MILAN FUTURO v PIANESE: MATCH PREVIEW

September was intense and full of matches, with the team experiencing their first league victory. October will also be demanding for Milan Futuro, whose first fixture of the month awaits. At the Chinetti in Solbiate Arno, the Rossoneri will face newly promoted Pianese, their second consecutive match against Tuscan opposition after their game against Lucchese. It represents an important opportunity to build on a positive moment that started against SPAL, and here is our Match Preview to introduce the clash.  

LATEST FROM MILAN FUTURO
After picking up four points against SPAL and Lucchese in the space of four days, the Rossoneri now want to push on by overcoming a side that sit level with them in the table. One big positive to come out of the last 180 minutes is the progress made in front of goal (we scored our first three goals of the season from open play), and that is something to build on in Solbiate Arno. The league is tight, and a win would see us start to make a move towards the higher positions in the table.

LATEST FROM PIANESE
Pianese have the exact same record as Bonera's side (one win, three draws and three defeats). The team from Piancastagnaio, a town in the Province of Siena, are experiencing their second-ever season in Serie C after first competing in Italy's third tier in 2019/20. Last season, they gained promotion by winning Serie D Group E. Pianese come into this game against Milan Futuro on the back of a home defeat to Sestri Levante, and now they'll be hoping to add to their points tally, just like they did when they beat Campobasso (2-0) and drew with Perugia, Entella and Lucchese. The team's top scorer is 22-year-old Guglielmo Mignani (three goals to his name so far), who was a key figure in their promotion last year with 19 goals in 35 appearances. In addition to having several injuries, Pianese will have to make do without the suspended Da Pozzo, although Odjer is available again.

"Milan Futuro have players who have already made their debuts in Serie A, individuals with big prospects," said Coach Fabio Prosperi ahead of the game. "They're finding the kind of balance that they were perhaps missing at the start, and I don't think they'll end up in a relegation battle. They possess a lot of quality, but some of their players are also strong physically. It'll be a difficult match."

WHERE TO WATCH MILAN FUTURO
In Italy, the match will be live on TV on Sky Sport and NOW from 15:00 CEST. Don't miss out on coverage via the Rossoneri Instagram, acmilan.com and the AC Milan Official App.

LATEST FROM SERIE C
Andrea Zoppi will be the man in the middle for the match at the Stadio Chinetti. He's previously refereed our Primavera side when they faced Cagliari last season at the PUMA House of Football. Zoppi will be assisted by Chillemi and Ciannarella, while Matteo will perform the role of fourth official.

Matchday 8 in Serie C (Group B) will kick off today, Friday 4 October, with Rimini v SPAL at 20:45 CEST. Three fixtures will take place at 15:00 CEST on Saturday: Milan Futuro v Pianese, Carpi v Pontedera and Sestri Levante v Vis Pesaro. On Sunday, the following games will be played: Pineto v Gubbio (15:00 CEST), Torres v Arezzo (15:00 CEST), Perugia v Lecchese (17:30 CEST), Virtus Entella v Legnago (17:30 CEST) and Ascoli v Pescari (19:30 CEST). The latest set of fixtures will come to an end on Monday with Ternana v Campobasso at 20:30 CEST.

Here is the current league table: Pescara 17; Ternana 16; Torres 15; Virtus Entella 14; Arezzo 12; Rimini 11; Lucchese, Vis Pesaro and Campobasso 10; Gubbio 9; Ascoli 8; Carpi, Pontedera, Perugia, Pineto and Sestri Levante 7; Pianese and Milan Futuro 6; SPAL (-3) 4; Legnago 3.

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