Week 30 Fiorentina – Milan

As the March international break ends league campaigns enter the home stretch. Milan have grabbed the second spot from Juventus for now and can hope to finish the season on a relative high with perhaps a Europa League trophy too. The form has put into doubt Pioli’s presumed future as well. The coach is still thought to be on his way out in the summer but there may be a chance of things turning if this current form lasts into May.

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First stop on the aforementioned home stretch is Fiorentina. I Viola have not really delivered on any promise this season and are closer to midtable than the top spots. The hosts will be without Bonaventura for the same reason that Milan will be without Theo. Yellows accumulation suspension. The injury situation is relatively mild however with Kalulu and Pobega on the sidelines.

Theo’s absence forces Florenzi back into the line up. Calabria being the other trusted full back means that the center back spots are the uncertain ones with Tomori and Gabbia perhaps ahead of Thiaw and the not 100% ready Kjaer. A similar situation is set for midfield with Reijnders lining up with Adli but Bennacer could be available fit to start in place of the latter. The front four seem more certain with Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek and Leao all on good form with Giroud as the center forward. The latter is all but certain to be playing his final games for Milan as he heads to Major League Soccer and the bright lights of Los Angeles in the summer. The 37 year old has so far contributed 46 goals for the Milan cause as a number 9 since his arrival in 2021.

Whilst without the suspended Bonaventura Fiorentina do feature one somewhat forgotten long time Milan target Andrea Belotti. The forward’s name would be all over the papers as a Giroud replacement but as he enters his 30s Milan have moved on to younger targets. Perhaps Lille’s Jonathan David? Perhaps Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee? What about RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko or Sporting’s surely now very expensive Victor Gyokeres? As always Milan will be linked to a multitude of realistic and not so realistic names.

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