AC Milan and AS Roma Clash at the San Siro Following Coppa Italia Exits

Two teams contending for European places in the Italian top flight clash at the San Siro on Sunday just days after being dumped from the Coppa Italia as Christian Pulisic and AC Milan host Jose Mourinho‘s AS Roma. Milan were bested by Atalanta at home midweek despite a strong starting lineup from Stefano Pioli, as Rafael Leao‘s goal before halftime was undone by a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. Meanwhile, Roma were blanked by Lazio and sent packing from the domestic knockout competition thanks to a Mattia Zaccagni penalty early in the second half. The defeats were largely thanks to poor attacking performances from both clubs, which have begun to cause problems at the league level as well. Roma more so, as they pummeled Atalanta with 16 shots worth over 2.0 xG their last league match but only could muster a 1-1 draw.

Milan look safely in the Serie A top four, for now at least, sitting in third, six points above fourth-place Fiorentina, but Roma are way down in eighth amidst a crowded top half.

While on occasion Roma may slip to disappointing results, Jose Mourinho has this side exceptionally well-prepared each and every game from a defensive standpoint. Roma have conceded over 1.5 xG in a Serie A match just once since their defeat to Inter at this very venue back in late October, with the lone outlier coming in late December against a surging Juventus. Milan are one of the better finishing sides in Italy, able to take advantage of their chances, but they were largely held in check by Atalanta midweek in their Coppa Italia exit, and have struggled for attacking consistency against those in the top third of the league table. At a time where Roma’s league form—one win in their last five—doesn’t quite reflect their abilities and performances, expect them to pick up a quality result at a difficult road venue.

While Roma defend exceptionally well and Milan struggled midweek to produce chances, they should both have plenty of opportunities to find the net in this match. Milan recently have done well to generate opportunities, scoring multiple goals in all but one of their six league matches since the start of December. It’s been the defensive side of things that has slipped of late, as once the club’s calling card under Stefano Pioli has buckled under the weight of a few key injuries. Roma, meanwhile, have collected the fifth-most expected goals this season despite the chatter around their defensive acumen. What’s more, both teams have found the net in a whopping seven straight meetings, dating back to June of 2020 when Milan blanked their visiting opponents 2-0.

American star Christian Pulisic has truly hit his stride with AC Milan and has become an indispensible player for Stefano Pioli in his first season with the club. Pulisic has a goal contribution in five of his last six Serie A matches, with three assists and two goals, leading a player who started the season struggling to remain on the pitch for a full 90 minutes now suddenly a regular candidate to go the distance. That has opened things up for a struggling Rafael Leao, who has found more space as defenders must compensate to keep an eye on Pulisic on the other flank. As long as AC Milan don’t find themselves shut out, one of these two will be very likely to end up with a contribution, especially Leao who has combined better with teammates of late, collecting 3.04 xA over the past seven Serie A games.

TV channel Streaming USA — Canada TLN UK TNT Sports 2 discovery+ Every match of the 2023/24 Serie A season can be found exclusively on from CBS Sports, including this match between AC Milan and AS Roma. In Canada, the broadcast rights for Serie A this season are owned exclusively by , where this match can be found. Additionally, one match every Sunday league matchweek is designated for television broadcast on TLN, where this game can be found. The match will be broadcast in the UK on TNT Sports 2, with streaming available on discovery+.