Coppa Italia | Milan v Roma: Match Preview

In a highly anticipated Coppa Italia quarter-final clash, AC Milan will host Roma at the iconic San Siro on Wednesday evening. Both teams, currently struggling in Serie A, view this cup tie as a golden opportunity to salvage their seasons and keep their hopes of domestic silverware alive.

The Rossoneri enter this fixture on the back of a dramatic 1-1 draw against city rivals Inter Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. Tijjani Reijnders had given Milan the lead, only for Stefan de Vrij to equalize deep into stoppage time. This result leaves Milan languishing in eighth place in Serie A, a staggering 16 points behind second-placed Inter.

Despite their league struggles, Milan have already tasted success this season, dramatically coming from behind to defeat Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana final last month. However, their Coppa Italia record in recent years has been disappointing, with their last triumph coming almost 22 years ago.

Roma, under the guidance of interim manager Claudio Ranieri, have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. The Giallorossi are unbeaten in their last seven Serie A matches, most recently holding league leaders Napoli to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico. However, their away form remains a concern, with just one road victory all season.

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The midfield battle between Milan’s Youssouf Fofana and Roma’s Leandro Paredes could be crucial in determining which side controls the tempo of the match. Both players possess excellent passing range and will look to dictate play from deep.

In attack, all eyes will be on the duel between Milan’s Rafael Leao and Roma’s Devyne Rensch. Leao’s pace and trickery will test the young Dutch defender’s positioning and decision-making throughout the evening.

These two storied clubs have a rich history in the Coppa Italia, with Milan (24) and Roma (22) reaching the semi-finals more often than any other teams apart from Juventus and Inter. Their most recent quarter-final meeting came back in 2004, with Milan emerging victorious over two legs.

The sides last met in Serie A at the end of December, playing out a 1-1 draw at San Siro. Reijnders had given Milan the lead on that occasion before Dybala equalized for the visitors.

Team News

Milan manager Sergio Conceicao has several decisions to make following a busy transfer window. New signing Santiago Gimenez could feature in attack, while Youssouf Fofana returns from suspension to bolster the midfield. However, the Rossoneri will be without injured trio Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Emerson Royal, and Alessandro Florenzi.

For Roma, Claudio Ranieri has received a boost with Manu Kone and Stephan El Shaarawy declared fit after recent knocks. However, center-back Gianluca Mancini is suspended for this fixture. Expect the experienced Mats Hummels to slot into the defense after being rested at the weekend.

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The visitors’ attack should be spearheaded by the dangerous duo of Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala. The latter has an excellent record against Milan, having netted 10 times against the Rossoneri in his career.

Expected Starting XIs

Milan: Maignan; Walker, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Musah, Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao

Roma: Svilar; Rensch, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Kone, Paredes, Pellegrini, Angelino; Dybala, Dovbyk

Match Prediction

While Roma have shown improvement under Ranieri, their poor away record this season is a major concern. Milan, buoyed by their Supercoppa success and with home advantage, should have enough quality to edge a tight contest. Expect a cagey affair with Milan potentially securing a narrow 1-0 victory to book their place in the semi-finals.

Prediction: Milan 1-0 Roma

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