WOMEN, FIORENTINA v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW

After two less-than-positive results, the women's first team is preparing to return to the pitch in Serie A eBay for another big match. On Sunday at 12:30 CET we will be visiting the Viola Park to face Fiorentina, to try to turn things around after the defeats against Juventus and Como. Matchday 11, the second match in the second half of the season, eight games to go and three points to recover from Como to get back into the top five. The moment is now. Here's our preview of the match.

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A negative period to overcome starting with a difficult away match. The Rossoneri will meet Fiorentina, against whom they lost in the first leg after taking the lead with Ijeh. It was Evelyn who scored the last goal in Serie A, against Sassuolo, and it is with her (4 goals this season) that the team will try to start again. With the exception of the injured Grimshaw and Babb, all players are at the disposal of Coach Bakker, who in the next few hours will reveal the line-up for Sunday's 12:30 CET kick-off. The experience of the veterans and the athleticism of the youngsters on the verge of taking off, two camps that have gone hand in hand in this first part of the season: in the difficulties the team is growing, with the hope that the results will begin to favour us.

Coach Bakker's words at the eve of the match: "There is so much potential in this group of players. We work hard every day and I see us growing. This match against Fiorentina is another chance to show our growth."

LATEST FROM FIORENTINA
A defeat and a draw in the last two games for De La Fuente's side, who lost 1-0 to Roma before drawing 0-0 with Napoli. It was the first real slowdown of the season for the team in violet, which nonetheless maintains second place in the standings with 22 points, a one-point margin over Inter and Roma and four points behind leading Juventus. A significant absence for Sunday's match will be Michela Catena, who underwent surgery this week for a fracture of the second metacarpal of her left hand and will not be in the match.

On the day before the match, the Dane Emma Færge spoke to Fiorentina's official channels: ‘We are disappointed for the last results but also very motivated, and against AC Milan we want to bring home the three points.’

PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

• AC Milan are, along with Lazio, one of the two most pressing sides in this Serie A: the Rossoneri have a PPDA (ratio of opponent passes allowed outside their own defensive three-quarter to the number of defensive actions outside the defensive three-quarter) of 9.6, behind only the Biancocelesti at 8.9.
• Evelyn Ijeh has completed 11 dribbles in the current tournament; among forwards only Emilie Haavi (12) is ahead of her; while the opponents of the day Agnese Bonfantini and Zara Kramzar are also at 11.
• Chanté Dompig (23 years and 285 days old at the time of the match) could become the youngest foreigner to score in the double figures in Serie A with AC Milan (nine so far, one of which was against Fiorentina on 7 May 2023) and the fourth foreigner overall to score at least 10 goals for the Rossoneri after Lindsey Thomas (15), Kosovare Asllani (15) and Natasha Dowie (12).

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, Fiorentina v AC Milan will be shown on DAZN at 12:30 CET. Don't miss the coverage on acmilan.com, the rossonere's Instagram account and the AC Milan Official App, where the full replay will be available from the following day. 

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The referee will be Fabrizio Ramondino from Palermo, assisted by Luca Capriuolo and Vincenzo Abbinante from Bari. Fourth official Leonardo Cipolloni from Foligno.

Matchday 11 in the league, second half of the season. It starts on Saturday with two matches: Lazio v Sampdoria and Inter v Napoli at 14:45 CET. Three slots for Sunday: Fiorentina v AC Milan at 12:30 CET., Sassuolo v Roma at 16:00 CET and Como v Juventus at 18:00 CET.

The current league standings in Women's Serie A: Juventus 26; Fiorentina 22; Inter e Roma 21; Como 16; AC Milan 13; Lazio 6; Napoli 6; Sassuolo 5; Sampdoria 3.

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