Serie A title hopefuls Milan head to Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to take on European-chasing Como in a high-stakes clash. Thursday’s all-Lombard showdown could have a significant impact on the visitors’ pursuit of a landmark 20th Scudetto.

Following Inter’s hard-fought 1-0 home win over minnows Lecce last night, Milan cannot afford a slip-up at the Sinigaglia Stadium. Indeed, six points separate the fierce San Siro rivals ahead of the kick-off, highlighting the necessity to end Como’s remarkable home run.

Cesc Fabregas’ side needed a 94th-minute equalizer to hold 10-man Bologna to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Despite avoiding defeat, Como relinquished their three-game winning streak in Serie A, though they have at least preserved a coveted top-six spot.

Moreover, Champions League qualification, though far-fetched, remains on the cards, with Como trailing fourth-placed Juventus by five points, albeit with a game in hand. With that in mind, they’ll be out to take another huge scalp tonight and keep the dream alive.

However, Milan make this short journey on an intimidating 18-game unbeaten league run (W11, D7), looking to restore a three-point deficit to table-topping Inter. Milan’s title quest took a hit last weekend as relegation-threatened Fiorentina held them to a 1-1 draw in Tuscany.

As such, the visitors will need to be at their clinical best to break down Como’s resilient defense and maintain pressure on the Nerazzurri at the top of the table.

Match Preview

Como

Defensive solidity has been one of Como’s trademarks under Fabregas. For context, only pacesetters Inter have conceded fewer home goals than the Lariani (4) this season, underscoring the challenge Milan will face in trying to score at the Sinigaglia.

Overall, only Roma (12) have capitulated fewer times than Como (13) so far. Particularly hard to break before halftime, Fabregas’ men have kept a remarkable eight first-half clean sheets in their nine Serie A home games this term.

On that basis, it’s difficult to rule out the possibility of Como shutting Milan out for the first time in the 21st century. However, it has been 41 years since the Lariani last defeated this opposition in any competition (D5, L9). On the bright side, the hosts can rely on their outstanding 11-game unbeaten home sequence (W7, D4) as they aim to halt this humiliating trend.

Milan

Despite going unbeaten since the opening-day loss to newly-promoted Cremonese, Milan have recently lacked consistency. Indeed, Massimiliano Allegri’s charges have shared the spoils in three of their last five league outings (W2), including back-to-back draws against bottom-half Genoa and Fiorentina.

It’s worth noting that Milan conceded the opening goal in both matches. That’s a stark contrast to their flying starts in the early stages of Allegri’s regime. For perspective, the Rossoneri have opened the scoring in the division’s second-highest 12 Serie A games this season.

Playing on Thursday cannot inspire much confidence either, considering they have suffered five defeats from their last six competitive Thursday-held fixtures (D1). In search of good omens, Milan have beaten Como in four consecutive top-flight meetings, netting precisely two goals on each occasion.

Team News

Como defender Jacobo Ramon returns from suspension and is likely to slot straight back into the starting XI. Edoardo Goldaniga, Assane Diao, Jayden Addai, and former Milan center-forward Alvaro Morata remain on the sidelines.

On the other hand, Milan will be without long-term absentee Santiago Gimenez, with Niclas Fullkrug expected to start on the bench after suffering a minor toe injury against Fiorentina. Christopher Nkunku is in line for a rare Serie A start after netting an all-important equalizer at Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Como vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups

Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Valle; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Paz, Rodriguez; Douvikas.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Leao, Nkunku.

Como vs Milan Prediction

Conceding first would likely make life difficult for Milan, but it wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world. Indeed, Allegri’s men have avoided defeat in five of the six Serie A matches when conceding the opener this season (W2, D3, L1).

However, a comeback against one of Serie A’s best-performing defensive teams doesn’t seem probable. Therefore, Milan would likely need another fast start here to avoid losing further ground on Inter. Despite the imperative to win, the Rossoneri could still drop points.

Prediction: Draw