AC MILAN v SASSUOLO: MATCH PREVIEW

We're back in action in light of a big night in Madrid and, at the same time, the disappointment of the defeat in Florence. League football returns to San Siro three weeks after the Derby and the Rossoneri want to get back to winning ways in front of the home crowd. The opponents for the game are Dionisi's Sassuolo - an attacking side with plenty of individual quality. Let's get in the mood with our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
Olivier Giroud was added to the long injury list - Castillejo, Rebić, Plizzari, Calabria, Tomori - after coming off at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. There is, however, a big name returning from injury: Mike Maignan, who will start against the Neroverdi. The mood in the camp is high following the win in the Champions League and San Siro will be brimming with Rossoneri fans. It will be vital to get three more points in Serie A if we're to maintain the pressure at the top of Serie A.

"The average team is content after a good performance; they go into the next game with a bit of overconfidence. The good teams build on a good performance," Stefano Pioli stated in his pre-match press conference. "We lost our last league game; we're still level at the top but we could be clear. Tomorrow, we have the chance to get back to winning ways in Serie A. Maignan is well; he'll play tomorrow."

LATEST FROM SASSUOLO
Stefano Dionisi's Neroverdi are also dealing with somewhat of an injury crisis; among those missing are Boga, Đuričić, Goldaniga, Obiang and Romagna. The Emilian outfit are without a win in three league games - defeats to Empoli and Udinese, draw with Cagliari - and haven't won since they beat Juventus 2-1 away from home on 27 October. That latter game was proof, however, that this team can hurt anybody.

"It will be a tough game. We're taking on one of the strongest sides, if not the strongest right now," said Stefano Dionisi. "AC Milan cause issues for teams but they also give you the chance to express your own game - I think we'll put in a big performance. We've trained hard so as to prepare as best we game. We're not the favourites on paper but we're working to buck the trend. We have nothing to lose."

PRE-MATCH
7 points separate the two sides in the league table: 32 for AC Milan, 15 for Sassuolo. The Neroverdi have been, however, a bit of a bogey team for the Rossoneri in recent history. This is the 17th meeting between the two sides in Serie A: AC Milan are ahead with nine wins to the Neroverdi's five. Sassuolo captain Domenico Berardi has traditionally been a real problem for the Rossoneri, so much so that he has had a hand in 59% of Sassuolo's goals against AC Milan in these 17 matches. The last meeting at San Siro A saw the guests celebrating thanks to a Raspadori brace but the most common scoreline in this fixture is 2-1 to AC Milan - the final score of four games, including two of the last three. 

LATEST FROM SERIE A
Gianluca Manganiello will take charge of AC Milan v Sassuolo; the referee is actually celebrating his 40th birthday today. Manganiello has already officiated a match involving the Rossoneri this season: the 2-1 win away to Spezia thanks to goals from Maldini and Brahim. Curiously, Manganiello has already refereed a past version of AC Milan v Sassuolo: a 0-0 draw on 15 December 2019, on the day the Club celebrated its 120th anniversary. Overall, the Piedmontese referee has taken charge of five AC Milan matches: three wins and two draws. Assisting him will be linesmen Fiori and Raspolini, as well as Fourth Official Miele. Ghersini, assisted by Paganessi, is on VAR duty.

Matchday 14 began on Friday evening with a 1-1 draw between Cagliari and Salernitana. There were four games played yesterday: Empoli 2-1 Fiorentina, Sampdoria 3-1 Hellas Verona, Juventus 0-1 Atalanta, Venezia 0-2 Inter. Here are the fixtures on Sunday: Udinese v Genoa (12:30), Spezia v Bologna (15:00), AC Milan v Sassuolo (15:00), Roma v Torino (18:00) and Napoli v Lazio (20:45).

Here are the current Serie A standings: Napoli, AC Milan 32; Inter* 31, Atalanta* 28; Roma 22; Lazio, Juventus*, Fiorentina* 21; Hellas Verona*, Empoli* 19; Bologna 18; Torino 17; Empoli 16; Sassuolo, Venezia*, Sampdoria* 15; Udinese 14; Spezia 11; Genoa 9; Salernitana*, Cagliari* 8. (* = match in hand)

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