Key Battles and Prediction: Hellas Verona vs AC Milan

AC Milan are travelling to take on Hellas Verona as the side need to recover yet again and pick up three points. The side will want to score early as the shock factor is important to manage the game and allow Pioli to rotate some players off the bench. Here are some key battles to look out for:

Key Battles

Right Wing Back vs Left back

Brahim Diaz vs Manuel Locatelli

Davide Faraoni vs Theo Hernandez

This will be an important battle as Hernandez and Leao will want to overwhelm Faraoni on that wing. The battle is also a head-to-head between the captains on the night hence lots of orders will be barked on that end of the pitch. Faraoni scored the opener against us last season as he is good at making darting runs through the middle at the last second. Hernandez has contributed significantly since his return from injury and will be looking to pick up a goal for himself now.

Striker vs Centre back

Thomas Henry vs Matteo Gabbia

Gabbia held up against Juventus but got torn apart against Chelsea especially with Tomori sent off. Gabbia will be managing the Frenchman Henry who is an imposing presence as quiet a big striker. He has only scored twice in this campaign but both goals came in the opening two weeks of the season. Henry is overdue for a goal and might be rejuvenated by a new manager. Gabbia needs to keep it simple as he always does but this will be an important test to see if he is truly able to deputise Tomori and Kalulu aptly.

Manager vs Manager

Stefano Pioli vs Salvatore Bocchetti

This will be a real challenge for the managers. Pioli will need to motivate his side for a third consecutive time to bounce back from a heavy defeat. Bochetti will be in the position to change the fortunes of Verona in recent weeks and will be keen to start off making a good impression by hitting hard against the champions of Italy. Milan will be looking to score early and take command of the game as soon as possible. Verona on the other hand will likely want to draw things out and force mistakes from the defending champions on set pieces and on the counter attack. This game presented a big opportunity for Pioli to rotate his squad but it does not seem like he will take this option as he is keen to guarantee all points and continue playing his trusted lineup.

Predictions

Hernandez Winner

Gabbia Winner

Pioli Winner