Serie A: Milan Aim to Continue Perfect Start in Rome

AS Roma vs AC Milan

These are very early days,but the Serie A table looks very nice if you are a Milan fan because I Rossoneri sits top of the pile with two wins from two, and they head to the capital city on Friday night with high hopes of making it three from three.      

This game is the first of a number of big clashes in September, which includes the Milan Derby in two weeks time, and a win for Stefano Pioli’s men would put down a marker to I Rossoneri’s rivals in what already looks like a highly competitive race.

While Milan have already beaten Bologna and Torino, Jose Mourinho’s Roma have made a patchy start to the new campaign with one draw against Salernitana and a defeat to Hellas Verona.

Milan have recruited well in the summer transfer window and have crucially tied Rafael Leao down to a longer deal, but Mourinho still has work to do and he’s close to reuniting with a player from his past.

Talking Points

Lukaku closing in on Roma move

I Giallorossi are aiming to improve on their sixth place finish, and this is an unpredictable title race. But they look a little light up front and Mourinho has moved to improve matters by bringing Romelu Lukaku to the Stadio Olimpico.

He signed the Belgium striker when he was manager of Manchester United and has long been an admirer of his powerful and direct style.

In full flow and when his confidence is high, Lukaku is unstoppable. He is on his way to Rome to complete a medical ahead of a loan move, and it ends quite a summer saga.

The striker returned to Stamford Bridge in June after his loan to Inter Milan expired, and he hoped to make a permanent move to the San Siro to join I Nerazzurri. When that deal fell through, Lukaku agreed personal terms with Juventus, but the Old Lady too failed to agree a fee with Chelsea. 

With several Saudi Pro League teams circling, the Belgian made it clear he wasn’t interested in a move to the Middle East and so it seems that Roma have stepped in at the 11^th hour.

After four days of negotiations, it has been reported that Chelsea will receive a £5 million loan fee, and Lukaku will take a wage cut.      

Mourinho has already brought in midfielder Renato Sanchez on loan from PSG and centre-back Evan Ndicka from Eintracht on a free, but this deal will eclipse Roma’s efforts so far.

Two in two for Pulisic

Another former Chelsea player who seems happier in Italy has made a flying start in Milan. The USA star signed for I Rossoneri and he has settled quickly, scoring in both victories so far and linking up well with another former Blue, Olivier Giroud, who has helped himself to three goals.

Pulisic went to West London with a huge reputation as the inspirational captain of the Stars and Stripes and a top class performer with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, but the move hasn’t gone as well as hoped.  

He’s scored 20 goals in 98 appearances for Chelsea, but Pulisic never really settled, and at 24 years of age, he decided it was time to move on. With Chelsea buying in so many players, Mauricio Pochettino needs to make room in his squad and utility player Ruben Loftus-Cheek has also confirmed his move to Roma.

Nigerian attacker Samuel Chuckwueze has arrived from Villarreal too, but one of the biggest cheers around the red and black side of Milan was reserved for the Serie A 2023 news that attacking midfielder Rafael Leao has committed his long-term future to the club, signing a new five-year deal which keeps him at the San Siro until 2028.

Pioli is delighted to have ended any speculation regarding Leao’s future, and he has a frontline which will strike fear in many a defence.   

History

With 25 victories to 19, I Rossoneri have had the better of the head-to-headsover the past 30 years and there have been 22 draws in all competitions.

Both meetings last season saw honours shared with a 2-2 draw at the San Siro and a 1-1 result at the Stadio Olimpico, where a dramatic injury time saw Tammy Abraham give Roma a lead in the 94^th minute before Alexis Saelemaekers levelled for Milan on 97 minutes.  

In terms of pre-season and the opening two games of this campaign, Milan are in better shape with four wins on the bounce, while Roma have picked up one win, one draw, and two defeats.    

Betting Tip

According to the latest Serie A 2023 betting odds, you can hardly get a closer call than this match with AS Roma at SBOTOP odds of 2.54, I Rossoneri priced at 2.56, and the draw is a little further out at 2.92. 

Roma may rush to register Lukaku, but whether he appears or not, I think Milan are more ready to win the first big match of the Italian campaign.

 

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