Milan tasted defeat for just the second time this season as they lost 1-0 Lazio on Thursday in the Coppa Italia, in the round of 16 phase. They remain 12 games unbeaten in the league, but have won just once in their last dozen away league games against Torino. Christian Pulisic has been battling a fever, but he travelled to meet up with the squad on Monday after recovering overnight and has made the bench.
From very early on in his second stint at AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri asked for goals from his midfielders. So far, he isn't getting them. As Calciomercato.com report, before tonight's match against Torino, Milan have scored 19 total league goals. Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao - with five goals each - have produced more than 50% of the Rossoneri's attacking output. Allegri has been clear: the contribution must also increase from other players, especially the midfield.
After a summer spent with an uncertain fate as several midfielders arrived, Musah headed to Atalanta on a €4m loan with €25m option to buy. Yet, the USA international is struggling to find playing time, and the change of head coach does not appear to have transformed his fortunes. Musah has played just six league games (145 minutes in total, 90 of which were for Milan against Lecce). He has four Champions League appearances, and one in the Coppa Italia. Excluding the 114 minutes he played under Massimiliano Allegri, he has only played 200 minutes this season.
The Curva Sud have hit out at Torino for their ticket pricing ahead of tonight's game, also accusing AC Milan of being complicit. The AC Milan ultras have been in the headlines quite a bit in recent weeks. There was the protest about ticket prices for the Juventus away game, the authority-defying display during the derby and their criticism of the club's hierarchy over their silence.
AC Milan are looking for a central defender in view of the January window, and two Sassuolo stars are reportedly on their list. If Milan want to fight for the Scudetto until the end, they need some reinforcements in January because the squad is too small. In this first half of the season already, there have been injuries that have seen the already thin depth quickly evaporated.
AC Milan head coach Massimiliano Allegri has made his decision regarding the team that will take to the field against Torino. Milan come into the game having had their 13-game unbeaten run across all competitions ended by Lazio on Thursday in the Coppa Italia. They take a 12-game league streak to Torino, but they have won just one of their last 12 games at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
AC Milan were defeated in a cagey affair against Lazio on Thursday evening, with Massimiliano Allegri losing the 'chess game' against Maurizio Sarri. Like many other games before this season, the Rossoneri lacked in a lot of spects in the first half of the game. Or rather, you could definitely say that the two teams cancelled each other out, as Lazio didn't exactly create much either.
AC Milan's midfielders have struggled to contribute with goals so far this season, despite Massimiliano Allegri mentioning double digits at the start of the campaign. After the defeat against Lazio, speaking to the media, Allegri made it clear that the midfielders haven't contributed enough goals for Milan. When taking a look at the numbers, as highlighted by Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo at the bottom) it's hard to disagree. No midfielder, unless you consider Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers, has scored more than one goal this season.
With the Scudetto in sight, AC Milan are expected to make three reinforcements during the January window, as reported by Tuttosport this morning. After 13 games played, Milan are top of the Serie A standings with 28 points. A lot could change in just one round, but it's clear that the Rossoneri can compete for the Scudetto this season, especially since they have done so well in the big clashes.
No, no, that's difficult... (laughs). It will definitely be a special experience for me to set foot in the stadium again. I grew so much there, I met wonderful people, and I also left so many friends behind.
Massimiliano Allegri is gearing up for the clash against Torino on Monday. In the meantime, his employers are evaluating what can be done in January, as highlighted by today's papers. Milan were knocked out of the Coppa Italia on Thursday, losing 1-0 against Lazio, and the defeat has raised questions about the team's depth. In addition to there being a numerical struggles, some of the new signings also haven't taken off.
In the sixth edition of Meeting the Milan Media, we spoke to the brilliant Pietro Mazzara, who is well known for his work with MilanNews and Tuttosport. As one of two leading halves of MilanNews.it, which is undoubtedly the biggest AC Milan news website in Italian, Mazzara has become a staple as far as delivering news to Rossoneri fans goes. However, while some might just know him from the breaking news and columns, there is a lot more work that goes on behind the scenes.
AC Milan are looking to strengthen their rearguard in the January window, and a journalist has claimed that a Brighton defender has been offered. At present, Milan have Strahinja Pavlovic, Matteo Gabbia and Fikayo Tomori as the established starting trio in the three-man defence. Koni De Winter is the back-up in all three positions it seems, with the young David Odogu destined for a loan having featured just once.
Another seasonal commitment came and went for AC Milan on Thursday night, as they exited the Coppa Italia at the last-16 stage. As Corriere della Sera (via MilanNews) write this morning, after a misstep in their first league game against Cremonese in August and a string of consecutive positive results, Massimiliano Allegri's Rossoneri lost to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico and bowed out of the cup.
Earlier today, Matteo Moretto revealed in a YouTube video that Milan were closing in on a deal to sign Arizala, who recently starred at the U20 World Cup for Colombia in their third-placed finish. Now, Fabrizio Romano has written the following on X: "Juan Arizala to AC Milan, here we go! Deal in place for 20 year old full-back to join Milan from Deportivo Independiente Medellin. "€3m fee plus sell-on clause for one of the record sales in Colombian league history. Proposals from UK/Belgium rejected to join Milan."