Serie A: AC Milan v Sassuolo
Competition time: 23-01-29 21:30 Sunday
Team status analysis:
Bundesliga fixtures AC Milan’s recent state of decline is obvious, the current record of 11 wins, five draws and three defeats, ranked second in the league. Not only did AC Milan lose the Copa Italiana title after returning from the off-season with only one win in all competitions, but they also opened up a 12-point gap over Napoli, the league leaders. What’s more, AC Milan officials are worried that they are now just one point behind the top four. If the team is still unable to find its proper form, then AC Milan is likely to drop out of the top four in the near future.
There may still be some optimism about AC Milan, but the team has been out of form recently, both offensively and defensively, the team has not been able to create much pressure on opponents. To make matters worse, AC Milan still has some time to go before the end of this season, after Sassuolo, the team will play Inter Milan and Torino. This is followed by a direct dialogue with Tottenham in the Champions League, in this fixture schedule and how can AC Milan do not lose?
It is worth mentioning that the current AC Milan team in the injury situation is not optimistic, as many as four players on the defensive line affected by injury can not play, directly makes AC Milan’s ability to fight a grade down, plus in front of the center Diaz and Giroud obviously not in good condition, and Leo although has a certain ability to score, However, the player’s defensive awareness remains to be improved and the second half of the campaign is likely to be difficult for AC Milan, given that they have not made a move in the winter transfer window and the rumored transfer fee for Roma striker Zagnolo has not been agreed.
Sassuolo has been something of a surprise this season, with four wins, five draws and ten losses, ranking 17th in the league. Before the start of the season, who would have thought that the departure of several strikers would have such an impact on Sassuolo? The Serie A giants have returned from the off-season with no signs of improvement and are now five points above Verona in the relegation zone, with Sassuolo also in the midst of a torrid schedule that could see them fall into the relegation zone.
Personally, Sassuolo’s current tactical thinking is there are many unreasonable, in the case of the team’s offensive ability is obviously declining, the team still often offer 433 impact formation to contend with opponents, but after the first half of the test, I believe most fans can see that this team can no longer continue to play offensive football, And Sassuolo this 433 formation midfield control strength is quite limited, the last game against the weak Monza, Sassuolo also failed to seize the control of the midfield, rather than forced to attack with opponents, as well as recovery formation based on the team’s defense, this tactical arrangement may be Sassuolo this season in Serie A competition the correct idea.
Analysis of the competition:
AC Milan and Sassuolo this season in the league has played once, when AC Milan is 0-0 away and Sassuolo draw, the last ten meetings, AC Milan five wins, three draws and two defeats also occupy a certain psychological advantage. It’s true that AC Milan’s overall strength has dropped recently due to injuries, but they are still the better team than Sassuolo, who have been down for a long time, and both teams are in the midst of a monster schedule that, if you watch long enough, will give you some idea of how the league’s biggest teams are coping.
In terms of the tactical board, Sassuolo’s 4-3-3 formation will undoubtedly be a major breakthrough for AC Milan, after all, AC Milan’s 4-231 system is not very afraid of this kind of attacking team, and against Sassuolo’s more loose back line, as long as Giroud can attract enough defensive fire for his teammates, With the likes of Leo and Diaz getting more shots on goal, AC Milan should have been able to take three valuable points from Sassuolo. Once Sassuolo lost the ball early in the game, it was only natural that the Milan players would be able to relax and come away with a great victory.
Fa Cup: Brighton v Liverpool
Match time: 2023-01-29 21:30 Sunday
Team status analysis:
Brighton have been in solid form recently, with nine wins, four draws and six defeats, and are sixth in the league. Brighton will not be able to compete in the top four of the league this season due to their lack of overall strength, but the team has a good defensive ability to win a Europa League place next season, and the new manager has improved Brighton’s attacking ability, Brighton scored 37 goals with most of the season to go. Does Potter, the former manager who lost his way after joining Chelsea, now regret his decision to leave Brighton?
Brighton have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games. In the last game, the team drew 2-2 with Lecce City, ending a three-game winning streak. From the process of the game, although Brighton firmly occupied the initiative on the field, but the home team Lecce City showed strong resilience, and Lecce City’s attack success rate is quite high, in the game only got three chances to score two goals, can be said to be based on this high success rate of counter-attack. The team finally managed to snatch a point from Brighton.
Liverpool’s recent form has been up and down, with eight wins, five draws and six defeats, leaving them ninth in the league. Liverpool is now 10 points adrift of Manchester United, the worst half-way result since Klopp took charge of Liverpool. Although the overall strength of the team is still strong, but too many injuries do make Klopp quite frustrated. Even the news about coach Klopp’s resignation will come out from time to time, believe that Liverpool this season is a large probability is difficult to compete for four, perhaps the team in the injured gradually return, the second half of the force to compete for a Europa League places will be relatively more reasonable.
Liverpool drew 0-0 at home to Chelsea in their last game. The result of the match, Klopp was relatively satisfied after the game, in the post-match interview with the media, Klopp said that Chelsea showed their full strength in the game, happy that his team was able to win a point against a strong opponent, and also happy to his 1,000th game without defeat.
In fact, from this interview, we can get Klopp’s views on Liverpool. It is known that Chelsea has carried out a large number of additions in the winter window, Klopp even questioned why Chelsea can continue to attract players without punishment. Obviously, Klopp was not very satisfied with the strength of Liverpool’s additions in the winter window. Secondly, Klopp mentioned his 1,000-match record, which is mainly aimed at the recent voice of his resignation. After all, it took Klopp many years to build this Liverpool team, and he has brought a lot of titles to Liverpool. Klopp is undoubtedly tired of being dismissed due to the team’s injury problems. In fact, it is hard to find a manager other than Klopp to manage the current Liverpool team, after all, it is not just any coach can play high pressing tactics.
Analysis of the competition:
Brighton and Liverpool have only recently had a meeting in the league, when they won 3-0 at home and were the better side in terms of possession and shots. Although the FA Cup is a must-have competition for both teams, But the defeat was a tough one for Klopp, and Brighton have always taken a full-throated approach to any game. They will not change their starting line-up just because they are in the FA Cup, but Liverpool will certainly strengthen their tackling ability on the wing. After all, it was Liverpool’s failure to limit Brighton’s flanking that led to their defeat in the last meeting. Given that the FA Cup is not yet in the semi-final stage, this game will be about defence and the chances of it being decided in the regular 90 minutes will not be high. Perhaps a rematch at a later date would be a perfectly acceptable outcome for both teams.