Sassuolo vs AC Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Still seeking points to corroborate a captious top-four finish, Serie A giants AC Milan volition sojourn Sassuolo connected Sunday afternoon.

Having conceded decision successful the rubric race, Milan indispensable absorption connected securing Champions League football, portion their hosts are eyeing a spot successful Italy's last apical 10.

Match preview

After playing retired a dull goalless gully with Juventus past weekend, Milan's Scudetto dreams were formally ended, and they are present embroiled successful a conflict for Champions League qualification.

Following 4 defeats from 7 games, the Rossoneri person steadied the vessel by beating Hellas Verona and frustrating chap top-four contenders Juve, but determination are inactive reasons for concern. 

Goals person begun to adust up, with the Lombardy nine averaging beneath 1 per crippled implicit the past 9 matchdays, amid worrying declines for prima men Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.

Under the pragmatic attack of Massimiliano Allegri, Milan are averaging 13.3 shots per game, which is their second-lowest successful immoderate run crossed the past 20 Serie A seasons.

Sitting 3rd with 4 games to play, Allegri's men indispensable effort to limp implicit the line, seeing disconnected the precocious situation of Como and Roma, who present prevarication conscionable six points behind.

More positively, Milan person kept back-to-back cleanable sheets, taking their seasonal tally to 15 from 34 games - that represents their astir astatine this signifier since 2012, during Allegri's archetypal spell successful charge.

While they person often struggled to bushed Sassuolo astatine San Siro, the Rossoneri are besides undefeated successful 8 distant games against this week's hosts, winning six times astatine the Mapei Stadium implicit the past decade.

Yet, aft warring backmost for a 2-2 gully successful December's reverse fixture, Sassuolo person lone mislaid 2 of the past 8 league meetings, having taken conscionable 2 points from 9 erstwhile contests.

The Emilian nine are besides successful amended signifier than their illustrious visitors, and they tin play with state aft achieving their main objective.

A tally of 23 points from the past 13 matches - which would spot them fertile 5th implicit that play - has comfortably confirmed past season's Serie B champions volition enactment successful Italy's apical tier.

Following a 0-0 gully with Fiorentina in their astir caller outing, the Neroverdi beryllium 10th and are targeting a top-half decorativeness aboriginal this month.

Before welcoming Milan to Reggio Emilia, Fabio Grosso's broadside person won 5 of their past 7 location fixtures, truthful assurance should beryllium sky-high successful the camp.

Sassuolo Serie A form:

L D W L W D

AC Milan Serie A form:

L W L L W D

Team News

Milan's gully with Juventus was marred by a superior facial wounded for Luka Modric, who volition present miss the remainder of this Serie A campaign; Samuele Ricci and Ardon Jashari are vying to regenerate the Croatian schemer connected Sunday.

Otherwise, Allegri should person a afloat squad to take from, with influential defender Matteo Gabbia precocious returning from a layoff. When he has been available, the Rossoneri person mislaid conscionable 4% of their league games this term; that complaint rises to 50% without him successful the starting XI.

Up front, Leao and Pulisic person been struggling to nutrient for respective weeks, and the second has gone 16 appearances without scoring - his longest drought successful the Italian apical flight.

Despite their ain patchy form, Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug and Santiago Gimenez are truthful pushing to assertion 1 of 2 disposable places.

Meanwhile, Sassuolo's prima antheral Domenico Berardi ever looks guardant to gathering Milan: helium has scored 11 times successful 19 Serie A games against the Rossoneri, including a four-goal haul backmost successful January 2014.

So, the winger's instrumentality from a two-match prohibition is precise timely - albeit not for Cristian Volpato, who whitethorn person to marque way.

It remains to beryllium seen whether first-choice goalkeeper Arijanet Muric tin regain his spot from Stefano Turati; defenders Filippo Romagna, Edoardo Pieragnolo and Fali Cande are each ruled retired for the remainder of the season.

Sassuolo imaginable starting lineup:

Turati; Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Garcia; Kone, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente

AC Milan imaginable starting lineup:

Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Ricci, Rabiot, Estupinan; Pulisic, Leao

We say: Sassuolo 1-1 AC Milan 

Amid a prolonged downturn, Milan would alternatively not sojourn 1 of their bogey teams, and taking 1 constituent backmost to the 2nd metropolis whitethorn not beryllium a atrocious result. 

Sassuolo payment from a potent beforehand 3 and accordant selection, meaning Grosso's broadside tin airs a menace to anyone connected location turf.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.