AC MILAN v CREMONESE: OPPONENT REVIEW

AC Milan return to San Siro to kick off a busy month of May that is stacked with important games. The take on a newly-promoted side for their second straight home game as they host Cremonese, who are in search of points in their relegation scrap. Ballardini's Grigiorossi come to AC Milan for the first time in 27 years. The reigning Champions of Italy are heavy favourites in this midweek match given the massive gap between the two sides in the table but Cremonese are no pushovers, as demonstrated by the 0-0 at the Stadio Zini in the reverse fixture. 

May, which is Stefano Pioli's best month on average as AC Milan head coach, begins against the Grigiorossi, who have the second-worst defence away from home in the league this season, with 32 goals conceded in 16 games. But Cremonese have, in fact, managed no fewer than seven draws away from home this season they have seen an upturn in form since the arrival of Ballardini in the dugout: in his 14 games as Cremonese boss, they have taken more points than four other teams in the same period.

CROSSES; WINGPLAY AND DUELS: CREMONESE'S STRENGTHS
Cremonese's key offensive weapon this season has been playing the ball out wide, which has provided some sort of continuity between the tenures of Alvini and now Ballardini. The Grigiorossi have attempted 439 crosses in Serie A this season, 25% of which have been accurate. Cremonese are, in fact, superior to Stefano Pioli's side in both regards and, furthermore, AC Milan have conceded more goals from crosses than any other side in the division (13, 5 of their last 12 goals conceded). This is a match-up between two sides who are not afraid of a challenge in every area of the pitch.

While Cremonese are fourth for the number of duels per game (107, three more than AC Milan), the Rossoneri have won a greater percentage of their duels (53%) than any other Serie A side this season. Finally, Barllardini's Grigiorossi often fall at the final hurdle: goalscoring. Despite having taken 411 shots (the amount produced by your average midtable team), their percentages for shots on target (38%) and shots converted to goals (95) are the worst in the league. Cremonese create plenty of chances, they just struggle to convert them.

STUMBLING BLOCKS FOR MILAN: VALERI'S ENERGY AND OKEREKE'S DESIRE
In spite of their precarious position since the start of the season, which has only been partially rectified under Ballardini, Cremonese have put some interesting talents on display, who have attracted plenty of interest from other clubs. Emanuele Valeri made a big impression in preseason and has carried that rich vein form into the Serie A campaign. In a team that likes to put a lot of balls into the box, Valeri has registered two goals and two assists in his debut season in the top flight. He was in red-hot form last month, creating more chances (15) than any other player in April.

David Okereke, meanwhile, has always been one of the key players for Cremonese, as he has more experience in the top flight of Italian football than most of his teammates. The Nigerian forward knows how to find the net at San Siro (he scored against Inter earlier this season) and could do it again at the Scala del Calcio, which would see him become the first Cremonese player since Gustavo Dezotti to manage the feat. Furthermore, he could become the fifth most prolific Nigerian player in Serie A history; he needs just one more goal to draw level with Victor Obinna on 14.

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