Preview: AS Roma vs. AC Milan - Team news and prediction

Jose Mourinho is back on the sidelines after serving the suspension he received last season, and he needs to see if he can try to get his team going as they haven't looked good in the first two matches. A 2-2 draw at home against Salernitana and a 2-1 loss to Verona are certainly not acceptable for Roma, who are aiming for the top 4 and Champions League spots. On the other hand, AC Milan has done what they needed to do with a 2-0 victory over Bologna and a 4-1 victory over Torino. As a result of their goal difference, they are currently sitting in first place.
Tammy Abraham is out with a long-term injury, which is why they have brought in Romelu Lukaku on a loan deal from Chelsea, resulting in a reunion between Mourinho and Lukaku. Andrea Belotti has performed well in the beginning, but he doesn't have the quality to be the top striker for a top team throughout an entire season. Roma has been very active in the transfer market as they have acquired.

-    Romelu Lukaku
-    Rasmus Nissen Kristensen
-    Leandro Paredes
-    Renato Sanchez
-    Houssem Aouar
-    Evan Ndicka 
-    Sardar Azmoun

Furthermore, there are rumors that Roma is pursuing a more defensive approach before the transfer window closes, so it's almost like a new team Mourinho must piece together. Therefore, it would be a huge boost if they can defeat AC Milan in tonight's match.

There has also been significant transfer activity in Milan, both in terms of incoming and outgoing players. They have sold Sandro Tonali for a substantial amount, and those funds have been used to acquire the following players.

-    Samuel Chukwueze
-    Christian Pulisic 
-    Yunus Musah
-    Tijjani Reijnders
-    Noah Okafor
-    Marco Pellegrino

Pulisic has had a strong start with 2 goals, and one simply must tip their hat to Olivier Giroud, who continues to perform despite being 36 years old.

Last five games between Roma vs. AC Milan: 
1-1: Roma vs. AC Milan
2-2: AC Milan vs. Roma
3-1: AC Milan vs. Roma
1-2: Roma vs. AC Milan
1-2: Roma vs. AC Milan

Team news: 
Tammy Abraham, Sardar Azmoun, and Marash Kumbulla are all out of the match with injuries, and there are reports that Paulo Dybala is once again injured after having to be substituted in last week's match against Verona. Nicola Zalewski is doubtful, and if he doesn't play, it is expected that Leonardo Spinazzola will take up the left wing-back position. Renato Sanches is not in match form to start, so he is expected to be on the bench, while Paredes is set to be retained in the central midfield.

Ismael Bennacer is the only injury concern for AC Milan, so it is expected that they will continue with Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield as both have had a good start to their AC Milan careers. Samuel Chukwueze currently seems to be the one who has drawn the shortest straw in Milan's offensive lineup, as the other three players have found their form and chemistry.

Roma’s expected line-up:
Rui Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Diego Llorente; Karsdorp, Pellegrini, Paredes, Aouar, Spinazzola; Belotti, El Shaarawy

AC Milan expected line-up: 
Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Rafael Leao

Prediction: 
Roma has scored in 20 out of their last 21 home matches and looking at the recent encounters between the two clubs, 4 out of 5 matches have ended with over 2.5 goals. AC Milan's offense has also had a strong start to the season, and even though Mourinho is known for his tactical prowess in shutting down opponents, the odds for over 2.5 goals in the match seem high when considering the stats related to the game. Therefore, we predict that there will be over 2.5 goals in the match at odds 2.30