The five key battles that could win or lose the game for Milan against Bologna | OneFootball

AC Milan and Bologna will face off in ‘Act One’ of their double-header on Friday night at San Siro, the Serie A clash before the Coppa Italia final.

Admittedly, the league game is one that means a bit more to the visitors tonight, given they are one point away from the Champions League places and are therefore right in the thick of the top four race.

By contract, Milan sit down in ninth place and know that their best path back into Europe is by winning next Wednesday’s cup final. Despite this, Sergio Conceicao is expected to resist the temptation to heavily rotate.

Milan vs. Bologna: The five key battles

The man who is expected to lead the line for Milan is Santiago Gimenez. After going over two months without scoring, he got a goal and an assist in his last two appearances off the bench which has certainly reignited the belief that he can finish the season well. Given that he is vying for a starting spot in the final, it is a huge chance to impress.

Of the centre-back pairing, it is likely he will come up against Sam Beukema more. The former AZ Alkmaar man is an old team-mate of Tijjani Reijnders and he faced Gimenez during his time in the Eredivisie. As if that weren’t enough, the 26-year-old Dutchman has been linked with a summer move to the Rossoneri in the build-up to the game, so it could be an audition of sort.

More Stories / The Match

The five key battles that could win or lose the game for Milan against Bologna

9 May 2025, 13:45

QS: Home for 18 years – Calabria set for emotional return to San Siro

9 May 2025, 13:20

GdS: Predicted XIs for Milan vs. Bologna – only changes in attack

9 May 2025, 11:40

One player who has benefitted from the change to a three-man defence is Strahinja Pavlovic. Given that he plays in the same position (left-sided centre-back in a back three) for his country, it is no surprise that he has looked more comfortable generally. However, he was partly at fault for Genoa’s goal on Monday night, so will need to keep maximum attention.

He will come toe-to-toe with another player that has been heavily linked with Milan in the past few weeks in Riccardo Orsolini. The right winger has 17 goal contributions across all competitions this season, with his 14 goals making him the top scorer under Vincenzo Italiano. The 28-year-old is also their captain, showing his rise to a leadership role.

The expectation is that Tijjani Reijnders will not be given a rest, with Youssouf Fofana and Warren Bondo’s absences denting the midfield depth. Thus, the Dutchman – who has 15 goals and five assists this season – will remain as the creative metronome. He made his 100th appearance for the club in the win over Genoa, which is some feat in less than two seasons.

Michel Aebischer is tipped to get a rare start for Bologna in their midfield double pivot. He has only 14 appearances this season (eight from minute one) largely due to an adductor issue that forced him to miss nearly four months. The Swiss international will have the task of tracking Reijnders and protecting the back four.

Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

Theo Hernández is not expected to get a rest either, and will therefore start again in his new wing-back role. He has found the net four times in Serie A this season and could score five goals for the fifth time in Serie A, equalling Sergio Cervato and Giacinto Facchetti as the only two defenders to have achieved this milestone.

It is possible that Theo comes up against his former team-mate and close friend Davide Calabria, who has a chance of starting at right-back upon his return to San Siro after 18 years as a Milan player. However, Lorenzo De Silvestri is currently favoured to start, and the 36-year-old veteran might have a tough task keeping up with overlapping runs while Joao Felix drifts inside.

On the right side of Milan’s three-man defence, Fikayo Tomori is believed to have won the battle to start over his compatriot Kyle Walker. Like Pavlovic, the Englishman seems to be thriving in the new system and having more cover around him, though he will come up against a very tricky winger who will test him.

That winger is Benjamin Dominguez, a 21-year-old Argentine who dazzled during the most recent meeting between the two sides. He has seven goal contributions (four goals, three assists) in 15 starts across all competitions, and it is safe to say that he has a very bright future. He has also been linked with the Diavolo in recent months.