Pioli considering surprising formation change for Inter-Milan

AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli is considering a sudden formation change for the derby match against Inter.

Ibrahimovic has almost completely recovered and is expected to lead the attack in the derby against Inter. Yesterday the Swedish striker did personalized training but only partially and later joined the rest of the squad.

Tomorrow’s Inter vs Milan would mark Ibrahimovic’s tenth Derby della Madonnina, with 5 appearances for each club. Considering Roma’s false step with Bologna, the Rossoneri could find themselves just four points behind in case of victory.

With the arrival of Ibrahimovic in January coach Stefano Pioli decided to changes AC Milan’s formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2. Since then the Rossoneri are undefeated in the last six matches with four wins and two draws. However, Pioli is thinking of another change only for the match with Inter.

While Zlatan’s start from the first minute is almost guaranteed the same can’t be said for Rafael Leao or Ante Rebic. That’s because Pioli is considering a new 4-4-1-1 lineup with Ibrahimovic leading the attack and Hakan Calhanoglu behind him. Calhanoglu’s spot as left midfielder would go to Bonaventura.

The motivation behind this sudden change is Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 lineup. Conte likes to play with a dense midfield, a key component to Inter’s remarkable season so far. Pioli’s main concern is to limit the creativity of the opponents especially Brozovic and Eriksen reports La Gazzetta dello Sport.