AC Milan vs Brescia Predictions

Brescia were able to start on a high in their return to Italy’s top flight, as they claimed a surprise 1-0 win at Cagliari to pick up three points. Now they face a potentially daunting trip to San Siro, but what kind of shape will AC Milan be in for this clash? They head into Saturday’s game hurt by an opening weekend loss, but was that defeat systematic of wider failures for the Rossoneri? Or are we about to see Marco Giampaolo’s first Milan victory?

The hosts suffered a 1-0 loss at Udinese in their first game of the season, a damning result against a side expected to be in the lower reaches of the Serie A table this term. The Rossoneri need to get things back on track in order to reach the top four this term. They have a golden opportunity with no European football and having invested well this summer, so this year is make or break for Milan. Miss out now and who knows how much longer they’ll be in the wilderness.

Brescia are back in the top flight and they have to be delighted with the return. Their defence impressed with some solid displays in that 1-0 win, restricting Cagliari’s forward-thinking midfield from making chances. In midfield, Sandro Tonali adapted with ease to the top flight, while having a playmaker of that quality will help Brescia ease the pressure on their defence this term.

Tonali could well put on a show at the home of Pirlo; the player he is most often compared to. The metronome should help a solid Brescia side impress in defence here. They don’t have the most difficult task at the end of the day, as Milan massively underperformed going forward in their league opener. With an xG of just 0.63 in a game they were chasing at Udinese, Milan don’t seem great at forcing the issue up top.

Brescia are fresh from a 1-0 victory, while they head to a team who kept a clean sheet in 37% of their home league games last term. Milan saw under 2.5 goals in 55% of their Serie A matches overall, while they were able to win all of their meetings with the bottom six here, conceding 0.5 goals per game. We expect them to keep things tight once again, while Milan’s blunt attack makes backing under 2.5 goals seem like the value pick for this encounter.