AC MILAN v UDINESE: MATCH PREVIEW

Return to winning ways to get back on track in the upper echelons of the table: this is the Rossoneri’s aim going into their clash against Cioffi’s Udinese on matchday 11 in Serie A. After two consecutive away matches, Coach Pioli’s men are ready to return to San Siro, where they’ll be able to count on the vital support of their home crowd. Ahead of this evening’s 20:45 CET kick-off, we cover everything there is to know in our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
For the first time in a while, the Rossoneri have been able to spend a full week training at Milanello, giving them a chance to regroup. The defeats to Juventus and PSG and the draw against Napoli are now in the past, and overcoming Udinese is the only current objective. The team can’t afford to already start looking ahead to their next European showdown: the game against the Friulani is of utmost importance in order to return to Champions League action on Tuesday with a clearer mind. Kalulu and Pellegrino were forced off during Napoli v AC Milan, thus leaving Coach Pioli with reduced options tonight. The four-man backline in front of Maignan should consist of Calabria, Thiaw (back from suspension), Tomori and Hernández, with Florenzi and the two youngsters Simić and Bartesaghi potential alternatives. It remains to be seen who will start further up the pitch. Loftus-Cheek is available again, but Pulisic, Chukwueze and Kjær are all out.

"We'll need to remain composed, patient and compact and find the right spaces to surprise Udinese. At the same time, we mustn't leave ourselves open to counter-attacks," said Coach Pioli on the eve of the game. "We'll put our best possible side out there tomorrow; we want to win, and then we'll start thinking about the Champions League. Loftus-Cheek is well and will be available. I'm extremely satisfied with the group that's been formed."

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LATEST FROM UDINESE
The arrival of Cioffi, who replaced Sottil just over a week ago, has brought fresh energy to Udinese, who, however, are still looking for their first league win this season. So far, the Friulani have drawn seven of their ten matches in Serie A, including their most recent fixture against Monza (1-1). The other three games saw them fall to defeat against Juventus, Fiorentina and Napoli. During the week, they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Cagliari, a result that wasn’t particularly concerning for the new head coach given the host of changes he made to his starting line-up. It means that fatigue is unlikely to play a big role at San Siro, where the team’s starters should make their return. Cioffi has no shortage of players to pick from in the Bianconeri’s 3-5-2 formation, with Pereyra’s position (either in midfield or attack) set to have a big impact on the choices he makes. Nobody is suspended, but former AC Milan man Deulofeu is still a long way from returning.

"We'll try to use the weapons we have. We always want to pick up a good result wherever we play," said Gabriele Cioffi ahead of the fixture. "We haven't been left with doubts after the Coppa Italia but with plenty of certainties instead. I arrived just over a week ago, and I want to see the Udinese DNA tomorrow."

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PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

• AC Milan are unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 home games against Udinese in Serie A (W9, D6); the exception was the Friulani’s 1-0 victory on 11 September 2016.
• The Rossoneri have scored 106 league goals against Udinese at San Siro, exactly double the amount the Bianconeri (53) have netted away to AC Milan.
• Each of the last 21 goals scored in meetings between AC Milan and Udinese in Serie A have arrived from inside the box; the last player to net from distance was Theo Hernández.
• The most recent of the two fixtures where Rade Krunić scored and provided an assist in the same Serie A match was against Udinese: he did so for Empoli in a 3-2 defeat in April 2019.
• Stefano Pioli and Gabriele Cioffi have faced each other twice as coaches in the Italian top flight. Both of these games took place in the 2021/22 season and finished 1-1.

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WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v UDINESE
In Italy, the match will be broadcast by DAZN and Sky Sport. To watch AC Milan v Udinese 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
Juan Luca Sacchi will take charge of AC Milan v Udinese, which will be his 44th top-flight game. The 39-year-old has previously refereed two AC Milan fixtures: a 3-0 victory away to Genoa in December 2021 and a 2-1 home defeat to Sassuolo in April 2021. De Meo and Capaldo will be the linesmen, while Monaldi will perform the role of fourth official. Abbattista, assisted by Dionisi will oversee VAR.

Matchday 11 kicked off yesterday evening with Bologna 1-0 Lazio. In addition to AC Milan v Udinese at 20:45 CET, Saturday will see Salernitana v Napoli (15:00 CET) and Atalanta v Inter (18:00 CET) take place. Hellas Verona v Monza (12:30 CET) will get Sunday’s action underway, after which Cagliari v Genoa (15:00 CET), Roma v Lecce (18:00 CET) and Fiorentina v Juventus (20:45 CET) will be played. Two matches are in store on Monday: Frosinone v Empoli (18:30 CET) and Torino v Sassuolo (20:45 CET).

This is the current league table: Inter 25; Juventus 23; AC Milan 22; Atalanta 19; Napoli and Bologna* 18; Fiorentina 17; Lazio* 16; Roma 14; Monza and Lecce 13; Frosinone and Torino 12; Genoa and Sassuolo 11; Hellas Verona 8; Udinese and Empoli 7; Cagliari 6; Salernitana 4. (* = one more game played)

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