AC Milan travel to Monza looking to keep pace with the top two sides in Serie A, as well as extend the gap between themselves and the teams below them.
AC Milan to win @ 5/6 with Bet365
Over 1.5 goals @ 1/5 with Paddy Power
These odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
Date: 18/02/24
Kick-off time: 19:45
Venue: Brianteo Stadium
One point separates third-place AC Milan and Juventus in second, with recent form giving the former hope of cracking the top two and hopefully putting pressure on their rivals Inter Milan at the top. They have played a game more, but are in touching distance of making a push to surpass Juventus. Inter may be too far ahead, but if they keep winning they can look towards them rather than look over their shoulder. They are 10 points clear of Atalanta in fourth.
Monza are in just their second-ever season in the top flight, and are doing well, currently occupying 11th place. Last season they also finished 11th so they are showing consistency as they try to establish themselves as a mainstay in Serie A. They are 11 points above the relegation zone, so they will be confident of another season in the top flight. A win against Milan could even help them make a push to close the gap on the sides above them, with Torino and Napoli sitting just three and five points ahead. Although, it will be a very difficult ask to topple this Milan side.
The hosts have struggled for goals all season, but especially in recent weeks. Their last five games has seen them find the back of the net just twice, with one of them coming in a 5-1 defeat at home to Inter Milan. It means they may need some luck to get past the backline of AC Milan, though the Rossoneri have conceded at least two in their last three games. In fact, they have similar defensive stats, with Monza conceding 28 on the season compared to Milan letting in 27. They may need to rely on their defence if they are to get a result given their lack of forward production. It is an area in which they have been strong as of late, as they have kept three clean sheets in a row. They will have a tougher job, however, of keeping out the likes of Olivier Giroud and Luka Jovic. The pair have scored a combined 16 goals this season.
These two sides have only ever met three times competitively, all of them won by AC Milan in the last two seasons. The reverse fixture earlier in this campaign was a convincing 3-0 victory for Milan. They went up very early through Tijjani Reijnders in the third minute, before Jan-Carlo Simic and Noah Okafor added to their lead later on.
Last season, Monza held their own at home, but a first-half Junior Messias goal proved the difference in a narrow 1-0 win for the visitors. At the San Siro, they struggled, losing 4-1, but managed to get on the scoresheet through Filippo Rannochia. A Brahim Diaz brace preceded Divock Origi and Rafael Leao goals for Milan.
