AC MILAN v ROMA: MATCH PREVIEW

AC Milan are set to face Roma on matchday 18 of Serie A, scheduled for Sunday 29 December at 20:45 CET at San Siro. Led by coach Paulo Fonseca, the Rossoneri aim to strengthen their position in the standings, while Roma, under Claudio Ranieri, look to climb up. With both teams eager to end the year on a high, an intense and hard-fought match is expected. We approach kick-off with our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The Rossoneri come into this match following a crucial 1-0 victory against Hellas Verona in Serie A, breaking a streak of mixed results. Previously, AC Milan drew 0-0 with Genoa, showing defensive solidity but some challenges in attack. Fonseca's side is determined to maintain this positive trend and further improve their league standing. The nine days following the away trip to the Bentegodi, with the Christmas break in between, have allowed Coach Fonseca to recover two important members of his team, Morata and Bennacer, who began training with the group recently. However, the Spaniard will be the only player who'll be able to start the game. Jiménez is likely to be used as a winger to replace the injured Leão. It is worth noting that there are two important players on the verge of suspension: Emerson Royal and Fofana.

"I have friends in Rome but when I'll step on the pitch it'll be a match like any other and for 90 minutes my thoughts will only be on winning", Coach Fonseca said in his press conference. "After the last training session I am very positive, the team is doing well and has worked well. We must be consistent, in facing every challenge and each opponent. We need to change this, so as not to lose points where we cannot lose them. It is an important objective, I am sure that we will find the right path".

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LATEST FROM ROMA
Roma arrive at San Siro after a convincing 5-0 win over Parma in Serie A, restoring confidence after some inconsistent performances. Before this win, the Giallorossi suffered a 2-0 defeat to Como, highlighting some away difficulties. Ranieri's team will look to capitalize on this momentum to secure a positive result against AC Milan. There are fewer squad issues for Roma, as the only player on a yellow card warning - Cristante - will miss the game due to an ankle problem. There are two ex-AC Milan players in contention to start: El Shaarawy is in competition with Pisilli for a starting spot, while Saelemaekers is in competition with Çelik. The rest of the side should stay the same for Ranieri, with a back-three of (Mancini-Hummels-Ndicka) who sit behind a midfield duo of Koné and Paredes and then the attacking duo of Dybala and Dovbyk.

"AC Milan have a very high quality group of players", stated Claudio Ranieri in his press conference, "with strong and unique elements. It will be essential for us to stay attentive when it comes to losing the ball, they do not concede very many at San Siro. We will have to put in a brilliant performance. It's a match that prepares itself, because everyone wants to play, I am convinced that we will put in a great performance. The important thing will be to give our all until the final second, results depend on little details". 

AC MILAN v ROMA: OPPONENT REVIEW

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PRE-MATCH STATS

• AC Milan are unbeaten in their last nine Serie A matches against Roma (6W, 3D), averaging 2.2 goals per game, and the Rossoneri have scored in all of their last 13 games against Roma in Serie A for the first time in their history.
• The Rossoneri have kept a clean sheet in at least six of their first eight home games in a Serie A season for the second time in the three-point era, after 2002/03 (seven home clean sheets on that occasion).
• AC Milan have won their last Serie A game played in the calendar year between 2020 and 2023, after having only won two of the previous eight (3D, 3L); on the other hand, Roma has not achieved victories in the last league game of the calendar year between 2021 and 2023 (2D, 1L), after having triumphed 17 times in the previous 20 (2D, 1L).
• Tijjani Reijnders is the central midfielder in Serie A who has been involved in the most goals this season across all competitions: 10 (eight goals and two assists). The Dutchman is also one of two midfielders who have made at least 20 shots and completed at least 20 dribbles in this league, alongside Como's Nico Paz.

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WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v ROMA ON TV
In Italy, the game will be live on DAZN. To watch AC Milan v Roma from a different country, please consult the 'AC Milan on TV' page. Follow Matchday on Milan TV: live coverage will begin at 20:00 CET until shortly before kick-off, with the game being followed by interviews and Coach Fonseca's press conference. Don't miss out on our coverage via acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App (where the full deferred broadcast will be available in the coming days), our official social media channels and WhatsApp.

LATEST FROM SERIE A
Michael Fabbri, from the Ravenna section, will be the referee for the match at San Siro. He has a wealth of experience, with 140 appearances in Serie A. He has officiated the Rossoneri on one occasion this season, during the 3-3 draw against Cagliari. Costanzo and Vecchi will be the linesmen, Marcenaro will be the fourth official, while Meraviglia will be in charge of VAR and AVAR will be Di Paolo.

Matchday 18 began on Saturday 28 with four matches: Empoli 1-2 Genoa, Parma 2-1 Monza, Cagliari 0-3 Inter and Lazio 1-1 Atalanta. The Sunday schedule will kick off at 12:30 CET with Udinese v Torino, followed by Napoli v Venezia (15:00 CET), Juventus v Fiorentina (18:00 CET) and, AC Milan v Roma at 20:45 CET. The final matches of 2024 are scheduled for Monday 30 when Como will take on Lecce (18:30 CET) and Bologna is going to face Hellas Verona (20:45).

Here are the current standings: Atalanta 41; Inter* 40; Napoli* 38; Lazio 35; Fiorentina** and Juventus* 31; Bologna** 28; AC Milan** 26; Udinese* 23; Roma*, Torino*, Empoli and Genoa 19; Parma 18; Lecce* 16; Como* and Hellas Verona* 15; Cagliari 14; Venezia* 13; Monza 10. (* = one game in hand; ** = two games in hand)

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