SASSUOLO vs. AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW
Serie A
21 days later, the Rossoneri are ready to get back underway. That's how long it's been since the evening of AC Milan 3-0 Lecce, which was made even more special by the celebration of 100 years of San Siro. With the lengthy international break now behind us, the present is all about Sassuolo vs. AC Milan, the Serie A matchday six fixture. We look ahead to the game with our usual Match Preview.
LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The three week break in the league campaign brought both positives and negatives for the Rossoneri. On the negative side, there is the injury suffered by Saelemaekers, absence that will give Coach Amorim fewer options out wide. There were, however, several Rossoneri players who impressed with their respective national teams, from Ramos' three goals for Portugal to goals from Cisse with Italy U21's and Modrić with Croatia, as well as positive performances from Moreira, Jashari and Musah. Those who remained at Milanello, Pulisic, for example took the opportunity to recharge their batteries, also making the most of last week's joint training session with Padova. In Emilia, we will begin a run of seven matches in the next 20 days, so it is reasonable to expect the team selection to take this demanding schedule into account as well.
"The fact that so many of our players are called up to their national teams shows that we have top-quality footballers," said Rúben Amorim. "They've achieved great things, but I could sense how happy they were to return here, which means we've created a great environment. As a coach, my job is to get the best out of the team and win as many matches as possible. We want to win, and we want to do it right away, because we’re at a top club and that’s only natural. We're taking the necessary steps to reach that goal."
LATEST FROM SASSUOLO
Seven points from their opening five matches represent a positive start for the revamped Emilia-Romagna side, who have undergone plenty of changes at both technical and boardroom level over the summer. Former Rossonero (23 appearances in 2011/12) Alberto Aquilani's first taste of Serie A has certainly been an encouraging one, having joined the top flight after narrowly missing out on promotion with Catanzaro. So far, Sassuolo have a perfect home record, winning all four of their matches in Reggio Emilia across the league (2-1 vs. Torino and 3-2 vs. Juventus) and the Coppa Italia. Adžić is their top scorer and also impressed during the international break with Montenegro, but Volpato, Esposito, who produced a number of strong performances for Italy, and captain Berardi are also worth keeping an eye on. The latter, in fact, has AC Milan as his favourite opponent in terms of goals scored during his career. With Matić providing experience and continuity between the Grosso and Aquilani eras, Sassuolo are a tough opponent who should not be underestimated under their 4-3-3 system. As with AC Milan, there are no suspended or one-match-away players.
"Amorim has made history at Sporting; he has my respect," Alberto Aquilani said in his press conference. "I'm proud to have worn the AC Milan jersey. We're facing a strong team, so we need to be self-assured and play with courage. We've made a good start, so we must stay the course while also improving in front of goal and developing a better sense of danger in defense. We need to be more clinical."
PRE-MATCH NUMBERS
WHERE TO WATCH SASSUOLO vs. AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, the match will be broadcast live on DAZN, Sky Sport and NOW. To watch it from another country, you can consult the "Where to watch AC Milan on TV" section under "Abroad". Don't miss the coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App, the club’s social media channels and WhatsApp.
LATEST FROM SERIE A
Francesco Fourneau, the 42-year-old referee from the Rome 1 section, will officiate the match at the MAPEI Stadium. It will be his eighth Serie A appointment involving the Rossoneri, with the most recent coming on 21 March: AC Milan 3-2 Torino. Completing the officiating team will be assistant referees Palermo and Rossi L., with Chiffi as the fourth official. Santoro will be on VAR, assisted by Meraviglia.
The Serie A schedule for matchday 6 got underway with three matches played on Saturday 10 October: Genoa 2-1 Fiorentina, Inter 3-0 Parma and Napoli 3-0 Frosinone. Today’s schedule begins with Como vs. Roma at 12:30 PM, followed by Lazio vs. Monza and Lecce vs. Bologna at 3:00 PM, Sassuolo vs. AC Milan at 6:00 PM and Cagliari vs. Juventus at 8:45 PM, bringing Sunday 11 October’s fixtures to a close. On Monday 12 October, Atalanta vs. Venezia will be played at 6:30 PM, followed by Torino vs. Udinese at 8:45 PM.
Here are the standings: Inter* 16; Roma and Lazio 13; Cagliari 12; AC Milan 11; Juventus, Como, Napoli* and Frosinone* 10; Sassuolo 7; Atalanta and Lecce 6; Udinese, Torino, Monza, Parma*, Fiorentina* and Genoa* 4; Bologna 2; Venezia 0. (* = one more match played)
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