After two disappointing draws, Milan took down Sassuolo on Sunday as if they were at full strength, despite missing so many players. Now, with a suspended starter, two more potential starters likely to miss this one, and no one returning from injury, they have to repeat that level of performance against a Lazio side that certainly has more players who are fit. It will be a battle, one that is not for the faint of heart.
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| Need a Christmas miracle |
The Brother of Inzaghi's side were underperforming, until Sunday, of course. A 2-0 win over Napoli will certainly have boosted their mentality. For that match, the Brother of Inzaghi lined up former Milan benchwarmer Pepe Reina; Luiz Felipe, Hoedt, Radu; Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Escalante, Luiz Alberto, Marusic; Immobile, and Caicedo. He will be missing Fares, Proto, and Lulic to injury. Additionally, Correa, former Milan defender Acerbi, and Lucas Leiva are all doubtful for their trip to the San Siro.
Earlier in the season, Pioli struggled to choose which players to start at each position, from a relative wealth of young talent compared to recent seasons. For this match, he will be sweating to find enough players healthy enough to start. Kessie got himself suspended for this match, even though fans will not be there, he probably has bad memories surrounding Lazio. Additionally, Ibrahimovic, Kjaer, Bennacer, and Gabbia are definitely all out with injuries, and both Rebic and Tonali are doubtful as of this writing. That means that Pioli is missing the spine of his team: one or more starters in the front, middle, and back, as well as potentially all of his holding midfielders. Ouch.
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| A massive loss for this match |
If we can just get through this match, we will likely have several of our players back after the Christmas break, plus a rested team in general. But we have to fight this battle first. This will be the biggest test of mentality, to be able to take this shell of a starting lineup and face a team that is much closer to full strength. It will be a massive battle for all three points, and Milan still defending their undefeated streak against all odds. This match is not for the faint of heart.
This post inspired by the music of Garbage's "#1 Crush"
Reviewed by Elaine
on
1:27 AM
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