Milan fielded a fairly strong side as they exited the Coppa Italia in midweek, but they did finish the game with a couple of youth players on the pitch. That was certainly a chance for silverware gone and Pioli will be bitterly disappointed not to have progressed to the semi-finals, especially having taken the lead just before half time, and he’ll be looking for a strong response to that defeat here.

Their home form has been really solid this season as they have won eight of their eleven domestic matches here, losing only to Juventus and Udinese by 1-0 score lines. In contrast AS Roma have been poor on the road having lost five of their last eight in all competitions, failing to score in any of those defeats. They were also dumped out of the Coppa Italia by bitter rivals Lazio on Tuesday evening.

AS Roma are winless in their previous five visits to the San Siro against Milan, but those games have certainly been entertaining. In fact, in the last ten games between these sides, there have been a total of 37 goals with an average of 3.7 per game, and each one of those has seen a minimum of two goals scored. This fixture tends to be an open affair and the analysis certainly suggests another thriller.

Christian Pulisic continues to enjoy life in Italy following his summer move from Chelsea and the American international is fancied for a big game. Pulisic has taken 24 shots at goal in Serie A this season, finding the target on 14 occasions at a rate of 1.03 per 90 minutes. Interestingly he arrives here having had a shot on target in his last five consecutive appearances and so represents excellent value in this kind of shooting form.

Looking at the previous head to head meeting, a game which Milan won 2-1 earlier this season, the attacking forward had a great game and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, registering one shot on target in the process. During that encounter, Pulisic got plenty of joy as he came up against Diego Llorente, and he’s taken to give the Spaniard yet another torrid evening in this one.

It’s not only his shooting ability that has caught the eye, it’s how productive he’s been in all areas of his game. Pulisic has one of the best shots to shots on target conversion rates in this AC Milan side (58.3%) and has already scored eleven goals and provided six assists for his teammates in just his 25 appearances this campaign. Taking him to either score or assist in this one makes plenty of appeal.

It’s fair to say that AS Roma, with the system that Mourinho likes to employ with the width from the wing back areas, that they tend to win their fair share of corners. When looking at the season’s statistics, the visitors have amassed 93 so far which works out at an average of 4.89 corners per game. Incidentally, AC Milan themselves are also giving up an average of 4.47 per game this season.

AC Milan are taken to win a few being the home side and the Corner Match Bet is avoided, so the Away Team Corners market is the focus. In their previous seven games at San Siro against AC Milan, the visitors have a corner count that reads 4, 9, 7, 6, 3, 5 and 6. Therefore, considering that the selections are for them to achieve four or five during the course of 90 minutes, that represents really good value, with both selections having landed in five of their last seven here.

Furthermore when looking at AS Roma’s recent matches, corners have been very frequent for the visitors, adding further weight to the selections. Against Sassuolo they managed an eye watering eleven while against a very robust and stubborn Bologna side they still managed to win four corners. Unsurprisingly, they dried up against Juventus and Lazio with those being tight affairs.

AS Roma have certainly struggled with discipline issues this season, something which was evident in the Derby della Capitale in midweek, where they committed 13 fouls and had two players sent off late on. In fact, their seasonal average in terms of fouls committed ranks quietly highly in the division, with an average of 12.73 per game, and there are a couple of players that are primed for a foul here.

Edoardo Bove has become a regular fixture in this AS Roma midfield under the guidance of Mourinho, and the youngster is really flourishing at the moment. However, he can be naïve at times and often commits the odd cynical foul, shown by the 21 he has committed in his 17 appearances this term. Interestingly, Bove had a foul in the reverse match in what was a combative central area.

Rasmus Kristensen is another one that draws attention here. Operating at right wing back, the Dane is bound to be in for a busy evening against Rafael Leao who is one of the league’s most fouled players, drawing 27 in his 16 appearances. He’ll also have to contend with overlapping runs from Theo Hernandez and given he’s averaged nearly a foul per game this season, another one is likely.