Key Battles and Prediction: Udinese vs AC Milan

AC Milan travel to face Udinese as the side are in dire need of three points. Milan play Napoli immediatley after the international break and have 7 games in the month of April hence ending this quarter well is crucial. Here are some key battles to look out for:

Key Battles

Striker vs Centre back

Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Rodrigo Becao

Do you remember the overhead kick at the last minute from the 2020/21 season wearing the blue third kit? That’s what I want to see tonight. Ibrahimovic towering over Becao and getting his first goal of the season. It would be magical for the 41 year old to score and put the likes of Origi and Rebic to shame as they have barely made an impact. Becao is always a tough adversary so let’s hope we limit the number of set pieces we concede. It’s an exciting moment to be able to cement ourselves in the top four before the international break and packed month of April.

Central attacking midfielder vs Central defensive midfielder

Roberto Pereyra vs Ismael Bennacer

Pereyra is easily one of the best performers in this side as he dictates their play an importantly their pace on the counter. Pereyra has 3 goals and 6 assists for the season so far and one of those assists was against us in the first week. He has a strong shot and a good cross which can create uncomfortable situations for our back three when he has Beto to aim for. Bennacer will need to be intercepting these balls and ensuring he can dominate the midfield battle today. Bennacer is good at recovering the ball but he needs to combine better with Tonali to hold the ball.

Central midfielder vs Central defensive midfielder

Sandi Lovric vs Sandro Tonali

Lovric has 2 assists and 1 goal in the previous 4 games he has played for Udinese. He has slotted well into the set up of Sottil as his passing specifically his long balls play to their strengths. The pace available up front and on the wings means he is placed well to distribute forward and help accelerate counters with his forward passing. Tonali’s job will be to break up his play and limit the time he has to launch any balls forward. Tonali will need to press him early and kill his productivity in the game.

Predictions

Leao Winner

Coulibaly Winner

Tonali Winner