ROMA v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

From Bologna to Roma, from the Coppa Italia to Serie A: AC Milan are returning to the Olimpico with the recent bad memory of the cup final defeat. But there's still plenty to play for, and points to take home which could make an impact by the end of the season. The Rossoneri could climb up the table and overtake their opponents (following the draw in the reverse fixture) to occupy a European spot. The Giallorossi, despite defeat in Bergamo, are just one point from fourth place after an entire matchday without points.

Ranieri's side saw an end to their undefeated streak in the league last weekend with a 1-2 home defeat to Atalanta. It was a heavy loss in their fight for Champions League football, but it does not take away from their incredible record they set in 2025: 19 matches in a row without defeat, the team with most points won (43), most games won (13) and least goals conceded (10) in Serie A this calendar year. It was a ruthless run of form, and an almost perfect period coinciding with the change of manager in November. One of their other slip-ups was in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals at San Siro, where we knocked them out.

MEASURED, SOLID AND CLINICAL ROMA
Before taking a deeper look into our opposition, let's just analyse this statistic. Roma have learned and mastered the art of moderation: they don't score often, but they always score (they have scored in their last 20 games), and since their game in Empoli, they have scored exactly one goal each game, which has often been just what they needed to win. From mid-March, they have collected six 1-0 wins, showing their solidity and compactness. The Giallorossi are great at resisting, and no-one has conceded fewer goals than them in the first half an hour (seven, equal with Inter and Napoli). Furthermore, for a month now, they have always scored before the break (Verona, Inter, Fiorentina and Atalanta) showing the importance of the first period.

Roma tends to not keep hold of the ball too much, staying compact and alert thanks to their strong defence and committed marking. The 3-5-2, or the 3-4-2-1 if necessary, stays resistant and narrow, with channels open for the break. The wide areas are one of their main strengths, Angeliño on the left and Soulé on the right are often a key part of their attacking threat: they are often the creative players, getting themselves forward and setting up the striker. The Giallorossi don't even have much of a passing dominance, and not even in terms of precision. They often opt for throwing the ball into the area, a welcomed and sometimes preferred restart.

FROM SVILAR TO KONÉ, SOULÉ IS THE KEY
Let's start right from the back to talk about individuals. Mile Svilar is now a guarantee with consistent performances full of substance, reflex stops and often decisive saves. He is one of the group leaders, capable of keeping his teammates afloat in difficult moments. The defence also relies on Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka, a close-knit and solid duo, full of experience and often doing the dirty work for their side to keep out their opposition. In the midfield, they have the strong and balanced Bryan Cristante, even though Manu Koné probably deserves more attention, as a fundamental, dynamic element within the heart of the team.

Without striker Artem Dovbyk (12 goals this season), keep an eye on a rejuvenated Eldor Shomurodov who is often dangerous. But the main in-form threat is Matías Soulé, involved in four goals in his last five Serie A appearances (2 goals, 2 assists), just as many as in his last 24 games in the league. The Argentine is the only 2003-born player with over three assists in 2023/24 and 2024/25. He has been involved in eight goals with Roma in the league (5 goals, 3 assists).

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