The season collapse started earlier in the year and has now almost certainly cost the team a spot in next season’s Champions League. Two last wins over Bologna and Fiorentina have followed a stretch of one win in Seven Serie A matches – and an elimination in the Coppa semi finals. Milan kept ownership of fourth spot until very recently as the main rivals for the 4th spot – with the notable exception of Atalanta – almost matched Milan’s woeful form. So now Milan sit in 5th spot – at the start of week 37 – and need two wins from this Frosinone match and next week’s finale versus SPAL to stand any chance of catching up to Inter or Atalanta.

Milan will again be without Paqueta because of the ref contact red card in the Fiorentina match. The subsequent three match ban for the Brazilian has put a creative dent in Milan’s last three matches but if this team can not find six more points against the aforementioned 19th and 11th placed teams then European exclusion would not have been deserved.

The 4-3-3 remains for this match and so does Borini. Gattuso is now the subject of daily exit rumours but will a good or superior coach come to Milan to replace the former midfielder? Piatek needs service and Suso needs form. The midfield needs creativity and there isn’t enough of it in Bakayoko, Calhanoglu and Kessie. The defense has lacked a bit consistency and quality but despite scattered rumours linking Milan to full backs and central defenders the team’s main issues are very much further up the pitch. Musacchio, Romagnoli and Caldara (if healthy) can remain and so can Zapata if UEFA austerity regulations force Milan’s hands. Abate gets a start at right back mainly due to the absence through injury of Calabria and Conti’s rather uncertain form.

Frosinone were officially relegated weeks ago and haven’t won for over a month.

Follow the match as it happens, on the forum.

Week 31 was yet again eventful. Losing 2-1 at Juventus was not the biggest surprise but the manner of the loss was. For a good number of minutes Milan did well against the defending champions and took the lead via Piatek late in the first. However, VAR and its lack of usefulness were put on view when Alex Sandro’s arm made contact with the ball inside the box after a Milan cross. A long deliberation called it a no penalty despite replays – showing a hand ball by current standards and interpretation – on view for all to see including Michael Fabbri, the main referee. Once again Juventus got away with it. Later there were whispers of an apology being offered to Milan by Nicola Rizzoli, Serie A’s chief referee. That may not have been the case since Rizzoli did not publicly acknowledge anything and in fact defended Fabbri against the threat of not being assigned games for a few weeks.

The second half was not as good. Problems crept in and one such mistake was Musacchio misjudging a Dybala run and instead of perhaps letting the ball run put a leg in and brought down the Argentinian. The same player converted the penalty to tie the game. Later Juve sub – and alleged Milan fan – Moise Kean scored from the top of the box after a nice play and individual move. Milan lost to a Ronaldo-less Juventus but retained 4th spot for another week due to the lackluster chasing pack.

Week 32 has been offered up as another “final”. To stay in Champions League places after going without a win in four match days is lucky in itself but losing any more games is likely to end that.  Atalanta, Roma, Lazio and Torino are within 3 points of Milan and so ninth place is not far away. Borini got the start at Juventus and he is in line to get another, whether that’s the best way to approach to a so called final is questionable. As mentioned Musacchio was to blame for the Juventus goal and was generally below par. This had led to calls for Caldara getting a first Serie A start but it doesn’t looks like it will be happening. Gattuso’s now famous loyalty is likely to strike again as everybody including Rodriguez, Suso and Kessie are set to be starters. Paqueta is still out of course, the Brazilian midfielder will be out until early May. So is Donnarumma, although the young goalie is much closer to a return. Therefore Reina will start in goal and the 4-3-3 is here to stay.

Lazio are three points behind but have a game in hand. The 3-5-2 team are of course led by Ciro Immobile’s 14 Serie A goals.

Follow the match as it happens, on the forum.

Week 29 produced a howler and an abysmal performance. The game got off to a disastrous start when, within the first minute, Donnarumma gifted a goal to Gregoire Defrel. The goalie simply returned a back pass to the French footballer who rebounded the ball back into goal. Milan never recovered.

The rest of the game and once again especially the first half were at best poor and at worst painful to watch. Sampdoria’s midfield dominated and Milan players were unable to connect passes. Fabio Quagliarella didn’t make it easy for the defense. The veteran and his team threatened more goals. The tactic of playing from the back and using square passes were very much ineffective and Piatek remained disconnected and isolated. Suso and Calhanoglu offered little and Rodriguez missed cross after cross. The Swiss international was replaced at half time but Conti wasn’t to be a solution. The introduction of Paqueta, presumably rested after returning from a scoring performance for the selecao, in the second somewhat connected the midfield to attack to create some positive vertical movement but it was not good enough.

The second loss in a row has apparently become a catalyst for Gattuso to try something different. This midweek match comes very soon after the defeat in Genoa but the 4-3-3 may be modified to a 4-3-1-2 with Paqueta playing further up and behind two center forwards. Cutrone hasn’t impressed in sub roles this season but looks to get a start along side Piatek. Indications are that the massively underperforming Suso will sit this one out and a Kessie, Bakayoko, Calhanoglu middle three will start. The defense and goalkeeper starters are likely to remain unchanged.

Udinese sit at a lowly 16th and are lead by Rodrigo De Paul and Kevin Lasagna.

Follow the match as it happens, on the forum

It is time for another edition of the Milan derby, aka Derby della Madonnina. This derby comes at a time when Milan are riding a somewhat unexpected winning streak. The team have won 5 in a row and last lost in the Serie A back in December. The wins have not been all high quality and neither was the 2-1 win away at bottom placed Chievo. The week 27 win was achieved by a strong performance and a nice free kick goal courtesy of Biglia. The Argentinian had recently returned from injury and was giving Bakayoko a night off. Piatek scored the winner after Perparim Hetemaj had equalized for the hosts. The win allowed Milan to stay ahead of Inter and get one week closer to a top four, or indeed top three, finish. 

The still Icardi less Inter come into the derby on a more losing note than earlier in the season. Their former captain was stripped of the armband back in February and is out of the team, officially due to knee issues, but the bigger issue is the drama that was triggered after he and his wife/agent criticized his teammates and team. This has handicapped Inter as they are dependent on Lautaro Martinez for goals. However, others like Perisic are capable of punishing teams and in a derby they are likely to step up with a bigger performances. On a further low point midweek saw Inter dumped out of the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt in what was a home loss and poor outing.

As mentioned Milan haven’t been firing on all cylinders. The recent record may suggest otherwise but players like Suso have been in poor form and need to do better if the team is to remain in the hunt for Champions League places. There is now a small cushion with fifth placed and now Claudio Ranieri coached Roma losing their week 28 game to SPAL.

Line up changes are not likely as Gattuso made minimal changes for Chievo and will revert to his regular 11 for the derby. The squad is healthy and the starting 11 is predictable with Calhanoglu and Piatek lining up with the aforementioned Spaniard. Bakayoko, Kessie and Paqueta will try to outshine Marcelo Brozovic, Matteo Politano and co in Inter’s midfield. Rodriguez returns from a one match suspension and replace Laxalt on the left of Romagnoli and Musacchio. Conti struggled vs Chievo so Calabria is the safer option on the right of defense. Donnarumma has raked up a solid number of clean sheets and has been reliable and some times spectacular this season. The goalkeeper might be in line for an even richer contract than his last.

Follow the match as it happens, on the forum.

While Suso was serving a one match ban for accumulated yellows Castillejo started in right wing and delivered a man of the match performance. The week 25 3-0 win vs Empoli featured a goal and an assist for the Spanish wide man. The assist was a good hard working play which led to a rare Kessie chipped ball good finish. Castillejo’s goal was another good play and was assisted by Conti who was starting in Calabria’s spot. Piatek had opened the scoring and the final score was Milan’s third game in a row  scoring three goals.

Midweek arrived and the Coppa Italia semis first leg was a mediocre performance with Suso, back in his usual spot, playing another poor game. The 0-0 tie could also be classified as a borefest. However, in the bigger context it is perhaps a good result and sets the stage for the return game in April at the San Siro.

The Coppa game had one other change with Borini giving Calhanoglu the night off. Calhanoglu is set to return to the starting line up for this game vs Sassuolo. There were whispers of a healthy Biglia grabbing a starting spot but it seems that Gattuso will stick to his preferred middle three and have Kessie with Bakayoko and Paqueta. Suso and the aforementioned Calhanoglu will partner Piatek for a chance to leapfrog Inter for third spot. The still Icardi-less Inter lost to Cagliari and have presented Milan with an opportunity to grab a more favorable Serie A position with two weeks to go to the derby.

Sassuolo sit at midtable and of course feature Manuel Locatelli. The once highly touted Milan midfielder has spoken of his time at Milan and frustrations at being something like a Messi when scoring but criticized as soon as not. Many Milan fans fondly recall his goal vs Juventus in 2016 and his departure is still a question mark to some, but the team have almost certainly moved on.

Follow the match as it happens, on the forum.