This is a very important match. Having dropped so many points, every Serie A match is important. But Atalanta are only three points behind us and are one of the five teams competing for the other top three spots behind Napoli for Champions League next season. Not that you would know that from Milan's social media this week, which is focused on the abominable new fourth kits the players will be wearing for this match. Because why talk about football when it's Milan Fashion Week?
 |
| The shirt was horrific enough. But the shorts, too? It is literally a fashion crime. |
Even as a fashion designer, I still want to talk about the football. And not just because the kits are atrocious, either. Our rivalry with Atalanta has grown more intense the past few years since the infamous Christmas massacre in Bergamo. After a disappointing eighth place finish last year, Gasperini's team had just jumped into third place this year before their surprise 2-1 loss to Lecce last week. For that match, Gasperini lined up Musso; Toloi, Demiral, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, Éderson, Koopmeiners, Mæhle; Boga; Højlund, and Lookman. He will be missing Demiral to suspension, and Hateboer and Duvan Zapata to injury, with our old friend and Milan fan Pašalić still a doubt as of this writing.
 |
| Atalanta's newest dangerous duo |
Pioli will have Maignan back. Finally. Whether he starts or is even available to be on the bench remains to be seen, but he finally returned to training this week. Florenzi also returned to training, but he may not be match fit just yet. Other than that, it is only Calabria and Bennacer definitely out as of this writing. Although this is Milan, so expect some other players to turn up with injuries before kickoff on Sunday. We also have yet to see Ibrahimović play since returning from injury. It would certainly be his/our misfortune to make his return dressed like this.
Also missing will be the team's dignity. Despite celebrating twenty years of giving back to people all over the world with Fondazione Milan this week, the glaring point that no one will be able to ignore will be the new fourth kits. Not just the jerseys, but the unspeakable matching shorts that go with. Not even my grandmother would have dressed our guys this badly, and she never even knew what Milan Fashion Week was.
 |
| Will he? Or won't he? It's so close I can almost feel the badass. |
Hopefully, the false fashion kits the team will be wearing will not detract from their performance. In August, only our second match of the season, we drew 1-1 away to Atalanta. Having won three in a row again, getting three points or even a result in this match just feels so important. With Lookman and Højlund up top for Atalanta, two exciting in-form young strikers that everyone is talking about, Milan will need to maintain their impressive defensive clean sheet vibe to pull this one off. That is, if they are not too distracted by Milan Fashion Week.
This post inspired by the music of Cake's 'Fashion Nugget' album
Reviewed by Elaine
on
2:30 AM
Rating:
