Verona vs Milan: Allegri confirms 3-5-2, Leão and Pulisic to start again
The countdown to Hellas Verona vs AC Milan is on, with kick-off set for tomorrow Sunday at 3:00 PM. In both Thursday’s and Friday’s training sessions, manager Massimiliano Allegri has worked primarily with a 3-5-2 formation, pairing Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão in attack. A clear tactical choice that aims to give continuity and confidence to both players despite a difficult run in front of goal.
The long goal drought for Pulisic and Leão
The numbers tell the story of a tough period for both attacking players. Christian Pulisic has not scored since the first leg against Verona on 28 December: more than three and a half months have passed without the American finding the net in the league. A surprising stat for a player who has consistently delivered since joining Milan in 2023.
Rafael Leão is in a similar situation — the Portuguese forward’s last goal came on 1 March in a 2-0 win over Cremonese. As of today, 18 April, that is almost fifty days without a goal: a long, heavy and certainly unusual drought for a player of his talent and quality.
Why Allegri keeps faith in this partnership
The manager’s decision to keep fielding Leão and Pulisic together is no accident. Firstly, Allegri wants to avoid further damaging Leão’s confidence following the whistles he received against Udinese: dropping him to the bench after that difficult evening could undermine the Portuguese forward’s morale at a critical point of the season. Allegri has therefore chosen the path of trust, banking on the number 10’s competitive character to respond.
Secondly, if the manager continues to favour this duo over alternatives such as Santiago Giménez, Christopher Nkunku or Niclas Füllkrug, it means he still sees them as the most reliable options in the attack. A judgement that should also push the other attackers to do more to earn their place.
It is also worth noting that neither Pulisic nor Leão are natural centre-forwards: both express themselves better as wide players or second strikers, and this tactical compromise in a two-striker system can affect their goalscoring output.
Milan’s probable lineup at Verona
Based on indications from training, here is the probable Rossoneri lineup for the trip to Hellas Verona:
- Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan
- Defence (3): Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlović
- Midfield (5): Emerson Royal, Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot, Davide Bartesaghi
- Attack (2): Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leão
Noteworthy is the return to the starting lineup of Matteo Gabbia in defence, and the return of Youssouf Fofana to the starting midfield in place of Samuele Ricci, who started the last match against Udinese. The defensive trio completed by Tomori and Pavlović provides solidity and high-level reading of the game.
After today’s Saturday training session, further indications on the final lineup will emerge. But the 3-5-2 appears to be the system Allegri has mapped out for a match Milan absolutely must win.
One goal only: the three points
Verona are bottom of the table alongside Pisa and are a side locked in a desperate battle to avoid relegation. Milan have everything they need to take all three points and make a decisive step toward Champions League qualification. Allegri’s team knows what is at stake and knows what to do. Now is the time to do it.
