AC Milan vs. Ferencváros – News and Probable Lineups

Hungarian club Ferencvaros, one of the five teams still holding a perfect record in the Europa League, is set to challenge that streak as they face AC Milan on Thursday.

Despite Milan’s recent victory in a domestic derby at San Siro, they face the threat of an early exit from European competition.

Match overview

The seven-time European titleholders Milan were unexpectedly defeated by modest Bournemouth in their last Europa League fixture, conceding an early goal before having their captain sent off.

Missing their goalkeeper Mike Maignan, the Rossoneri succumbed to a 3-0 loss on the south coast of England, leaving them with just three points from three group stage matches.

Ruben Amorim’s squad, which initially lost to his former team Benfica, later achieved an impressive 4-0 win against Salzburg, indicating they have a challenging path ahead if they aspire to progress to the knockout phase.

Since the defeat to Bournemouth, Milan’s last fortnight has been eventful: they first secured a 2-0 win over struggling Udinese, then faced another midweek collapse.

Amorim’s unbeaten run in domestic play came to an end in a dramatic game at San Siro, where Bologna triumphed 4-2, certainly not the best preparation for the Derby della Madonnina.

Nonetheless, the determined Rossoneri jumped to a two-goal lead against Inter on Saturday evening, but their rivals managed to reduce the deficit; then, right before halftime, Diego Moreira’s stunning free-kick sealed the outcome.

Having closed to within four points of their city rivals, Milan currently holds fifth place in Serie A, remaining in what could develop into a competitive multi-team title race.

While Milan currently sits 24th in the Europa League standings, occupying the final playoff position as things stand, Ferencvaros is likely targeting direct qualification for the last 16.

The most successful club in Hungary presently ranks fourth with a perfect record, following a victory at home against Portuguese second-division team Torreense last month.

Although the teams were tied at halftime, goals in the second half from Mariano Gomez and Krisztian Lisztes, sandwiching an own goal, allowed Fradi to cruise to a 4-1 win.

Following previous wins over Celtic and Viktoria Plzen, Balazs Borbely’s men are firmly in the mix to secure a spot in the top eight, which would absolve them from the precarious playoff round.

Interestingly, the last time Ferencvaros achieved four straight victories in major UEFA competitions was during the 1967-68 season, when they notched six consecutive wins on their way to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final.

Given their recent performances, Borbely’s roster might aspire to replicate such a streak: counting all domestic matches and four rounds of Europa League qualifying, they have suffered only one loss this season.

A recent 2-0 triumph over Paks has left them just two points shy of Hungarian league leaders and reigning champions ETO Gyor, though Fradi has a game in hand.

Team News

Following the Milan derby and ahead of Sunday’s match in Genoa, Amorim is anticipated to rotate his squad, with options such as Alphadjo Cisse being elevated from the bench.

The young attacker, who secured a hat-trick against Salzburg and netted twice against Bologna, might feature alongside Omari Hutchinson and Davide Bartesaghi in a reshaped lineup.

Meanwhile, with Maignan serving a suspension due to his red card versus Bournemouth, Lorenzo Torriani is expected to step in as goalkeeper.

The injured quintet of Fikayo Tomori, Samuel Chukwueze, Mattia Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek remain unavailable, while Filippo Terracciano is a doubt.

Ferencvaros will be without Slovakia midfielder Matus Bero, and Bence Otvos has not yet completed his recovery from an ACL tear.

In attack, Kristoffer Zachariassen (three goals, one assist) and Dele Yusuf (two goals, two assists) will look to build on their impressive starts in the group stage.

Both players also found the net last weekend, while Sérvian winger Veljko Birmancevic is expected to join them in the forward line.

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Torriani; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic, Bartesaghi; Hutchinson, Musah, Jashari, Cisse; Pulisic, Ramos

Ferencvaros probable starting XI:

Radnoti; O. Nagy, Zohore, Gomez, O’Dowda; Maiga, A. Nagy; Arzani, Zachariassen, Birmancevic; Yusuf

With pressure mounting to secure all three points on home soil, Milan may find it challenging to overcome Ferencvaros, who have not been defeated since late July.

However, Fradi will be facing a completely different test at the historic San Siro, where Amorim’s squad has begun to show potential.