Verona-Milan Preview: Rescue Mission

Milan head into matchday 26 in dysfunction once again. Injuries have wreaked havoc on this young team this season, which has damaged the extraordinary mentality that got the team this far. Last Sunday, they played one of their best games of the season against Roma, but midweek, with three very important players out injured and some squad rotation, they barely scraped through with a point. If the Sunday squad shows up in Verona, then we have a chance of beating a very impressive Verona side. But if anything less shows up, Milan might need some kind of a rescue mission.

Can he come good and rescue our season?

Verona sit in eighth place on the table with 38 points. Their current run of form is L-W-D-D-W, with that second draw a 1-1 match with Juventus on Sunday, and the win a 3-0 pummeling of Benevento midweek. For that match, Juric lined up Silvestri; Magnani, Gunter, Ceccherini; Faraoni, Tameze, Veloso, Lazovic; Barak, Zaccagni; Lasagna. He will be missing our old pal Kalinic, as well as Vieira, Colley, Ruegg, and Tameze to injury. 

In our first meeting with them this season back in November, it was all we could do to salvage a point as well, after going down two goals early on. Silvestri has been amazing this season, we were close to signing him over the summer as a backup keeper, and it's a shame, because a lesser keeper would probably mean a lot fewer points for them this season.

Hopefully we do not allow them to repeat their "V for Verona" celebration

Pioli will be missing Ibrahimovic, Calhanoglu, Mandzukic, and Bennacer for this match. Tonali was subbed off at the half on Wednesday as a precaution, but he is back in training and expected to be available for this match. The attack is a big question mark, because Leao hasn't been in form for most of this calendar year. When Rebic is forced to play in the middle, he goes missing, too, he's so much more volatile on the wing. Udinese were able to shut down their options with ease on Wednesday, and if Verona watched that, they only need to replicate that defensive play to keep us quiet. 

Without the creative playmaking and attacking spine of Ibrahimovic, Calhanoglu, and Bennacer to create chances from the back, Milan have very few options to play our game. Our defense hasn't been particularly solid, either, so Verona are unlikely to play anything close to a Milan team that is 100%. With our Europa League matchup in England on Thursday, and the matchup with Napoli next Sunday, a result in this match is necessary for our mentality alone. This game is crucial, not only to keep pace for the top four spots, but also to salvage our mentality. Think of this one as a rescue mission.

This post inspired by the music of Echo and the Bunnymen's "Rescue"

Serie A Week 26

Hellas Verona vs. Milan

Sunday, March 7 • 15:00 CET (9am EST)

This match can be streamed LIVE on ESPN+