Given Milan are ninth in the table and fourth place is nine points away, the season finale is looking like a damp squib. Sergio Conceicao seems to be fighting a losing battle too, as pretty much every source is in agreement that he will leave the Rossoneri, with some big changes plotted.
Nonetheless, this morning’s papers are suggesting that he will role out a new tactical approach against Udinese. Kyle Walker’s injury seems to have prompted a switch to a three-man defence, more specifically a 3-4-3 system.
Starting with the man who will lead the line for Milan in Santiago Gimenez’s absence, tonight’s game will be another big chance for Tammy Abraham. The Englishman is aiming to convince enough to earn a permanent move, and two goals in his last two games have certainly assisted his cause. A few more between now and June would help even more.
Udinese are also expected to line up with a three-man defence that will feature Jake Bijol as the middle man. He has been the anchor of the defence for some time, and he is the most-used player by Kosta Runjaić in terms of starts, with 32 across all competitions. The 26-year-old is tall, physical and will be up for the battle.
At the other end, Lorenzo Lucca is the one to watch for the hosts. In this Serie A season, only Inter (130) and Atalanta (121) have more successful crosses from open play than Udinese (110, same as Bologna). They also have the third-most headed goals, with the Italian striker profiting from that by scoring 10 goals in the league.
It will be an all-Italian battle in that area of the pitch, with Matteo Gabbia expected to be the middle centre-back of the three for Milan. He is certainly the most aerially adept, so it should be a good match-up, though it might take some assistance from Strahinja Pavlovic and/or Fikayo Tomori at times, especially with second balls.
Kingsley Ehizibue is down as the right wing-back for Udinese. The second of the two goals scored in Serie A by him came against Milan at the Bluenergy Stadium, on 18 March 2023. Since then the Dutchman is the defender who has attempted the most shots (37) and had the most touches in the opposition box (76) without finding the back of the net in Serie A (in 57 appearances).
Conceicao meanwhile will continue to pedal out Theo Hernandez despite his difficulties to string together positive performances this season. He ended up in the crosshairs of the fans after arguing with Dodo during the draw with Fiorentina rather than defending. A crossroads is approaching regarding his future, so it is in everyone’s best interests for him to switch on.
It will be interesting to see how Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic adapt to playing even further up as pure wingers in the 3-4-3 system that is proposed. The Portuguese has struggled for consistency but when put in isolation he can cause absolute havoc, while the American has had another great campaign though tends to occupy more central areas.
The key will be for their movement to unlock spaces against what is likely to be a low block from Udinese, defending with a line of five to prevent overloads. Thus, Leao vs. Thomas Kristensen and Pulisic vs. Oumar Solet will be fascinating duels. The Dane has made 19 appearances this season, while the latter is highly rated, having joined from RB Salzburg and having recently scored against Inter.
