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)

Reggina vs Sampdoria

Reggina have their collective backs against the wall in week 33 of Serie A as they play host to the red hot Sampdoria at the Stadio Oreste Granillo. It will be a battle between club’s going in opposite directions with Sampdoria unbeaten since February while Reggina are staring relegation in the face.

Reggina are currently in 20^th and last place of the Serie A table with 27 points for the season. They are 2 points back of 19^th place Cagliari and 2 points back of 17^th place Livorno which is the club they must catch to stave off relegation. As the last 5 clubs in the league table are currently separated by just 3 points, Reggina are still very much alive in the fight for survival but they must make every point at home count and cannot afford to drop any. They are currently on a 4 match winless run and lost away to Fiorentina by a score of 2-0 last week. They have just one injury concern this week and it involves Montiel meaning that manager Orlandi will be able to go with his base 3-4-1-2. This week the formation will feature Cozza playing behind the 2 strikers Amoruso and Brienza.

Sampdoria come into this game off of yet another win, this time by a score of 2-0 over Livorno at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris at Marassi. It was Samp’s 5^th win in 6 games and they now find themselves even on points with 5^th place AC Milan and 4 behind Fiorentina who are in 4^th place and represent the club Samp must catch in order to qualify for the first round of the Champions League. The blucerchiati also hold a 1 point edge on 7^th place Udinese. The side managed by Mazzarri are missing Mirante and Campagnaro to injury this week while Accardi and Palombo sit out suspended. The positive news on the injury front is that Pieri is available and will be able to start on the left side of midfield.

It is very hard to see Reggina pulling this one out even though they are at home. For starters, they have won just 5 of 16 matches and will be up against a Sampdoria outfit that are on fire at this time. However, Samp have lost 9 times away from home this season and Reggina pretty much have nothing to lose at this point as they are already expected to make the drop. Reggina are like a wounded animal this week so expect them to come out with one of their most determined efforts of the season.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)

Fiorentina vs Reggina

Fiorentina are back home to host Reggina in a battle between two clubs that are coming off of losses in week 31 of Serie A. Fiorentina dropped 3 points on the road to Udinese and are now involved in a real fight for 4^th place, while Reggina lost away to Genoa and now are in a lot of trouble at the bottom of the league table.

The viola enter week 32 in 4^th place with 53 points for the present campaign. They are 5 points behind 3^rd place Juventus and 3 points ahead of 5^th place Udinese. It was their 3-1 loss away to Udinese last week at the Stadio Friuli which saw their lead shrink from 6 to points in the coveted 4^th slot of the league table which grants access to the Champions League. Manager Cesare Prandelli has now seen his squad lose 3 straight road matches after having been one of the best road sides in Italy during the early portion of the year. There are 2 players ruled out this week in Semioli and Ujfalusi. Sensing that his squad can expose Reggina’s defensive failings, Prandelli looks ready to go with a 4-3-3 featuring Adrian Mutu, Pazzini and Papa Waigo in attack.

This match away to Fiorentina will be the second straight on the road for the relegation threatened Reggina. Last week they fell away to Genoa by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. With the loss Reggina are now 19^th in Serie A with 27 points and sit 2 points back of 18^th place Cagliari and the other 3 clubs tied at 29 points. If the season ended today they would make the drop to Serie B. Manager Orlandi’s squad are now winless over their last 3 games and have won just 5 points from the last 15 played for. There is only one injury concern reported for this game and it involves Montiel who has been ruled out. Brienza has been cleared to play and will start just behind lone striker Amoruso in a 4-4-1-1 formation.

It is hard to find a way for Reggina to get the job done this week. While Fiorentina have had their problems on the road this season, they have been steady at home for the most part having produced 9 wins and 3 draws in 15 games. Meanwhile, Reggina have yet to win a single match away from home and Fiorentina need this match just as much as the visitors do. Look for the purple side to hold serve at home.

Prediction: Fiorentina (2-0)

Reggina vs Napoli

Reggina face-off at home to Napoli at the Oreste Granillo with the pressure to win squarely on their shoulders as they need every remaining point at home to insure that they can escape relegation. Napoli are coming off of a big win at home and will be looking to find some consistency away from home.

Reggina were able to hold out for a 1-1 draw away to Livorno in their last match at the Stadio Armando Picchi. With the draw the side managed by Orlandi are now in 18^th place of the league table with 26 points. They sit 2 points back of 17^th place Livorno and just ahead of 19^th place Empoli. Given their win a week ago, Reggina have now gone two matches without a loss and when you are in a situation as dire as Reggina’s that is very positive news on which to build on. The have posted 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses over their last 5 games. This week manager Orlandi will be missing Vigiani, Alvarez, Montiel and Ceravolo to injury while Missiroli is out suspended. The good news is that Cirillo returns to the back line and will partner with the Uruguayan Carlos Valdez at the center back positions. Amoruso will be the lone striker in attack with Brienza and Cozza playing just behind him.

Napoli came up big at home to Fiorentina when they held serve by a score of 2-0. It was only their 2^nd win to go with 3 losses over their last 5 matches and they now find themselves in 10^th place of the league table with 36 points. This leaves them 1 point back of 9^th place Lazio and just ahead of Palermo on goal difference. Manager Reja has a number of absences to deal with this week as Zalayeta, Cupi and Iezzo are out injured while Savini, Domizzi and Mannini are all out suspended. In the case of Mannini it is the first match of a 2 match suspension. In attack, Calaio will once again start for Zalayeta with Roberto Sosa on the bench. He will accompany Lavezzi while the 3 man back line will be composed of Contini, Cannavaro and Santacroce.

Reggina can win this one. While Napoli have been better overall this season, they have inspired no confidence on the road and their pitiful road record stands at 2 wins, 3 draws and 9 losses. Reggina are playing for their lives at this point and that is always a dangerous foe to go up against. Reggina can go a long way towards avoiding the drop at season’s end if they can take the 3 points this week.

Prediction: Reggina (2-1)

Inter Milan vs Reggina

Inter Milan are back at the San Siro to host Reggina looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season last week. Reggina are coming off of a disappointing result themselves and are fighting for every point they can get as they remain in the relegation zone. This will be their first match since manager Renzo Ulivieri was sacked.

The neroazzurri had their 25 match unbeaten run snapped last week when they fell to Napoli on the road by a score of 1-0 at the Stadio San Paolo. Their first loss of the season coincided with a AS Roma’s victory in their own match and all of a sudden their once insurmountable lead is down to a very vulnerable 6 point edge. Roberto Mancini’s side have been playing at less than full strength over these past few weeks and this has certainly been a factor in their sloppy play which has seen them win just 2 points from their last 3 matches. This week Dacourt, Samuel, Cordoba, Cesar, and Maxwell remain out injured, while Chivu is out suspended. The good news is that Ibrahimovic will return to the starting eleven and Julio Cruz will be available off of the bench.

Reggina come into this contest in 19^th place of the Serie A table with 22 points. They sit 2 points back of 18^th place Catania and hold a 4 point edge on last place Cagliari. In their last match they dropped 2 more points at home when they drew with Palermo by a score of 0-0. The result was the last straw for the board and manager Renzo Ulivieri was sacked after the match. This week new manager Orlandi will make his debut in what is pretty much a thankless situation for him. Reggina have posted just 1 win and 1 draw with 3 losses over their past 5 matches and have not scored a goal over their last 2 games. This week Garcia, Ceravolo and Campagnolo will miss out due to injury.

While Inter Milan have not looked too good over their past 3 matches, this contest against Reggina could not have come at a better time for them. Not only have Reggina not won a match away from home all year, but Inter will be bolstered by the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the starting eleven. Look for Inter Milan to recover in style.

Prediction: Inter (3-0)

Lazio vs Reggina

Lazio and Reggina hook up at the Stadio Olimpico in a contest that features two sides in dire need of points given their relative positions in the Serie A league table. Lazio come into this contest off of a bad loss while Reggina have just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season over the weekend.

Lazio lost a very tough match on the road in week 24 as they fell to last place Cagliari by a score of 1-0 at the Stadio Sant’Elia. The laziali were hoping to build off of an impressive 3-0 victory over Atalanta in their prior match and the lowly Cagliari appeared to be a squad on paper that Lazio could surprise on the road. The result drew the ire of the supporters who have been protesting at the club headquarters all week. The loss leaves Lazio in 13^th place with 26 points, just behind 12^th place Torino and 1 point ahead of 14^th place Empoli. There are 4 expected absences this week against Reggina with Firmani, Zauri, Mutarelli out injured and Behrami serving a one match suspension. Manager Delio Rossi will go with his standard 4-3-1-2 featuring Mauri and Ledesma playing behind Pandev and Rocchi.

Relegation battlers’ Reggina picked up some much needed oxygen with an improbable 2-1 victory over the mighty Juventus at the Oreste Granillo. It was a huge win for Reggina given that last place Cagliari also won their match. The result leaves Reggina in 19^th place of the league table with 21 points. They are 3 ahead of last place Cagliari, but just 1 point back of both Parma and Siena meaning that another victory could see them jump out of the relegation slots. Renzo Ulivieri’s side are now in much higher spirits following the impressive win but they must maintain and build off of this momentum if they are to achieve their goal. There are 3 injury concerns this week involving Garcia, Ceravolo and Modesto, while Amoruso and Lanzaro are out suspended. Look for Cirillo to replace Lanzaro at the back while the Nigerian Makinwa looks likely to start in place of Amoruso.

While momentum will certainly be on Reggina’s side in the lead up to this game there are a number of factors working against a repeat of their Juventus result. The injured list is now longer, Lazio will not underestimate them and perhaps the most important fact- Reggina have not won a match away from home all season. Catania and Parma are the only other sides yet to win on the road. The home side Lazio should be good enough for at least a draw at home.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Reggina vs Juventus

Reggina and Juventus face off in a meeting of two sides going in opposite directions. Reggina are losers of 4 straight matches while Juventus visit the Stadio Oreste Granillo in the midst of a 14 match unbeaten run.

The side managed by Renzo Ulivieri are in serious danger as they prepare to host the mighty Juventus. Not only did their 1-3 loss at home to Udinese last week extend their winless run, but they are now in 19^th place of Serie A with 18 points. They are 3 points back of 18^th place Parma and 3 points ahead of last place Cagliari. A loss this week to Juve coupled with a Cagliari victory could land them in last place. An even more disconcerting fact about Reggina’s current woes is that 3 of their 4 losses have been at home. The injured list this week includes Garcia, Joelson, Missiroli and Ceravolo. Ulivieri has confirmed two changes to the starting eleven with Cirillo and Tognozzi coming on for Vigiani and Cozza.

Juventus won a big match last week when they took care of AS Roma in the derby by a score of 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino. With the win the vecchia signora have climbed to within 1 point of Roma in 3^rd place of Serie A. This week while Reggina do appear to be a club that Juve should be able to handle, manager Claudio Ranieri will be missing a number of players. The list of unavailable players includes Buffon, Andrade, Marchionni, Zebina, Iaquinta and Trezeguet. In the case of Trezeguet, he is the club’s and Serie A’s leading scorer with 15 goals to date. Look for Grygera, Sissoko, Del Piero and Palladino to come into the starting eleven.

Juventus are currently in superb form having gone unbeaten since the month of October while Reggina don’t appear capable of beating anyone these days. However, Juve will be missing key players at many different positions including their top striker and their starting keeper. In addition, la vecchia signora have won only 5 of 11 matches away from home and a prone to drawing. Therefore, Reggina should at least be able to keep it close though Juventus overall class should get them the three points.

Prediction: Juventus (1-2)

Roma vs Reggina

Reggina will have it all to do this week as they visit the mighty AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Roma will be looking to get back on track after having their 13 match unbeaten run snapped last week.

Roma suffered a shock defeat away to Siena by a score of 3-0 at the MPS Arena in week 21. The pressure was on Roma to continue winning in order to keep pace with Inter Milan but the loss sees them lose significant ground in the league table. The side managed by Spalletti now remain in second place with 45 points but are 8 points back of 1^st place Inter and just 4 ahead of the steady Juventus. The good news for the giallorossi this week is that they will be back at home and with just 1 injury concern as Brazilian defender Juan remains sidelined. They are set to go with their usual 4-2-3-1 with Francesco Totti as the lone striker. He leads the club with 10 goals so far.

Reggina continued their troubled campaign with yet another loss at home, this time by a score of 1-3 to Torino at the Oreste Granillo. The loss leaves them in 18^th place of the Serie A table with 18 points, 1 back of 17^th place Parma. If the season were to end today they would make the drop to Serie B. Their winless run now stands at 3 matches. This week manager Renzo Ulivieri could give new signing Makinwa from Lazio a chance to make his debut for the club. The two players ruled out are Garcia and Joelson while top scorer Amoruso is expected to return to the starting eleven. This would slide Brienza back over to the bench.

Reggina would have had a better chance in this match if Roma were still on their undefeated run. Having lost last week expect Roma to come out completely focused as they look to make up lost ground.

Prediction: Roma (2-0)

Empoli vs Reggina

Empoli host Reggina at the Stadio Carlo Castellani in a battle of clubs fighting to stave off relegation. The two clubs are located within the bottom 4 slots of the Serie A league table and every point left up for grabs this season is vital for each of them. Scoring goals has come at a premium for the two sides as they have combined to score just 27 between them. That figure is less than what Inter Milan, Roma, and Juventus have scored on their own.

Alberto Malesani’s side come into this match off of a 2-2 draw away to Udinese at the Stadio Friuli during the last match of 2007. The draw extends their unbeaten run to a modest 3 matches. They are currently in 17^th place of Serie A with 15 points, just 1 point ahead of Siena and the relegation zone and just behind 16^th place Livorno on goal difference. The main injury concern at this time is left side midfielder Marchisio who is dealing with an ankle injury. Should he not be able to go Uruguayan veteran Guillermo Giacomazzi would take his place. Striker Mcheldlidze is still in his home country of Georgia and not available. The rest of the squad is available, allowing Malesani to go with a 4-3-2-1 featuring Luca Saudati as the lone striker.

Reggina have fared even worse than Empoli this season. Presently they sit in the 19^th spot of the Serie A table with 13 points on the year, 1 back of Siena and only 3 ahead of cellar dwellers Cagliari. They do however come into this contest on a positive note having defeated Catania in their last match by a score of 3-1. That victory snapped a 3 match stretch that had seen them go scoreless. This match presents them with a golden opportunity as a victory would see them leap-frog over Empoli and possibly out of the relegation zone. There are a number of confirmed absences at this time in Garcia, Hallfredsson and Joelson while Aronica is out suspended. Cirillo was slated to make his debut for the club in place of Aronica but his international transfer has not been received. Manager Renzo Ulivieri’s certainly has a number of problems to overcome this week as at the last moment he announced in a press conference that the club’s top striker, Amoruso with 5 goals, will not make the trip to Empoli for undisclosed reasons.

Reggina have a number of key absences this week and Amoruso’s absence in particular will be very hard to overcome. In addition, they have yet to win a match away from home this year. Look for Empoli to build on their 3 match unbeaten run and get the job done this week.

Prediction: Empoli (1-0)

Sampdoria vs Reggina

Sampdoria host Reggina in a battle of clubs struggling to find their best form. Sampdoria had much higher expectations at the beginning of the season but have had a hard time stringing victories together. Reggina are in the thick of the relegation battle and doing their best to hover above the bottom 3.

The blucerchiati are coming off of a disappointing loss away to 16^th place Livorno in their last match by a score of 3-1 at the Stadio Armando Picchi. The loss was step back for Mazzari’s side as they had bounced back nicely from the 0-5 humiliation at home to AC Milan to post back to back 3-0 wins over Cagliari and Empoli.They are now in tenth place of the league table with 17 points.

Renzo Ulivieri’s Reggina outfit were held to a 0-0 draw at home in their Round 13 match to Fiorentina at the Oreste Granillo. While a draw at home is not usually considered a positive result, given Reggina’s delicate situation in the Serie A table they will take whatever they can get. The draw extended their unbeaten run to 3 straight matches during which they have conceded just 1 goal. Reggina are now in 17^th place with 10 points.

Reggina have some positive news this week on the injury front. Club captain Ciccio Cozza is just about ready to return from injury and should be available off of the bench. The most important development, however, is the return of Lanzaro to the back line. This will allow Ulivieri to slot Aronica on the left, Uruguayan Carlos Valdez in the center, and Lanzaro on the right of a 3 man back line as Reggina switch back to their 3-5-2 set. Their top striker is Amoruso with 5 goals and he is a confirmed starter.

The Sampdoria injury situation is a bit more cluttered. For starters, both Montella and Delvecchio remain out. The good news is that Antonio Cassano has resumed training at full strength and could start on the bench. They look to keep their 3-4-2-1 with top goal scorer Bellucci starting just behind Caracciolo upfront.

Save for the debacle against AC Milan, Sampdoria have been fairly consistent at home with 3 victories and 2 draws in the remaining 5 matches. After losing away to Livorno last week they owe it to their supporters to come back with a strong performance. Livorno are winless in 6 road matches this season having picked up 4 draws and 2 losses along the way. Samp should find a way to get the job done this week.

 

Prediction: Samp hold serve at home 2-1