Litmus tests and in-form returning internationals: The five key battles in Sassuolo vs. Milan
AC Milan resume their Serie A campaign this evening as they take on Sassuolo, a team that they have had struggles against in recent years.
After a three-week break, league action gets back underway this weekend and a trip to face Sassuolo is never an easy game. The Neroverdi have been a thorn in Milan’s side over the years, and they will be hoping to continue a good recent run against the Rossoneri.
In terms of the latest team news, La Gazzetta dello Sport expect Ruben Amorim to go with a back four featuring Matteo Gabbia and Pervis Estupinan. Yunus Musah is tipped to be in the midfield, with Diego Moreira starting out wide and Christian Pulisic playing behind Goncalo Ramos.
Sassuolo vs. AC Milan: The five key battles
We start with the man Milan need to keep quiet to boost their chances of winning: Domenico Berardi. He has scored 12 goals in 20 Serie A matches against the Diavolo: in the entire history of the competition, only Silvio Piola (22) and Enrico Chiesa (14) have scored more goals against the Rossoneri (Antonio Di Natale, Carlo Reguzzoni and Stefano Nyers also have 12).
The test awaiting Pervis Estupinan is one that could not only define the outcome of this match, but also the hierarchies moving forward. The Ecuadorian is tipped to start at left-back and will hope for a performance that is far more attentive than the one against Lazio, for example. He has also shaken off a knee issue picked up on international duty, which is another caveat to watch out for.
At the other end, it feels like things are stacking up nicely for Goncalo Ramos to get firing with Milan. He scored three goals in his last three starts with the Portuguese national team, and it seems that Amorim’s plan is to have someone play closer to him in order to boost the quality of service and to open up more spaces.
With just one goal in six games so far, the club-record signing will hope to continue his goal rush from international duty. His opponent will more often than not be Fedde Leysen, the 23-year-old Belgian defender that Sassuolo signed on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise in the summer window. He has started four of five league games and has an assist to his name, but this will be arguably his toughest test yet.
Another young player that is turning heads with his performances is Vasilije Adzic, who has scored three times in three starts for the Neroverdi. He too is on loan, from Juventus, and he scored a late winner against his parent club before the break which made the headlines for obvious reasons.
His opposite number should be Adrien Rabiot, a player not too dissimilar in style given their penchant for making attacking late runs into the box. The Frenchman has four goal contributions for the Diavolo already, and amid talk of a potential renewal coming soon, everything points to him bettering his impressive year one numbers.
There will be a fascinating content in the central areas between Nemanja Matic and Christian Pulisic. The Serbian midfielder will duel the American playmaker (of Croatian descent) from a deeper-lying midfield role, hoping to limit his influence in those dangerous areas just outside the box.
What will be intriguing is to see whether Pulisic is given license or even instruction to push up and play alongside Ramos, and whether that brings the Croatian Duje Caleta-Car into things a bit as Leysen’s centre-back partner.
Simone Cinquegrano is slated to be the starting right-back for Sassuolo, which means that a content with Diego Moreira is on the cards. Cinquegrano has settled into a starting role well in the top flight under Alberto Aquilani, but the 22-year-old Italian is yet to face someone as dangerous as Moreira.
Speaking of the Belgian, he has already racked up three goals for the Diavolo since his big-money arrival from Strasbourg, including in the most recent round versus Lecce, his first at San Siro. After further bright signs on international duty, Moreira should get only his second start.
