The five key battles that could win or lose the game for Milan against Cagliari

Milan face Cagliari in the season finale with Champions League qualification at stake. Milan can secure a top-four finish without relying on other results by winning the match. Massimiliano Allegri has all players available, and the starting lineup is expected to resemble the team used against Genoa. Strahinja Pavlovic will face Marco Palestra, with Palestra potentially operating as an attacking right-wing type and using crossing and shooting. In midfield, Adrien Rabiot and Alessandro Deiola are expected to match up as tall, strong, experienced players who both contribute forward and into the box. Ardon Jashari’s struggles against Genoa suggest Sebastiano Esposito may be used to apply pressure.

"In order to secure a top-four finish, without relying on others, Milan simply need to win the game against Cagliari tonight. They are obviously the big favourite to clinch all three points, but given the recent form, nothing can be taken for granted. The good news is that Massimiliano Allegri has all of the players at his disposal, meaning there are no excuses. The starting eleven is also expected to be similar to what we saw against Genoa, which should result in some interesting battles on the pitch."

"Let's start with the battle that most will keep their eye on, or at least I assume so. Strahinja Pavlovic will be up against the highly-rated Marco Palestra, who has even been linked with a move to Milan in recent months after a strong season. For tonight's game, it looks like Fabio Pisacane wants him to contribute mainly in attack, starting him as a right-winger of sorts. He does have a very good cross on him, and he has also shown that he can shoot when needed. As such, something for Pavlovic to be wary of."

"In midfield, the battle that interests me the most is undoubtedly the one between Adrien Rabiot and Alessandro Deiola. Both are very experienced in the league and actually have a similar frame, i.e. strong and tall midfielders. Deiola has scored quite a few good goals in his career and often gets forward to offer support in the box, similarly to Rabiot. As such, they might cancel each other out tonight, but the battle should still be a fantastic one."

Read at SempreMilan