While they scraped through to the Champions League quarter-finals, AC Milan have made a slow start to March in Serie A and will seek their first win of the month when they meet Udinese on Saturday. The champions will arrive at the Dacia Arena having taken one point from their last two league games, while their hosts won last week to end another long streak without victory. Following Dia’s side-foot finish earlier this week, Milan have now shipped more goals than any other Serie A side from crosses (12), with three of their last four being conceded in that fashion – a reminder that Stefano Pioli’s defensive woes are not entirely resolved.
The veteran coach’s switch to a back three did steady the ship, though, after Milan went into meltdown during January, and they are still just two points shy of city rivals Inter, who occupy second place in the standings behind distant leaders Napoli.
Though they have lost only one of their last 11 league meetings with Udinese, the Rossoneri have not done the double over Saturday’s hosts since 2008, during the Carlo Ancelotti era. After winning 4-2 in August’s reverse fixture, they will now aim to do just that.
While they may have struggled to beat Milan during that spell, Udinese have shared three wins apiece with their second-city counterparts from the teams’ last eight encounters in Fruili. Andrea Sottil’s current side would dearly love to record another victory this weekend, as they seek some forward momentum following an increasingly rare success last Saturday.
Having gone six games without a win, the Fruilani edged out Empoli, as Rodrigo Becao’s goal split the sides at Stadio Carlo Castellani and helped the visitors stay 10th in the table. Not only have Udinese kept clean sheets in both of their last two league games, after holding Atalanta goalless previously, they are therefore in contention for a top-half finish come June.
Demonstrating greater signs of resilience and a more compact shape, the Bianconeri can now target a successful end to Sottil’s first season, which started in such a blaze of glory. That said, Serie A’s draw specialists would surely settle for a point against the Scudetto holders.
