopefuls Milan travel to Stadio Benito Stirpe to take on bottom-half Frosinone. Saturday’s encounter in the Lazio region has all the makings of a must-win contest for the visiting side, whose Scudetto hopes are in tatters.
After a dreadful run of five league defeats on either side of Christmas, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men have shown signs of resurgence in the past ten days. They ended their dismal losing streak with a 2-1 home triumph against relegation-battling Cagliari in their last home league outing before rescuing a point against Hellas Verona in the previous matchday.
Kaio Jorge’s equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Marc’Antonio Bentegodi left Di Francesco exposed to the risk of dismissal, with Frosinone commencing this round only five points clear of the drop zone. But the ex-Sassuolo manager can draw confidence from the Canaries’ eventful recruitment campaign this winter.
Demba Seck and Kevin Bonifazi have joined the club on loan for the rest of the season to help Frosinone avoid a swift return to Serie B. Milan’s only winter arrival, Filippo Terracciano, couldn’t have imagined a worse San Siro debut. He committed a late penalty in the abovementioned draw against Bologna, allowing Riccardo Orsolini to steal a point right at the death.
But he wasn’t the only culprit. Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez missed from the spot, making Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s first Serie A brace go in vain. Eight points adrift of pacesetters Inter despite playing a game more, Milan can shift their attention toward securing a fourth consecutive top-four finish.
Match Preview
Frosinone
Despite going winless in all five previous clashes against Milan (D2, L3), Frosinone can fall back on their outstanding home form this season. Each of their six league victories has arrived at Benito Stirpe, even though they failed to keep a clean sheet on every occasion. But the hosts’ propensity for sluggish starts could be a problem.
Indeed, Di Francesco’s men have conceded the opening goal in their last three Serie A games (W1, L2). The identical scenario ominously led to a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture. However, Frosinone’s rampant frontline could hurt Milan. Buoyed by a stellar run of scoring 2+ goals in seven of their last ten home league matches, they deserved the benefit of the doubt.
Milan
With speculation linking Antonio Conte with the Milan job gaining momentum, Pioli chose the worst moment to relinquish a four-game winning streak in Serie A. After losing a crucial ground on Inter, Rossoneri depart Lombardy in pursuit of a third consecutive league triumph in the hostile setting.
Following a four-game winless league run on the road (D3, L1), Milan have pieced together back-to-back wins against Empoli and Udinese, netting precisely three goals each time. Their prolificacy away from home has been eye-catching, with the 19-time Serie A champions bagging at least three goals on their last six Serie A travels.
Team News
Riccardo Marchizza, Anthony Oyono, Mateus Lusuardi, and Bonifazi are not in contention for the matchday squad. But there’s an outside chance for Arijon Ibrahimovic to get his place on the bench after missing out on the last few matches due to injury.
Like Frosinone, Milan will be without several first-team stars, including long-term absentees Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw, Mattia Caldara, Tomasso Pobega, and Fikayo Tomori. Samuel Chukwueze is still at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Nigeria bidding to ascend the throne amidst an impressive tournament.
Frosinone vs Milan Potential Lineups
Frosinone (4-3-3): Stefan Turati; Ilario Monterisi, Caleb Okoli, Simone Romagnoli, Emanuele Valeri; Luca Mazzitelli, Enzo Barrenechea, Abdou Harroui; Matias Soule, Kaio Jorge, Demba Seck.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia, Theo Hernandez; Tijjani Reijnders, Yacine Adli; Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.
Frosinone vs Milan Prediction
Frosinone’s attacking-minded football and a lack of respect for more highly esteemed opposition promise a spectacular contest. But while their free-flowing attack can pack a punch, a lackluster backline is prone to conceding cheap goals in abundance.
No strangers to making epic errors at the back, Milan may have to rely on the division’s second-best frontline to grab three points at Benito Stirpe. We back them to get a much-needed win over the line.
Prediction: Milan Win
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