Match Today: AC Milan vs Udinese 13-08-2022 Serie A

Milan will be keen to start their Serie A title defense with a win when they face Udinese in the season opener at San Siro on Saturday. AC Milan will begin their Serie A title defense at home in the opening Serie A match against Udinese. The Rossoneri were Italy's top team last season and will be keen to build on their success in the new season. Udinese will provide them with a healthy challenge on opening day, given that their last three matches have ended in a draw. Andrea Sutil's side are coming off a disappointing 2021/22 season that saw them finish a disappointing 12th place in Serie A. Meanwhile, Milan ended more than a decade of pain by defeating arch-rivals Inter Milan for the title. Meeting the standards they set last season will be a challenge for Stefano Pioli's men, and the manager will be keen to head off to a successful start. The Rossoneri have seen some twists and turns in the summer transfer window. However, they rebounded by winning four out of five matches. How far they can get into the groove this season can dictate what they can achieve to the end. The same cannot be said of Udinese, who are relatively weaker than last season. Nahuel Molina has left for Atletico Madrid, while Gerard Deulofeu is uneasy amid links to the Napoli club. Destiny Odoji has also signed with Tottenham Hotspur but will remain at the Italian club on loan this season. The Eagles have already played their first competitive match of the 2022/23 season with a tough 2-1 victory over Ferralbesallo in the Coppa Italia. However, Sutil will face a more difficult challenge in his first Serie A match for Udinese.

The Rossoneri are approaching a summer that saw outstanding midfielder Frank Kessie lose to Barcelona on a free transfer. However, Milan have brought in Belgian duo Divock Origi and Charles de Kettleri. The arrival of the duo will add an extra bite to the attack of the Italian giants. Stefano Pioli also has some fitness concerns with Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is currently recovering from surgery and Sandro Tonali's own injury against Vicenza. Olivier Giroud is also in doubt in the game and is unlikely to take any chances. Mike Minnen will start to score behind four steady defenses from Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Pierre Calolo and Davide Calabria. Hernandez and Calabria will be given the freedom to move forward when possible and will add an extra threat on the flanks. Tomori and Kalolo have formed a formidable partnership lately and he should provide the wing-back with the solidity needed to move forward.

Udinese has drawn more matches against Milan than any other team. Both teams finished the game 36 times in 94 matches. Milan won the match 41 times, with Udinese leading it on 17 occasions. Milan and Udinese have tied in their last three league matches. The only time the two teams scored a long string of draws was between 1992-1994. Milan has not lost 14 of the last 15 matches it played at home against Udinese. The Rossoneri have also lost only once in their last ten league matches against the Friulians. The only loss occurred in the opening round of the 2019/20 season. Milan and Udinese faced each other five times in the opening weekend of Serie A. Both teams won one match and the rest ended in a draw. Saturday's win will see AC Milan win three games in a row for the first time since 1986-96.