In what could well turn out to be a one-sided game to welcome the new Serie A campaign, big spending AC Milan will travel to the Stadio Ezio Scida to take on Davide Nicola's Crotone on Sunday evening.

 

Nicola’s men miraculously avoided relegation last season by winning six of their last nine games and ended up finishing 17th, condemning Empoli to the drop, pipping the Blues by just two points.

 

Milan on the other hand, finished sixth last season qualifying for the Europa League play-offs. The number of signings that the Rossoneri have made this summer has given rise to a feeling among the fans that the old AC Milan could well be back. With ten new players already roped in and a possible 11th in Nikola Kalinic also on his way, they will be looking to make a good start to the campaign against Nikola’s unpredictable side.

 

The recent Europa League qualifying game against Macedonian outfit Shkendija was too easy a task for Vincenzo Montella’s men, but the quality they showed was good enough to prove that something good could be brewing at the San Siro. They will have the chance to prove that in Calabria on Sunday.

 

The last meeting between the two sides took place back in late April and Crotone had managed to keep their five-game unbeaten run going by holding Milan to a 1-1 draw. The clash at the San Siro yielded a 2-1 win for Montella’s side, who had to comeback from a goal down to seal all three points after Diego Falcinelli had handed Gli Squali an early lead.

 

The clubs faced each other in the Coppa Italia in the 2015-16 campaign and Milan came out on top in a 3-1 triumph at the San Siro.

TEAM NEWS:

 

Both Giacomo Bonaventura and summer signing Lucas Biglia missed the game against Shkendija and thigh injuries are expected to keep them out till September. Alessio Romagnoli is back in training and a doubt to feature on Sunday, much like Gabi Paletta. 

 

Nicola’s men currently don’t have any significant absentees and the 44-year-old Italian has a full-strength squad at his disposal. 

PROBABLE STARTING LINE-UPS: