SALERNITANA v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW

The Rossoneri are on the hunt for a victory in Salerno to build on their home win over Monza and give their fans an early Christmas present. On matchday 17 in Serie A, Coach Pioli’s men will face Pippo Inzaghi's Salernitana in a clash where three points are a must. Here is our Match Preview, providing you with everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s 20:45 CET kick-off at the Arechi.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
A really important game. Tonight’s fixture against Salernitana will be a test of maturity for the Diavolo, who want to build on their victory away to Newcastle and three-goal success over Monza at San Siro. To do so, they'll need to reverse the trend from recent away games: AC Milan’s last win on the road was on 7 October. While Calabria is back from suspension, Pobega, Musah and Okafor won’t be at Coach Pioli's disposal. After getting minutes in their legs recently, Kjær and Bennacer are in contention to start, as is Simić. Now is the time to kick on.

"We're trying to find the consistency we had at the start of the season,"  said Coach Pioli in his pre-match press conference. "We're now coming up against a side in the form of Salernitana who have frequently changed things around in recent matches. It'll be a difficult game, one where we'll have to display the qualities we have. In order to increase our chances of winning, we'll need to be aware of what we and our opponents can do. They often mix it up in attack, but we'll take to the pitch in the most suitable way. We need to play the game as if it was our last opportunity; this doesn't just apply to them."

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LATEST FROM SALERNITANA
The Granata are currently struggling to pick up results and sit bottom of the table on eight points, but they want the game against AC Milan to be a turning point. Filippo Inzaghi, who replaced Paulo Sousa in the dugout earlier on this season, is still looking for a winning formula in the relegation battle. After beating Lazio immediately after the November international break - their only victory so far this campaign - Salernitana have since suffered three consecutive defeats, albeit against teams in the upper reaches of the table (Fiorentina, Bologna and Atalanta). In the team’s most recent outings, Inzaghi has alternated between a three- and four-man backline, the latter of which he seems likely to deploy at the Arechi. Maggiore is suspended, while Ochoa remains out.

"In order to cause AC Milan problems tomorrow, we’ll have to produce the perfect performance. We know how difficult it’ll be to face them, but we’re ready to put in a great display," said Filippo Inzaghi on the eve of the game. "On a personal level, it'll be a special game; inevitably, it’ll never be a match like the others. AC Milan is where my past lies and it'll be a special feeling to compete against them for 90 minutes, but I’m focused on giving my all for Salernitana."

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PRE-MATCH STATS

• AC Milan found the net on each of the eight occasions they’ve faced Salernitana in Serie A: 17 goals (an average of 2.1 per match).
• AC Milan have scored the most first-half goals (18) this league season, while Salernitana have conceded the most times during the opening 45 minutes of play (16).
• Rafael Leão (41 goals) could become the joint-second highest Portuguese goalscorer in Serie A history (drawing level with Rui Costa on 42), while he’s also on the verge of reaching 50 goals in the top five European divisions (he’s bagged 49).
• After winning his first match against Stefano Pioli in Serie A - it was his very first game as a coach in the Italian top flight (a 3-1 victory in AC Milan v Lazio on 31 August 2014) - Filippo Inzaghi has since picked up just a single point against the Rossoneri tactician.

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WHERE TO WATCH SALERNITANA v AC MILAN
In Italy, the match will be broadcast by DAZN. To watch Salernitana v AC Milan 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
Daniele Doveri will take charge of Salernitana v AC Milan, which will be his 216th game in the Italian top flight. Doveri has refereed the Granata three times and encountered the Rossoneri on 28 occasions before. His assistants will be Rocca and Moro, while Camplone will perform the role of fourth official. Di Paolo, assisted by Meraviglia, will oversee VAR.

Empoli v Lazio and Sassuolo v Genoa (both 18:30 CET kick-offs) will get the action underway on matchday 17 in Serie A. Then, it’ll be time for Salernitana v AC Milan and Monza v Fiorentina at 20:45 CET. Six games will take place on Saturday 23 December: Frosinone v Juventus (12:30 CET), Bologna v Atalanta (15:00 CET), Torino v Udinese (15:00 CET), Hellas Verona v Cagliari (18:00 CET), Inter v Lecce (18:00 CET) and Roma v Napoli (20:45 CET).

This is the current league table: Inter 41; Juventus 37; AC Milan 32; Bologna 28; Napoli and Fiorentina 27; Atalanta 26; Roma 25; Torino 23; Monza e Lazio 21; Lecce 20; Frosinone 19; Genoa and Sassuolo 16; Cagliari and Udinese 13; Empoli 12; Hellas Verona 11; Salernitana 8.

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