AC Milan head to Friuli on Saturday evening in search of a third straight Serie A victory, but Udinese, unbeaten so far this season and already conquerors of Inter, will look to claim another scalp in front of their own fans.

Milan’s response to their surprise opening-day defeat at Cremonese has been encouraging. Successive wins over Lecce and Bologna have steadied the ship, with Luka Modric’s composed midfield presence proving invaluable. The 40-year-old marked his milestone birthday by orchestrating last weekend’s win against Bologna, as the Rossoneri tightened up under the returning Massimiliano Allegri. With three clean sheets in four games across all competitions, Milan appear to be finding the defensive steel that was missing in recent years. The 4-0 thrashing of Udinese in Friuli last season will also boost confidence, as will their overall away record against the Friulani, with seven goals scored in their last two visits. Allegri’s men are determined to push for a top-four finish, especially without the distraction of European football, and another positive result would keep momentum building.

Udinese, however, have started the season brightly under Kosta Runjaic. Following a Coppa Italia win over Carrarese, they shocked Inter with a 2-1 triumph before edging past newly-promoted Pisa thanks to Iker Bravo’s strike. Those results stretched their unbeaten start to four games across competitions, with Keinan Davis showing promise after an injury-plagued spell. While their away form has impressed, Udinese’s Achilles heel is at home, where they have not won in Serie A since March. That run casts some doubt over their ability to topple Milan, but their discipline and belief after beating Inter should make them tough opponents.

Team selection could play a big role. Milan may be forced to call on Pietro Terracciano in goal if Mike Maignan fails to recover, while Strahinja Pavlovic is a doubt in defence. Up front, Santiago Gimenez is still searching for his first goal of the campaign, and with Rafael Leao unavailable, Allegri could look to Christopher Nkunku or Christian Pulisic for attacking spark. Udinese are missing suspended goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and injured Sandi Lovric, though Davis is fit again and expected to start alongside Bravo.

Allegri, suspended for touchline misconduct, will watch from the stands, hoping his team’s recent solidity carries over. Udinese’s resilience makes them difficult to break down, but Milan’s sharper defensive structure and midfield control could ensure another low-scoring battle.

AC米兰将在周六晚上客场挑战弗留利，寻求意甲三连胜，但本赛季迄今保持不败的乌迪内斯已经击败了国米，他们将在自己的球迷面前再夺一场胜利。

米兰对揭幕战意外输给克雷莫纳斯的反应令人鼓舞。接连战胜莱切和博洛尼亚稳定了球队，莫德里奇稳定的中场表现证明了他的价值。这位40岁的老将在上周末对博洛尼亚的比赛中表现出色，这是他的里程碑式的生日，红黑军团在回归的阿莱格里的带领下加强了防守。在各项赛事的四场比赛中三场零封，米兰似乎找到了近年来缺失的防守力量。上赛季在弗留利4-0大胜乌迪内斯的比赛也增强了他们的信心，他们对弗留利的总客场战绩也是如此，他们在最近两场客场比赛中打进7球。阿莱格里的球员们决心争取进入前四，特别是在没有欧洲足球分心的情况下，另一个积极的结果将保持势头。

然而，乌迪内斯在科斯塔·伦贾奇的带领下，本赛季开局很亮眼。在意大利杯战胜卡拉雷塞之后，他们以2-1的比分震惊了国际米兰，并凭借布拉沃的进球险胜新晋的比萨。这些结果将他们的不败开局扩大到四场比赛，凯南·戴维斯在经历了伤病困扰之后表现出了希望。虽然他们的客场表现令人印象深刻，但乌迪内斯的致命弱点是在主场，他们自3月份以来没有在意甲联赛中获胜。这样的战绩让人怀疑他们是否有能力击败米兰，但他们在击败国际米兰后的纪律和信念应该会让他们成为强硬的对手。

团队选择可能会发挥重要作用。如果麦尼南无法恢复，米兰可能不得不让特拉奇亚诺担任门将，而巴甫洛维奇在后防线上也存在疑问。锋线上，希门尼斯仍在寻找他的第一个进球，而莱奥缺阵，阿莱格里可能会把目光投向恩昆库或普利西奇。乌迪内斯失去了停赛的门将奥科耶和受伤的洛夫里奇，不过戴维斯已经恢复，有望和布拉沃一起首发。

阿莱格里因边线违规被禁赛，他将在看台上观看比赛，希望他的球队能延续最近的稳定状态。乌迪内斯的韧性让他们很难被击败，但米兰更犀利的防守结构和中场控制可以确保另一场低比分之战。