AC Milan go into Genoa with the same message coming from inside the camp. Ruben Amorim said Milan need to respond to their last game and be competitive, while Christian Pulišić said the team must stop swinging between big performances and sudden drop-offs. Kick-off is at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at 14.00 GMT, 15.00 CET, for Genoa vs AC Milan.

Milan's uneven run

The results around this fixture explain why the talk has focused on standards. Milan lost 4-2 to Bologna, beat Inter 3-1 in the Derby della Madonnina, then lost 2-0 to Ferencvarosi TC before this match. That is the sort of swing Pulišić was talking about when he said, “For us it is important to find consistency. When we play emotional matches like those against Inter, we show that we are competitive, then suddenly we drop.”

Milan sit fifth in Serie A with 21 points from 10 matches, with a +9 goal difference. Their last five league results read WLWWD. That is a decent platform, but it is also a run that still leaves room for the frustration Amorim described when he said the team have shown they can play good football, but need to be competitive.

Genoa's form and Milan's team news

Genoa are not approaching this as a soft assignment. They have beaten Lecce 2-1, Juventus 2-0 and Venezia 1-0 in their last three Serie A games, and they are 12th with 13 points from 10 matches. Justin Bijlow said Genoa must not lower their guard after a very good period, and that fits the mood around their recent run.

Milan's own selection picture is still messy. Strahinja Pavlovic, Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Pietro Terracciano and Alexis Saelemaekers are still out of action. Mike Maignan has returned after suspension, while Yunus Musah appears to be a makeshift left-back. That is where Milan's consistency problem becomes practical, because the team are asking for control while still patching up parts of the XI.

Pulišić has been one of the brighter reasons for optimism. He has a 7.27 Serie A rating this season, with 3 goals and 1 assist in 7 appearances. Against Inter he posted a 7.75 rating in the 3-1 win, which is exactly the kind of peak Milan need to repeat more often if they want the league table to reflect their level.

The performance question is simple enough. Milan have shown they can hit a high level, and Genoa's recent league form makes this a proper test of whether they can do it again at Marassi.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →