AC Milan vs Atalanta – News and Probable Lineups

After witnessing their local rivals secure the Serie A title, struggling AC Milan must attempt to regain their form as they host Atalanta BC at San Siro this Sunday.

Currently fighting to secure a spot in the Champions League, Milan faced another setback last weekend, while Atalanta’s resurgence in mid-season has faltered.

Match overview

New champions Inter de Milão have already secured their qualification, and Napoli is very close to following suit. However, Milan finds themselves entangled in a fierce competition with three other teams for a spot in the Champions League.

Juventus, Roma, and Como are closing in on the Rossoneri, who are beginning to feel uncertain about finishing in the top four.

Having lost half of their last 10 league matches, Max Allegri’s squad needs to regain stability or risk missing out on Europe’s Premier competition.

With only one goal in their last five appearances – the fewest of any team since early April – Milan’s form has sharply declined following their victory over Inter in the Derby della Madonnina.

That match seemingly reignited the Scudetto battle, but they have instead faced several challenges, including a 2-0 defeat to Sassuolo last week.

Regular nemesis Domenico Berardi struck early for Sassuolo, and Fikayo Tomori was shown a red card midway through the first half.

Facing widespread criticism for negative ‘Allegri-ball’, Milan has only three fixtures left to make a comeback.

The first encounter is at home against Lombardy rivals Atalanta, who have triumphed in four out of their last six meetings, including a 1-1 draw in the earlier matchup this October.

Historically, the visitors have only lost twice in their last 11 league encounters with Milan at San Siro.

Nevertheless, their form in spring has been even worse than that of the Rossoneri, effectively dashing any hopes for a top-six finish.

Currently sitting seven points behind after last week’s draw without goals against Genoa, the Bergamo side needs not only to win all of their remaining three games but also hope that Como falters.

More realistically, finishing seventh might still provide a Conference League spot if Inter emerges victorious in the Coppa Italia.

Raffaele Palladino’s team recently fell short in reaching the cup final, losing to Lazio on penalties, and their positive momentum seems to have evaporated.

Having earned 23 points from their previous nine fixtures, Atalanta has managed only 10 points from their last nine matches; only five teams in the bottom six have performed worse during this period.

Team News

Milan will be without two key players from their starting XI, as Luka Modric has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a severe facial injury, and Tomori must serve a suspension.

Aside from that, Allegri should have a fully available squad as he seeks the optimal configuration for the attack.

Potential Manchester United target Rafael Leao is set to make his 250th league appearance, but both he and Christian Pulisic have struggled to find the back of the net in recent weeks.

Pulisic has not scored in 17 Serie A games, so Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug, and Santiago Gimenez are also likely to be considered for selection.

Additionally, former Milan player Charles De Ketelaere – who will be making his 100th league appearance for Atalanta – has not scored in Italy’s top division since January.

However, the Belgian forward is expected to start in his latest return to San Siro, likely supporting either Gianluca Scamacca or Nikola Krstovic, both of whom have netted 10 league goals but struggled to form a working partnership when paired last week.

Only Lorenzo Bernasconi is sidelined due to injury, allowing La Dea to be close to full strength this Sunday evening.

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Jashari, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Leao, Gimenez

Atalanta BC probable starting XI:

Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Ahanor; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Zalewski; Scamacca

While Milan has sustained only three losses at home in Serie A, two of those have occurred in their last five matches at San Siro. At the same time, Atalanta has achieved just one victory in their last eight away games across all competitions.

As both squads are experiencing difficult phases, a low-scoring draw seems likely.