Milan vs Udinese: Allegri switches to 4-3-3 to bounce back after Napoli loss

A rough patch that demands cool heads

The numbers from the second half of the season paint a picture of a Milan side in difficulty. Their points-per-game average has dropped from 2.21 in the first half of the campaign to just 1.75, while their goals-per-match average has slipped from 1.68 to 1.25. Three defeats in the last six matchdays — against Parma, Lazio and Napoli — have seen the Rossoneri slide to third place, nine points behind league leaders Inter.

Allegri, however, refused to sound the alarm: “Over the course of a season there is always a difficult moment — you have to face it with clear-headedness”. The Livorno-born coach also defended the performance at the Maradona: “We didn’t play a bad game — I disagree with that. Against Lazio, for example, we were certainly worse. The result weighs on the overall judgement; it was down to one moment that Napoli were clever enough to create and exploit”.

There is, however, a reassuring stat: Milan have won their last two home games in a row, beating Inter in the derby and coming from behind to defeat Torino 3-2. San Siro remains a fortress and the fans are ready to push the team forward.

The tactical shift: from 3-5-2 to 4-3-3

The headline news on the eve of the match is the change of formation. Allegri, under growing pressure to inject more attacking impetus after weeks of goalscoring struggles, has decided to shelve the 3-5-2 that has defined the season and deploy a 4-3-3 with the Saelemaekers-Leao-Pulisic trident.

True to form, the manager played it down in his press conference: “Desire for a front three? It depends on how you look at it — is Saelemaekers an attacker or a full-back? The real change is whether Athekame or Tomori plays, not the system itself”. A typically Allegrian quip, but the substance remains: Leao will operate as a central striker, an uncharted solution designed to exploit his pace in behind and his ability to create numerical superiority.

In midfield, Samuele Ricci comes in for Fofana, who has been ruled out with flu. The former Torino man lines up alongside Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot in a midfield trio that blends quality and dynamism. At the back, the four-man defence features Athekame and Bartesaghi as full-backs with De Winter and Pavlovic in the centre, while Gabbia, fit again but not at 100%, starts on the bench.

Allegri’s pre-match comments

In his press conference, the Milan boss covered a wide range of topics. On the need to find the net again: “We need to be more ruthless in front of goal — shoot when you have to shoot. Pulisic and Leao have had plenty of injuries this season, but they have always scored goals. Gimenez has only just come back from a long lay-off and a dip in form is natural. We also have Nkunku and Fullkrug, who have quality. I’m confident the goals will come from now until the end”.

On what Udinese will bring: “They are a physical side that know how to press you and occupy the pitch in devastating fashion. They have technique too — we will need to be very careful on the counter-attack”.

There was even time for a light-hearted exchange about Antonio Cassano, who had criticised his tactical philosophy: “I had the privilege of coaching Antonio as a player — in terms of raw ability he was close to Ronaldinho. If he says Italy’s elimination is my fault, I’ll take that as a compliment — it means I count for more than I thought”, he said with a grin. And on rumours linking him with the Italy job: “Me on the Italy bench? They still haven’t decided on the FIGC president, let alone the manager…”.

Udinese should not be underestimated

Kosta Runjaic’s Udinese travel to Milan in confident mood. The Friulani have lost just one of their last five league games, picking up four points from their last two matches (a win over Genoa and a goalless draw with Como). A striking stat: their defence has kept a clean sheet for 180 consecutive minutes.

Runjaic has studied Milan closely: “Milan are very strong one-on-one and on the counter-attack — we must not make silly mistakes”. But the German coach also sounded upbeat: “Their starting eleven matters little because they have so much quality — the decisive factor will be how we play. I’m optimistic”.

A key reference point is the reverse fixture, when Milan won 3-0 at the Dacia Arena. Runjaic has vowed not to repeat that approach: “We definitely won’t play with a back four like we did in the first meeting”. Udinese will line up in their established 3-5-2, with Jonathan Davis and Nicolo Zaniolo leading the attack.

Probable line-ups

Yellow card watch

Milan have four players on yellow card warnings, three of whom are starting: Athekame, Modric and Saelemaekers, plus Fofana who is not in the squad. A yellow card for any of them would mean missing the next matchday.

Head-to-head: Milan won 3-0 in the reverse fixture

The first meeting of the season remains a fond memory for Milan fans. The Rossoneri swept Udinese aside 3-0 at the Dacia Arena, a comprehensive victory that gave early-season momentum. Runjaic has admitted he will not replicate the four-man defence that was so comprehensively exposed that day.

Historically, Milan have a strong record against Udinese, but the Friulani have always been capable of making life difficult at San Siro. This will be far from a foregone conclusion.

How and where to watch

The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN, which holds the rights to all Serie A fixtures for the 2025/26 season. For Sky subscribers with the DAZN add-on, the game will also be available on DAZN 1 (satellite channel 214). Kick-off is at 18:00 CET, with Marchetti from the Ostia Lido section as the match referee, assisted by Imperiale and Fontemurato, Mucera as fourth official and the Maggioni-Abisso pairing on VAR duty.