AC Milan’s next league test brings a sharp contrast in form: the Rossoneri are unbeaten after seven Serie A matches, while Udinese arrive after five straight defeats. But Milan also have a question to address after goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off in their Europa League loss to Bournemouth.
Maignan responds to his dismissal
Maignan saw red in the first half at Vitality Stadium after pushing Tyler Adams in the face, as Milan fell 3-0 behind. The goalkeeper said the contact wasn’t deliberate, describing it as an attempt to create room in his penalty area.
“My action was not intentional. Like every goalkeeper in every match, I wanted to make space for myself in my area,” Maignan wrote on Instagram.
He acknowledged that the incident looked bad, particularly to younger supporters, and said Milan’s staff and players understood his character and intentions. He also criticized how some people and media outlets had interpreted the episode.
The dismissal came during a difficult European night, but Milan’s domestic record remains intact. Ruben Amorim is the third manager to start his first seven Serie A games with Milan unbeaten, following Hector Puricelli, whose side avoided defeat in his first eight in 1955, and Luis Carniglia, who went unbeaten in his first 13 in 1963.
A win or draw at Udinese would extend Milan’s run to eight league games without defeat. They have started a Serie A season unbeaten through eight matches twice in the past 20 seasons: in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Udinese’s slide shapes the matchup
Udinese sit 16th, with four points from seven games. They have lost five of those matches, a start that puts them near some of the worst opening records in the club’s Serie A history. Only three times have they lost more often across their first eight league games: six defeats in 1960-61, seven in 1961-62 and six in 2017-18.
The current slump has deepened further: Udinese have lost each of their last five league matches, conceding 13 goals and scoring five. Their longest losing run in the competition was 11 games, between February and April 2018 under Massimo Oddo.
Their second-half defending has also been a problem. Udinese’s goal difference after the break is minus eight, level with Borussia Monchengladbach and better only than Troyes and Racing Santander, both at minus nine, among clubs in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
Recent meetings offer mixed signals. Milan have won their last three Serie A away games against Udinese by a combined 10-2, and a fourth straight away win would match a run they have achieved only once before, from 1999 to 2001. Yet Udinese won the teams’ most recent meeting 3-0 on 11 April.
Neither side has drawn any of their last eight league encounters: Milan have won five and Udinese three. Milan, however, have drawn their last three away league matches. Their previous run of four consecutive away draws came in April and May 2017, during Vincenzo Montella’s spell in charge.
Midfield numbers to watch
Udinese midfielder Ekkelenkamp has scored and assisted in the same Serie A match only once, against Milan in April. He has yet to score at home this season, though his 20 shots rank second among midfielders in the competition, behind Nico Paz’s 35.
For Milan, Adrien Rabiot has contributed a goal or an assist in each of his last four Serie A appearances, recording three goals and two assists. Since Opta began tracking the relevant data in 2004-05, only Hakan Calhanoglu and Kaka have been involved in a goal in five consecutive Serie A games as Milan midfielders.
Milan’s unbeaten start gives them momentum, while Udinese’s recent results make defensive improvement an urgent need. The match will test whether the Rossoneri can turn their strong league form into another away win—and whether Udinese can halt a slide that is already approaching historic territory.