Udinese - AC Milan predictions and free betting tips [20/01/2024]

This Saturday, 20 January, round 21 of the Italian Serie A will see Udinese hosting Milan on home turf. The Rossoneri's triumph over Roma last week solidified their position amongst the top three, while the hosts have only managed to secure a single point in 2024, putting them in dangerous proximity to the relegation zone.

Predicted Line-ups

Udinese: Okoye; Ferreira, Perez, Kristensen; Ebosele, Payero, Walace, Lovric, Kamara; Pereyra; Lucca.
Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez; Reijnders, Adli; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud.

Stadium

The matchup will take place in Udine at the stadium Friuli.

Udinese

Sitting in the 16th position within Serie A table and only a single point away from the relegation zone, Udinese’s current season achievements are limited. Notably, they have been dubbed the 'Draw Kings' of Italy, astonishingly achieving only two victories since August. Following an impressive win over Bologna (3:0), the "Zebrette" were unable to please their fans in their last two rounds: they conceded to Lazio at home (1:2), and manage to eke out a draw against Fiorentina last weekend (2:2), with the latter landing a penalty kick in the final moments.

Soon after Milan's visit to Udine, the black and whites will be expected to face challenging away matches against Atalanta and Juventus – an unenviably testing calendar for the underdog. In ten home matches, Udinese have garnered a mere 9 points – ranking them third from the bottom in Serie A. 

Milan

Even though Milan have been knocked out of the Scudetto race, the team has firmly established their position in the 3rd place within the Serie A standings - now holding an 8-point lead over the 4th rank. The Lombardians should have no trouble securing a spot in the forthcoming Champions League, especially given their current form: they've not suffered a single loss in their last 5 rounds (4 victories and 1 draw).

Last weekend, coach Stefano Pioli's charges secured a convincing victory over Roma with a 3:1 scoreline, a result that led to Jose Mourinho's dismissal - with the goals being earned by the French trio Yacine Adli, Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez. An interesting point to note: on average, the visitors secure almost two points per match on the road in their current campaign, scoring two goals and conceding one and a half. Having secured third place in their Champions League group, Milan has advanced to the 1/16 final of the Europa League and will face there Rennes. 

Head-to-Head

In the first leg, Udinese secured an away victory with a 0:1 result, thanks to a penalty scored by Roberto Pereyra.

Match Prediction: Udinese v Milan

Aside from a disappointing knockout in the cup, Milan remains in excellent form of late, particularly demonstrating strong performances on the road. The visitors are still harboring hopes for securing a Scudetto, but this can only be achieved if they avoid further point losses. Udinese, on the other hand, claiming victory in just one of their ten most recent matches, are outclassed in both quality and squad depth when compared to their upcoming adversary. Hence, I predict a victory for the favourites in this match.

Total Goals Prediction

With an average of two goals per Serie A away tie scored by the Rossoneri and considering Udinese's defensive problems, it is anticipated that this trend will continue Saturday's showdown.

Corner Prediction

Milan is superior in terms of class and will seek to control possession from the outset. I predict the visitors will lead across all major metrics, including corners (handicap -1.5).

Yellow Cards Prediction

In the first leg, these teams collectively earned just three yellow cards. We can hardly expect a fiercely contested battle on the field this time around either (total yellow cards is under 4.5).

Score Prediction

I predict a 2:1 victory in favour of Milan.