AC Milan vs Udinese

AC Milan close out their 2007-2008 campaign at home to Udinese needing a victory and some help in order to finish in 4^th place of Serie A and qualify for the Champions League. This is a direct confrontation between two clubs that are coming off of losses in week 37.

AC Milan were beaten on the road in week 37 when they fell to SS Napoli by a score of 3-1 at the Stadio San Paolo. The loss, coupled with Fiorentina’s victory over Parma, dropped Milan out of 4^th place and into 5^th place where they now sit with 61 points, 2 points behind them. In order to qualify for the first round of the Champions League the rossoneri will need to win and hope that Fiorentina lose their match. The loss to Napoli snapped a 3 game win streak for the side managed by Carlo Ancelotti. At this time Ronaldo, Maldini, Dida and Emerson have been ruled out because of injury, while Nesta and Gattuso are out suspended. Milan are expected to feature a 4-3-2-1 with Seedorf and Kaka’ just behind Pippo Inzaghi.

Udinese are in 7^th place of the league table and are guaranteed a place in the UEFA Cup for next season. They have 57 points which leaves them 2 points back of 6^th place Sampdoria and 7 ahead of 8^th place Napoli. Last week they fell at home to Cagliari by a score of 0-2 at the Stadio Friuli. The loss snapped a 2 match win streak for the side managed by Marino. On the injury front Udinese will be missing a significant number of players as Obodo, Asamoah, D’Agostino, Felipe, Ferronetti, Isla and Siqueira have been ruled out. Pinzi is set to replace D’Agostino in midfield with Di Natale, Quagliarella and Pepe starting upfront in 4-3-3.

While AC Milan have not exactly played like world beaters at home- having won just 7 matches from 18 with 7 draws and 4 losses- they have to be favored this week as they have something to play for. Win or lose, Udinese are playing the UEFA Cup next season. If AC Milan win this week, they have a chance at the Champions League. Look for the rossoneri to take care of business at home.

Prediction: AC Milan (1-0)

Napoli vs AC Milan

SS Napoli are home to take on AC Milan in the next to last round of Serie A hoping to bounce back from their defeat on the road to Torino in week 36. AC Milan scored a huge win at home in their big derby match and currently control their destiny in the race for 4^th place which grants a spot in the first round of the Champions League.

Napoli currently sit in 9^th place of the Serie A table with 47 points on the present campaign. Their last match saw them fall by a score of 2-1 away to Torino at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. With their 47 points Napoli are now 1 point back of 8^th place Genoa and 1 point ahead of 10^th place Palermo. Napoli had gone into that contest unbeaten over their last 3 games. This week manager Reja will be missing Rullo and Zalayeta to injury while Santacroce and Blasi will each be serving a 1 match suspension. Reja is expected to go with a 4-4-2 featuring the Argentine duo of Lavezzi and Roberto Sosa in attack.

The rossoneri are coming off of what might possibly have been their biggest win of the season when they scored a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the derby at the San Siro. Thanks to their win AC Milan are in 4^th place of the league table and if the season ended today they would be on their way to the Champions League. AC Milan are now winners of 3 games in a row and 4 of their last 5 overall. They have 61 points on the year and hold a 1 point edge on 5^th place Fiorentina while sitting 9 points back of 3^rd place Juventus. On the injury front manager Carlo Ancelotti will again be missing Ronaldo, Maldini, Dida, Guorcoff and Emerson to injury while Andrea Pirlo will sit out suspended. Look for Pippo Inzaghi to start as the lone striker with Seedorf and Kaka’ behind him as usual. Alexandre Pato starts on the bench.

The result of this match is pretty wide open. Napoli have been a quality club at home this season with 10 wins but Milan have been equally impressive with 10 road victories. With AC Milan needing these 3 points a lot more than Napoli, they just might have enough in the tank to pull out the 3 points.

Prediction: AC Milan (0-1)

AC Milan vs Inter Milan

AC Milan return home to face-off against their hated rivals Inter Milan in the big match of week 36 in Serie A. This will be a most special derby as Inter Milan have the chance to win the scudetto should they win this match and get some help form other results. The two sides are coming off of victories in their last match.

AC Milan currently find themselves in 5^th place of the league table with 58 points on the present campaign. With their 58 points they sit 2 back of 4^th place Fiorentina which is the club they must catch in order to have a chance of participating in next season’s UEFA Champions League. They also hold a 2 point edge on 6^th place Sampdoria. The rossoneri scored a big win on the road as they defeated Livorno by a score of 1-4 in their week 35 match at the Stadio Armando Picchi. The side managed by Carlo Ancelotti are now winners of 3 of their last 4 games with 9 goals score over their last 2. On the injury front, Maldini, Emerson, Ronaldo, Serginho and Dida are expected to miss out. Look for Pippo Inzaghi to start as the lone striker in a 4-3-2-1 with Seedorf and Kaka’ just behind.

Inter Milan come into this round on the verge of their 3^rd straight Serie A title. The side managed by Roberto Mancini are currently in first place of the league table with 81 points on the year. This gives them a 6 point advantage on 2^nd place AS Roma with just 3 matches left in the present campaign. The neroazzurri are coming off of a win at home last week as they defeated the relegation threatened Cagliari by a score of 2-1 at the San Siro. Inter have now won 4 matches in a row and appear to be hitting their stride once more just at the right time of the season. Headlining the injured list this week are Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Figo and Ibrahimovic.

This could very well go down as one of the more historic derby’s ever between these two sides as Inter could very well win the Serie A. Meanwhile, AC Milan have everything to play for in their own right as they need a win to guarantee they keep pace with Fiorentina. Add to this mix the fact that it is the Milan derby you have the makings of an epic. Look for this one to be tight right down to the wire.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Livorno vs AC Milan

Livorno return to the Armando Phichi to face a stern test at home to AC Milan in their week 35 contest in Serie A. The two clubs are coming off of positive results in the last round as Livorno were able to hold out for a point away from home while AC Milan held serve at home with a lop-sided result.

Livorno were able to hold out for a draw from their most important match away to AS Roma. Roma had everything to play for in that contest as they needed to win to keep pace with Inter Milan and Livorno certainly put a dent in those hopes and plans by earning a point. At this time Livorno are in the relegation zone with 30 points, in 18^th place of the log, 1 point behind 17^th place Parma which is the club they need to catch to avoid the drop. The side managed by Camolese have 30 points and sit just ahead of Empoli and Reggina on goal difference. This week Camolese will be without Vidigal and Volpe because of injury and looks likely to go with a 4-4-1-1 featuring Tavano as the lone striker with Diamanti just behind him.

AC Milan scored a big triumph at home at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the last round thanks to a 5-1 win over relegation battlers Reggina. With their victory the side managed by Carlo Ancelotti remain in 5^th place of Serie A with 55 points, 4 behind 4^th place Fiorentina for a spot in the Champions League and just ahead of 6^th place Sampdoria on goal difference. The emphatic nature of their win did little to wipe away the bitter taste of the club’s defeat against Juve in their derby match one week earlier but at least it keeps their faint hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive. On the injury front, the rossoneri will continue to be without Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini and Dida. The rossoneri look set to go with a 4-3-2-1 featuring Kalac in goal with Pato as the lone striker and Seedorf and Kaka’ playing just behind him.

This could pretty much be Livorno’s last stand in their race to avoid relegation. A loss at home to Milan could conceivable see them fall into last place of the league table with just 3 games left. Expect Livorno to play as tough a match as they can against an AC Milan outfit who have actually won more matches away from home this season. A draw could be Livorno’s best bet.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

AC Milan vs Reggina

AC Milan return home to the Stadio San Siro following a tough loss on the road in their big match away to Juventus, to host the relegation threatened Reggina in week 34 of Serie A. Reggina were able to pick up a very important victory at home that allows them to keep their chances of survival alive and though the foe they face this week is very dangerous.

AC Milan lost to Juventus by a score of 3-2 in the derby match at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. The loss dealt a big blow to the midsection of the side managed by Carlo Ancelotti as they were unable to gain any ground on 4^th place Fiorentina. The viola now have 56 points while the rossoneri have 52 and remain 4 points out of the last spot for the Champions League. It was the second defeat in 3 games for Milan. This week the club is expected to have a number of absences this including Ronaldo, Jankulovski and Emerson while Bonera and Ambrosini are out suspended. On a bright note, Pato, Kaka’ and Seedorf appear ready to start.

Reggina were able to win for the first time in over a month with a most important 1-0 victory at home over Sampdoria. With said victory Reggina climbed to 18^th place in the Serie A league table with 30 points on the present campaign. While Reggina are still in the relegation portion of the log, they now find themselves only 1 point back of Parma which is the club they must catch if they are to avoid the drop in 2008. Reggina will need to play almost flawless defense against AC Milan as they have had a lot of trouble scoring of late as evidenced by their 2 goals in 4 games. The confirmed absences for this game are the injured Montiel and the suspended Cascione.

It is extremely difficult to make a case for Reggina having a chance to win this contest. In 16 road matches this year they have managed 7 draws with 9 losses. Meanwhile, they have scored 8 goals while conceded 29 in this 16 games. A defensive record such as that one going up against the likes of Seedorf, Pato, Kaka’, Gilardino and company does not inspire too much confidence. Look for Milan to take out their frustrations from last week on Reggina.

Prediction: AC Milan (2-0)

Juventus vs AC Milan

Juventus and AC Milan face-off in the big match of week 33 in Serie A. The two sides come into the derby under very different circumstances as the rossoneri were able to hold serve at home last week while Juventus suffered and unexpected defeat away from home in a lively match against Palermo.

Juve are currently in 3^rd place of the league table with 58 points on the year. They sit 10 points back of 2^nd place AS Roma while maintaining a 2 point edge on 4^th place Fiorentina. They have one match in hand on both clubs. Last week, the side managed by Claudio Ranieri came away with 2-3 loss from their visit to Palermo at the Renzo Barbera. The loss snapped a 4 match unbeaten run for the vecchia signora which had seen them concede just 1 goal over that span. This week Andrade and Zanetti have been ruled out due to injury but the rest of the squad is available for the derby. Look for Sissoko, Nedved, Trezeguet and Alex Del Piero to start.

The rossoneri are coming off of an important win at home over Cagliari by a score of 3-1 at the San Siro. It was a huge victory for Milan as it allowed them to keep pace with 4^th place Fiorentina and they remain alive in the chase for the final remaining Champions League slot. AC Milan now sit in 5^th place of the league table with 52 points and sit just ahead of 6^th place Udinese on goal difference. The win was only the second in 5 matches for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. AC Milan have been hard hit by injury during this recent poor stretch and this week there will be a number of absences as well including the injured Ronaldo, Oddo, Jankulovski and Pato while Nesta and Kaladze are suspended. The suspensions will force Ancelotti to go with veteran Paolo Maldini and Bonera at the center back positions while Pippo Inzahgi and Kaka’ will be in the striker positions.

While a derby is usually hard to call given all the factors that come into play when club’s of this stature face-off, Juventus seem to have a big advantage in terms of personnel this week. Not only are they at home following a loss, but AC Milan will be missing key players from their back line and the likes of Del Piero and Trezeguet could have a field day for the home side.

Prediction: Juventus (2-1)

AC Milan vs Cagliari

AC Milan are back at the San Siro to host a resurgent Cagliari side who are fighting for their very survival as Serie A enters week 32. Both sides are coming off of tough results a week ago as Milan lost at home while Cagliari dropped 2 points at home.

The rossoneri suffered through a discouraging loss at home last week when they fell to Atalanta Bergamo by a score of 1-2 at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. The result leaves the side managed by Carlo Ancelotti on the outside looking in with respect to a Champions League qualifying slot in the league table. AC Milan are now in 6^th place of the league table with 49 points. They are 1 point back of 5^th place Udinese but still 4 points behind 4^th place Fiorentina which is the club they must catch in order to qualify for the Champions League. They are just ahead of 7^th place Sampdoria on goal difference. Milan have now hit a rough stretch over their last 4 games which has seen them lose 3 times. For this week’s match against Cagliari Ronaldo, Emerson, Serginho, Oddo and Jankulovski have been ruled out, while Nesta is out suspended for the next two games. Kaka’ is expected to be in the starting eleven this week.

Cagliari are coming off of a 1-1 draw at home to AS Roma last week at the Stadio Sant’Elia. That draw extended Cagliari’s positive run to 4 straight games without a loss. Over that stretch the sardi have posted 2 wins and 2 draws while outscoring their opponents 6-2. After spending much of the season in last place, Balardini’s squad are now in 18^th place of the league table and just behind the 3 clubs tied for 17^th place- Catania, Livorno and Parma on goal difference. Still, if the season were to end today, they would make the drop which makes every remaining match vital for the rossoblu. There will be 3 absences due to injury this week in Marchini, Shala and Bianco while Agostini returns to the starting eleven at left fullback.

On paper AC Milan should win this one without breaking a sweat but the current form of the two sides seems to indicate a much closer pairing. While Cagliari have won just once away from home this season, they have been playing with an urgency over the last month that was not present earlier in the year. Meanwhile, Milan’s injuries to Kaka’ and Seedorf of late have crippled their attack. If Kaka’ is not able to play to his normal production this week, Cagliari’s determination might be enough.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

AC Milan vs Atalanta

AC Milan were able to bounce back in Round 30 of Serie A and got back to their winning ways on the road. This week they will be hosting an Atalanta outfit that dropped 2 very disappointing points at home in their last match.

The Rossoneri are in 5^th place of the league table at this time with 49 points. They are 4 points back of 4^th place Fiorentina and 2 points up on Udinese. In their last match the side managed by Carlo Ancelotti were able to secure a 0-1 win away to Torino at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. The result allowed AC Milan to snap a 2 match losing spell and they have now won 2 of their last 5 matches to go with 1 draw and 2 losses. There were some questions earlier this week as to what type of condition the players that had participated in the various international this week would return to the club but is has been confirmed that both Seedorf and Pato are ready to play. Kaka’ remains injured this week along with Ronaldo, Emerson, Serginho and Pippo Inzaghi. Therefore, look for AC Milan to go with a 4-3-1-2 with Seedorf playing just behind the strikers Gilardino and Pato.

Atalanta were held to a frustrating draw at home in week 30 by Catania in their match at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia which ended 0-0. It was the second consecutive match in which the club managed by Gigi Del Neri have failed to score a goal. In fact, the bergamaschi have failed to score in 4 of their last 5 games during which time they have compiled a record of 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses. They have 38 points for the year which leave them 1 point back of 8^th place Genoa and 1 point ahead of 10^th place Lazio. The injured list this week consists of Costinha, Capelli and Mulimovic with Carrozzieri out suspended for 2 games. Atalanta will travel to the San Siro with a 4-4-1-1 formation featuring Doni playing just behind Floccari.

While AC Milan will certainly be the favorite on paper this week, their troubles at home have been well documented. In 14 home matches this season the rossoneri have compiled 4 wins and 7 draws with 3 losses. Meanwhile, Atalanta have 3 wins and 4 draws with 8 losses away from home. AC Milan are a different club without Kaka’ on the pitch and if the visitors are able to hold Pato in check they will have a chance.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Torino vs AC Milan

Torino play host to AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino as both clubs look to rebound after losing their matches at home during the midweek fixtures of week 29. Torino are battling to achieve a safe middle of the table position in order to stave off relegation, while AC Milan are in a neck and neck fight with Fiorentina for a spot in the Champions League.

Torino are in 14^th place of the Serie A table with 31 points. They sit one point back of 13^th place Siena and 2 points ahead of 15^th place Parma. On Wednesday they were tripped up by Udinese at home by a score of 0-1. It was Toro’s 2^nd loss in 4 days and they also failed to score for the second straight time. They have produced 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses over that span but scored only 3 goals. Following the match the club received some terrible news when it was confirmed that defender Gianluca Comotto had suffered a ligament injury which has effectively ended his season. He will join Zanetti, Sereni, and Barone on the injured list while Lazetic will sit out suspended. This is not the way they wanted to come into this big match at home to AC Milan.

As for the rossoneri they too are coming off of a bad loss at home. AC Milan were bested by Sampdoria on Wednesday at the Giuseppe Meazza by a score of 1-2. It was their second consecutive loss by the same score after having fallen to AS Roma 3 days prior. Carlo Ancelotti’s club are now in 5^th place of the Serie A table with 46 points. They are 4 points back of 4^th place Fiorentina and 1 ahead of 6^th place Sampdoria. The biggest concern this week continues to be the condition of world footballer of the year Kaka’ who is dealing with a right leg injury. His inclusion for this contest will probably be a match time decision. He joins Ronaldo, Cafu, Serginho and Inzaghi on the injured list at this time. Look for Pato to start as the lone striker with Gilardino covering Kaka’s spot alongside Seedorf.

Neither side comes into this contest with much confidence. They have combined for 4 losses over the last week and injuries are an issue on both sides. The possible absence of Kaka’ for the visitors cannot be overstated but AC Milan have produced one of the best records away from home in Serie A with 8 wins (the most in the league) and 3 draws from 15 matches. Torino have just 4 wins at home in 15 matches. If Pato and Seedorf are inspired, they could pull out the 3 points.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)

AC Milan vs Sampdoria

AC Milan return home to the San Siro to host Sampdoria in a match up between sides that are coming off of very different results in Round 28 of Serie A. Milan were losers away from home despite having enjoyed a lead in their match, while Samp were able to enjoy a commanding victory at home.

AC Milan come into this match in 5^th place of Serie A with 46 points for the season. They are 4 point behind 4^th place side Fiorentina and also 4 points ahead of the 6^th place club Sampdoria which they will play host to this week. Last week, the rossoneri fell on the road to AS Roma by a score of 2-1 and lost significant ground to Fiorentina in their chase for UEFA Champions League slot in the league table. That result makes the 3 points at stake at home to Sampdoria vital for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. While a number of players on the Milan side are dealing with some aches and pains including Ronaldo, Inzaghi, Cafu and Serginho, the importance of the match will see both Kaka’ and Seedorf play their 2^nd match in 4 days.

Sampdoria ran out deserve winners over Catania this past weekend by a score of 3-1 at home. Thanks to their easy win the side managed by Mazzari were able to climb into 6^th place of Serie A and now sit just 4 points back of 5^th place AC Milan with 42 points for the campaign which leaves them 1 point ahead of 7^th place Udinese. This contest on the road provides them with the opportunity to narrow their deficit behind Milan to just 1 point. The blucerchiati have some concerns with regard to the starting eleven as Montella and Campagnaro remain out while Franceschini will join Cassano on the suspended list. The striker Cassano will be serving the 3^rd of a 5 match suspension but ironically Samp have won both matches they have played without him. There is a chance that Bellucci will be rested in this match for at least the first half so look for Mazzari to employ a 3-5-2 with Delvecchio and Bonazzoli as the strikers.

The pressure will be entirely on AC Milan this week. They are the home side and they are still ahead, just barely, in the league table. While they haven’t exactly set the world on fire at home – they have as many wins at home as Sampdoria have on the road – Samp are known to be all or nothing on the road- 4 wins, 1 draw and 9 losses in 14 games. Look for Milan to fight it out and pull out the 3 points.

Prediction: AC Milan (2-1)

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