AC MILAN v FROSINONE: MATCH PREVIEW

Another match at San Siro and a chance to regroup after a tough European evening and build on a recent home victory in the league. AC Milan v Frosinone, the Rossoneri’s 14th fixture of the Serie A season, promises to be a very interesting affair with no shortage of pitfalls but also plenty of possibilities. As tonight's 20:45 CET kick-off draws nearer, we present our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The clash against Frosinone will be the final game in a run of three consecutive matches on home soil for AC Milan, who are looking for consistency and a boost in confidence. After their victory over Fiorentina and defeat to Borussia Dortmund, the Rossoneri are after three precious points in front of their own fans. With several players out - Thiaw is now also on the injury list - Coach Pioli once again has fewer options than he would like, although Ismaël Bennacer, who has been absent since May, is very likely to be part of the matchday squad. In defence, there's a chance that the youngster Simić (born in 2005) could start alongside Tomori, but surprise alternatives can't be ruled out. Up front, eyes will be on Samuel Chukwueze, who opened his AC Milan goalscoring account in the Champions League, and Jović, who should lead the line. Giroud is serving the final game of a two-match suspension.

"We want to win, and we need to," said Coach Pioli on the eve of the game. "Frosinone are doing very well and have confidence; Di Francesco is doing a great job. As usual, we'll need to show concentration, determination and quality: we need to demonstrate that we are still competitive and put in a good performance."

LATEST FROM FROSINONE
Di Francesco's men have made a very convincing start to the season and want to continue to impress. Their 18-point tally (five wins, three draws and five defeats) is a fantastic return for a side that are playing well, won 2-1 against Genoa last time out (a stoppage-time winner) and have exceeded expectations so far. Nevertheless, the Ciociari have encountered difficulties on the road: excluding their Coppa Italia victory over Torino, they're yet to win away from home following two draws - 0-0 in Udine and 1-1 in Salerno - and four defeats. With a recognisable identity and attacking approach, Frosinone have continued to play with courage and quality even when different players and formations have been used. In fact, Di Francesco made five changes to his line-up against the Grifone, sending his side out in a 4-2-3-1 as opposed to the 3-5-2 they deployed against Inter. Harroui, Lirola and Marchizza are all out, while Gelli and former Rossonero Brescianini are doubts for the game at San Siro. The Ciociari have no suspensions.

"AC Milan are used to playing a lot of fixtures, and the game is also taking place at San Siro, where, in a special atmosphere, they feel a lot stronger," said Eusebio Di Francesco during his pre-match press conference. "We need to focus on ourselves and play like we know how to. I don't think AC Milan are going through a disastrous spell; rather, it's a difficult moment for them where they have a lot of injuries. We also have absences, but we'll be up against a side who are alive and kicking."

PRE-MATCH STATS

• The two previous Serie A clashes between AC Milan and Frosinone at San Siro finished in a 3-3 draw in May 2016 and a 2-0 Rossoneri victory in May 2019.
• In 2023, no side has lost fewer home matches than AC Milan (three) and, in the same period, only Bologna (12) have conceded fewer goals on home soil compared to the Rossoneri (14).
• AC Milan (13.4%) and Frosinone (13%) are two of the four teams with the highest conversion rates during the current campaign; only Roma (15%) and Inter (14%) have done better.
• Stefano Pioli has come up against Eusebio Di Francesco ten times as a coach in Serie A, with the current Rossoneri boss winning five, drawing one and losing four of these fixtures.

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v FROSINONE
In Italy, the match will be broadcast by DAZN and Sky Sport. To watch AC Milan v Frosinone in a different country, you can consult the "AC Milan on TV" webpage, clicking on the heading "Abroad". On the Rossoneri channels, Milan TV will provide live matchday coverage starting from 19:45 CET and continuing up until shortly before kick-off. After full-time, there will be interviews and Coach Pioli's press conference. From 20:40 CET, there will also be our Live Reaction show on our Twitch channel. Also, not to be missed is the coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App and our official social media profiles.

LATEST FROM SERIE A
Matteo Marchetti is set to take charge of AC Milan v Frosinone, which will be the 27th fixture he's refereed in the Italian top flight. The 34-year-old has encountered both teams once before: a 1-1 home draw for the Rossoneri against Udinese in February 2022 and a 2-0 away defeat for the Ciociari against Roma earlier on this campaign. Marchetti will have Vivenzi and Fontemurato as his assistants, while Fourneau will perform the role of fourth official. Paterna, assisted by Pairetto, will oversee VAR.

Monza 1-2 Juventus got Serie A matchday 14 underway yesterday evening. Three games are scheduled for today: Genoa v Empoli (15:00 CET), Lazio v Cagliari (18:00 CET) and AC Milan v Frosinone (20:45 CET). On Sunday, the following matches will be played: Lecce v Bologna (12:30 CET), Fiorentina v Salernitana (15:00 CET), Udinese v Hellas Verona (15:00 CET), Sassuolo v Roma (18:00 CET) and Napoli v Inter (20:45 CET). Torino v Atalanta will take place on Monday and finish off the latest round of league fixtures.

This is the current league table: Juventus* 33; Inter 32; AC Milan 26; Napoli 24; Roma and Bologna 21; Atalanta and Fiorentina 20; Monza* and Frosinone 18; Lazio 17; Torino 16; Lecce and Sassuolo 15; Genoa 14; Udinese 11; Cagliari and Empoli 10; Hellas Verona 9; Salernitana 8. (* = one more match played)

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