Preview: AC Milan vs Atalanta BC - prediction, team news, lineups

After watching their city rivals claim the Serie A title, ailing AC Milan must try to get back on track when they welcome Atalanta BC to San Siro on Sunday.

Now facing a fight to secure Champions League football, Milan slipped up again last weekend; meanwhile, La Dea's mid-season renaissance has petered out.

Match preview

New champions Inter Milan have already booked their place, with Napoli very close to joining them, but Milan are getting sucked into a battle with three other contenders for Champions League qualification.

Juventus, Roma and Como are all closing in on the Rossoneri, who are no longer so certain of a top-four finish.

After losing half of their last 10 league games, Max Allegri's men must recover some composure or risk missing out on Europe's top competition.

With just one goal from their last five outings - fewer than any other side since the start of April - Milan's form has nosedived after beating Inter in the Derby della Madonnina.

That result apparently reignited the Scudetto race, but they have instead endured a number of setbacks, including last week's 2-0 loss to Sassuolo.

A regular tormentor of the Rossoneri, Domenico Berardi typically popped up with an early opening goal, before Fikayo Tomori was sent off midway through the first half.

So, amid widespread criticism of negative 'Allegri-ball', Milan only have three games left to turn things around.

The first comes at home to Lombardy rivals Atalanta, who have won four and lost none of the last six meetings, including a 1-1 draw in October's reverse fixture.

Looking further back, Sunday's visitors have lost just two of their last 11 league games against Milan at San Siro.

However, their springtime form has been even more dismal than the Rossoneri's, effectively ending any hopes of a top-six finish.

Lying seven points behind after last week's goalless home draw with Genoa, the Bergamo club must hope that Como seriously slip up, in addition to winning all of their last three fixtures.

More realistically, seventh spot could yet claim a Conference League place, providing Inter lift the Coppa Italia.

Raffaele Palladino's side recently missed out on reaching the cup final by losing to Lazio on penalties, and any positive momentum seems to have dissipated.

After taking 23 from the previous nine, Atalanta have accrued just 10 points from their last nine matches; only five teams in the bottom six have fared worse over that period.

AC Milan Serie A form:

W L L W D L

Atalanta BC Serie A form:

W W L D L D

Atalanta BC form (all competitions):

W L D L L D

Team News

Milan will be missing two members of their first-choice XI, as Luka Modric has been sidelined for the rest of the season by a serious facial injury and Tomori must serve a suspension.

Otherwise, Allegri should have a full squad to choose from, as he seeks to find the right recipe up front.

Potential Manchester United target Rafael Leao is set to make his 250th league appearance, but both he and Christian Pulisic have been struggling to produce for several weeks.

The latter has gone 17 Serie A games without scoring, so Christopher Nkunku, Niclas Fullkrug and Santiago Gimenez are also in contention.

Similarly, ex-Milan man Charles De Ketelaere - who will make his 100th league appearance for Atalanta - has not scored in Italy's top flight since January.

Even so, the Belgian forward should start on his latest return to San Siro, supporting either Gianluca Scamacca or Nikola Krstovic, both of whom have netted 10 league goals but failed to gel when paired together last week.

Only Lorenzo Bernasconi is ruled out by injury, so La Dea should be very close to full strength on Sunday evening.

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Jashari, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Leao, Gimenez

Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Scalvini, Hien, Ahanor; Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Zappacosta; De Ketelaere, Zalewski; Scamacca

We say: AC Milan 1-1 Atalanta BC

Milan may have only suffered three home defeats in Serie A, but two have come in their last five outings at San Siro; meanwhile, Atalanta have won just one of their last eight away games across all competitions.

As neither side is in good shape, they will shake hands on a low-scoring draw.

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