AC Milan host Atalanta BC on Sunday in what could prove to be a vital battle in terms of shaping Serie A’s top four faces this season.
The hosts come into the match three points clear of their forthcoming opponents, but Atalanta would leapfrog Milan based on their head-to-head record if they can secure a victory at San Siro.
Having lost seven consecutive matches in all competitions following their return to action after the World Cup, Milan appears to have turned a corner by winning each of their last three matches by the same scoreline of 1-0.
Stefano Pioli has made a mindful effort to tighten up his defense having been left distinctly unimpressed by the number of goals his side was shipping after returning from the World Cup.
The 57-year-old’s switch to a five-man defense has not been the easiest on the eye at times, but it has proven fruitful, with Torino, Tottenham Hotspur, and Monza all edged out in scrappy affairs.
Indeed, the Bergamo-based side has been one of the most effective teams in Europe in recent years in terms of utilizing variants of a five-man defensive formation, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side returning to form this season after disappointingly finishing eighth in the last campaign.
Having been beaten by Sassuolo and Lecce in two of their last three outings, though, Gasperini’s side has a little bit of ground to make up on the top four, with Sunday the perfect opportunity to do so against one of their direct rivals at one of the most famous football stadiums in the world.
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