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)

Udinese vs Fiorentina

Udinese and Fiorentina face-off in a match up between clubs that are coming off of victories at home in week 30. This home match for Udinese represents their last remaining chance to make a move on Fiorentina’s coveted 4^th place spot in the league table.

Udinese held serve at home over Livorno last week by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio Friuli. The victory leaves Udinese in 6^th place of Serie A with 47 points. They are 1 point ahead of 7^th place Sampdoria and 2 points back of 5^th place AC Milan. However, a victory over Fiorentina in this contest would see them move to within 3 points of 4^th place. Fiorentina are the club that Udinese would need to catch in order to have a shot at the Champions League. With their victory over Livorno the side managed by Marino have won 2 straight without conceding a goal and are unbeaten over their last 5 games with 3 wins and 2 draws. The problems this week for Marino is that there are a number of injury concerns at the back. Udinese usually employee a 3 man back line and this week both Zapata and Felipe are out. Therefore, look for Lukovic, Zapotocny and Ferronetti to start in defense as well as 3 strikers upfront in Di Natale, Quagliarella and Pepe.

The visiting Fiorentina were winners at home last week as well when they held serve by a score of 1-0 over Lazio at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. That win leaves the side managed by Cesare Prandelli in 4^th place of Serie A with 53 points. They are 5 points back of 3^rd place Juventus and 4 points ahead of AC Milan. Fiorentina have now won 3 matches to go with 2 losses over their past 5 games. Now they hit the road where they have lost their last 2 against Siena and Napoli while not scoring a goal. Fiorentina have important absences in attack this week where Adrian Mutu and Liverani are both out suspended while Gamberini and Semioli are injured. The viola look set to maintain their 4-3-3 as Jorgensen returns to the right back position. Montolivo and Donadei will start in midfield with Pazzini, Osvaldo and Santana upfront.

Udinese come into this contest as the most in form squad of the two. Fiorentina were one of the top sides playing away form home for much of the season but have begun to struggle of late. Udinese have always been consistent at home despite not having had the Colombian Zapata in defense for much of the last month and a half they have still played strong defensively. The absence of Mutu and Liverani could prove more costly to Fiorentina.

Prediction: Udinese (2-1)

Udinese vs Lazio

An injury plagued Udinese will look to build off of their draw away from home last week when they return to the Stadio Friuli and face-off against SS Lazio. Lazio are coming off of an important win at home and their recent improved form has put them within a point of cracking the top 10 of the Serie A table.

Udinese come into this match in 6^th place of the Serie A league table with 40 points. This leaves them 6 points back of 5th place AC Milan while holding a 1 point edge on 7^th place Sampdoria. The side managed by Marino are currently in line for a place in the first round of the UEFA Cup. The friuliani are coming off of a 1-1 draw away to Palermo last week at the Renzo Barbera and have now posted 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses over their past 5 games. The injured list remains cluttered this week with De Martino, Asamoah, Obodo, Zapata all out. In addition, Mesto is also expected to be unavailable and Ferronetti looks set to take his spot on the right side of midfield. Look for Dossena to come on to cover the left flank and Quagliarella to get the start at the center forward position. To his credit, Marino continues to use the 3-5-2 system despite the absence of Zapata from the back line.

The much improved Lazio are coming off of a 2-0 victory at home to Livorno at the Stadio Olimpico. With the victory the biancocelesti are in 11^th place of the league table with 33 points. They sit 1 point back of 10^th place Atalanta and just ahead of 12^th place Napoli on goal difference. That victory extended Lazio’s unbeaten run to 3 straight and they have conceded just 2 goals over their last 5 matches. This week manager Delio Rossi is expected to employ some type of turnover given the big derby match coming up against Roma in the middle of next week. Therefore, look for Goran Pandev to start on the bench and this may also be the case for Behrami. Siviglia and Cribari are expected to form the center back partnership in defense while Mutarelli, Del Nero and Zauri are out injured.

While Lazio have improved of late they have still only managed 1 win away from home all season. Also, much of that improvement has been due to the good work defensively and with at least some turnover expected this week it is hard to say how Lazio’s 4-3-1-2 will function. Udinese have hardly played like world beaters at home and they do have some important absences, but they have still managed 6 wins and 3 draws from 13 matches and should be good enough to hold serve against Lazio.

Prediction: Udinese (2-1)

Palermo vs Udinese

Palermo play host to Udinese as they open up week 27 in Serie A. Palermo were able to hold out for a draw on the road last week while Udinese are coming off of an important win at home which keeps their chances of qualifying for the Champions League alive.

The side managed by Francesco Guidolin are currently in 9^th place of the league table with 35 points on the year. This leaves them just behind Genoa on goal difference and 1 point ahead of 9^th place Atalanta. The draw gives Palermo 4 points from their last 2 matches and they have not conceded a goal over those last 2 games. On the injury front, Capuano is the only confirmed absence though top striker Amauri is not at 100% fitness and so is not expected to start this week. He will be replaced by Uruguayan Edison Cavani who will start alongside Bresciano. Balzaretti will sit out suspended.

Udinese were able to bounce back nicely from their loss away to Parma in their prior match to return home and hold serve over the pesky Atalanta by a score of 2-0 at the Stadio Friuli. Thanks to the win the side managed by Marino are now 6^th in Serie A with 39 points on the year. They are 4 points back of 5^th place AC Milan and sit 3 points ahead of 7^th place Sampdoria. They have posted 2 wins and 3 losses over their past 5 matches. There are big injury concerns once again this week for the friuliani as top defender Christian Zapata remains out injured along with De Martino, Asamoah, and Obodo. Zapotocny and Dossena are out suspended. Late word is that defender Lukovic has some aches and pains but he is still expected to make the start in the back line formed by himself, Felipe and Coda.

These two sides are pretty well matched up and separated by only 4 points in the Serie A league table. It will all come down to who is on a better day and the absence of Zapata in the back line could loom large in this contest as Marino is married to the 3 man defense. Palermo should be able to pull this one out at home.

Prediction: Palermo (1-0)

Udinese vs Atalanta

Udinese have really hit hard times of late and will be hoping to find the right balance at home as they face off against Atalanta at the Stadio Friuli in week 26. Atalanta were big winners last week and will look to build off of the performance this week.

The side managed by Marino were beaten away to Parma on their visit to the Stadio Ennio Tardini by a score 2-0. That was their 4^th loss in the last 5 matches during which they have conceded 13 goals. Part of the reason for the struggles has been the loss of Colombian center back Zapata. He is the player who organizes the Udinese back line and consequently the most important player in their 3 man back line system. At this time he is expected to miss out once more. Still, despite all their recent struggles the friuliani are still in a very respectable 6^th place of the Serie A table with 36 points. They are 1 point up on 7^th place Sampdoria and 6 points back of 5^th place AC Milan. Notwithstanding injuries to the aforementioned Zapata along with De Martino, Asamoah, Obodo and Mesto, Marino will stick with the 3-4-3 with Lukovic, Felipe and Zapotocny forming the defense. Meanwhile, Handanovic returns in goal for Chimenti.

Atalanta were absolutely brilliant during their midweek match at home to Sampdoria as they scored a comfortable 4-1 victory. It was their 2^nd win over their last 5 matches to go along with 2 draws and 1 loss. Even more impressive is that they are averaging at least 2 goals a match over that stretch with 11 scored overall. With the 3 points the bergamaschi are now in 9^th place of the league table with 34 points. They sit just ahead of 10^th place Palermo on goal difference and 1 point behind 8^th place Genoa. The injured list this week for manager Gigi Del Neri consists of Carrozzieri, Bellini, Costinha, and Forsyth. Brazilian Ferreira Pinto will make the start on the right side of midfield, with the club’s best player Doni starting behind Floccari in attack.

This will be a very tough match for Udinese despite it taking place in their home park. They do not match up well against the very creative attack of Atlanta and the numbers spell it out clearly. Udinese have conceded 13 goals over their last 5 matches while Atalanta have scored 11 during the same span. Udinese will need to improve immensely on the defensive end just to have a chance.

Prediction: Atalanta (1-2)

Udinese vs Genoa

Udinese are back home at the Stadio Friuli hoping to build off of an important win they picked up last week over Reggina. They will be hosting a Genoa outfit who will be trying to clear their system of a disappointing derby loss to Sampdoria at home.

Udinese were able to defeat Reggina by a score of 1-3 on the road at the Stadio Oreste Granillo. With that win they were able to snap a 2 match losing streak and put an end to a 4 match winless run which had seen them lose 3 times. They are in 6^th place of the Serie A table with 36 points. They sit 2 point behind 5^th place AC Milan and 2 ahead of 7^th place Sampdoria. Manager Marino has more than a few injury concerns this week as De Martino, Asamoah, Obodo and Mesto are all out while Colombian defender Zapata is doubtful. Pepe rounds out the list of players unavailable as he serves a suspension.

Genoa are in 10^th place of the league table with 29 points for the season. This leaves them 1 point behind Atalanta and 2 ahead of the fading Napoli as a result of the derby loss to Sampdoria by a score of 0-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Manager Gasperini will have to make due without two players this week as Wilson is injured and Danilo will be serving a one match suspension. Look for Il Grifone to go with a 3-4-3 formation- matching Udinese- with Sculli, Borriello and the Honduran international Leon in attack.

It’s hard to find a side with an edge in this match. Genoa have lost only 4 of 11 matches on the road this season while Udinese have dropped 3 of 11 at home. Neither side is setting Serie A on fire at this time in terms of their overall form, but Genoa could have a slight edge if Zapata is not able to start as he is crucial to the Udinese 3 man back line system. That could be the factor that tips this match in Genoa’s favor for their 4^th road win of the year.

Prediction: Genoa (1-2)

Udinese vs Juventus

Udinese face a stern challenge at home in Round 22 as they will take on a Juventus outfit who are unbeaten in their last 12 matches. The friuliani were beaten on the road week ago while Juve come in off of a tough draw at home.

Udinese’s last match saw them lost out to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo by a score 3-1. With the loss the side managed by Marino have fallen to 6^th place in the Serie A league table with 33 points on the present campaign. They are even on points with 5^th place AC Milan and sit just behind them on goal difference. Udinese’s winless run has now reached 3 consecutive matches during which they have scored just 1 goal. There will be a number of players missing this week due to both injury and suspension. De Martino, Pinzi, Asamoah, Obodo and Mesto are all out, while Pepe and Felipe are out suspended. Coda is expected to come in to the back line along with Lokovic and the Colombian Zapata. Floro Flores will come on for Pepe in attack.

Juve were extremely frustrated last week as they failed to take the points at home to last place Cagliari and were held to a 1-1 draw. Coupled with Roma’s loss at Siena, the bianconeri could have gained ground on the second place squad. Instead, Claudio Ranieri’s club remain in 3^rd place with 41 points. They are 4 points ahead of 4^th place Fiorentina and 4 points back of AS Roma. On the injury front, Andrade, Marchionni and Vanstrattan have been ruled out, while Stendardo is suspended. The good news is that top keeper Buffon is expected to return to the starting eleven from his long absence due to injury.

These are two evenly match clubs for the most part, but Juventus seem to have the edge this week in terms of fitness and availability of players. Playing with a 3 man back line away to Juve certainly seems risky especially with Trezeguet leading the league in scoring with 15 goals.

Prediction: Juventus (1-0)

Napoli vs Udinese

Napoli are back home at the Stadio San Paolo to take on and Udinese outfit who are currently in line for UEFA Champions League position. The two sides have struggled of late however and have combined for just 1 win over their last 10 matches respectively.

The partenopei have been slipping up of late and have gone winless over their last 5 matches. Things reached a new low in week 20 when they lost away to last place Cagliari by a score of 2-1 at the Stadio Sant’Elia. The loss drops Reja’s club to 11^th place in Serie A with 24 points for the season. They are 1 point up on Catania and 1 point back of Genoa. This is a very troubling league position given that they had been within the top 7 clubs of the league table for most of the season. The injury list for Napoli this week includes Savini, Domizzi, Cupi and Iezzo while Reja has confirmed he’ll stay with the 3-5-2. Marcelo Zalayeta and Ezequiel Lavezzi will start in attack.

Udinese were held to a 0-0 draw at home in their last match to league leaders Inter Milan at the Stadio Friuli. The draw drops the side managed by Marino to 5^th place in the Serie A with 33 points. They sit 4 points back of Fiorentina and 3 ahead of the resurgent AC Milan. Marino has been doing a great job this season and the side is well within striking distance of a UEFA Champions League spot despite a current run which has seen them win just 1 match from their last 5 played. Asamoah remains out with Ghana at the African Cup of Nations, while it has been confirmed that right side midfielder Mesto will be out for up to 2 months. Ferronetti is set to take his spot on the right flank. De Martino, Pinzi and Obodo round out the list of players who will not be available due to injury. There are no suspension concerns.

Napoli really need to win this match. The two sides are pretty even in terms of talent and strength but it is the home side that need the points in order to snap their slide. Udinese are winless over their last 2 matches without scoring a goal and have scored just once in their last 3 matches. Look for Napoli, and Lavezzi in particular, to pull through in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: Napoli (2-1)

Udinese vs Inter Milan

It doesn’t get any easier for Udinese this week. After having to take on AC Milan at home last week they now are up against Inter and face the very real possibility of dropping 6 points in their own stadium in 7 days. Inter continue to steam roll over the competition and enter this contest as the only side in Serie A yet to lose a match.

The side managed by Marino are in 5^th place of the league table with 32 points on the present campaign. They are 2 points back of 4^th place Fiorentina while enjoying a 7 point edge on 6^th place Atalanta. The come into this match off of a 0-1 loss to Milan a week ago at the Stadio Friuli. They are winners of just 1 of their last 4 matches and now must pull out all the spots to try and upset the mighty Inter. The good news is that apart from Asamoah the rest of the usual starters are available this week. Left side fullback Lukovic did have some muscular discomfort this week but appears set to make the start.

Inter Milan just continue their mastery over the rest of Serie A. They held serve at home against Parma in their last Serie A match by a score of 3-2 at the San Siro and then followed that up with a victory over their hated rivals of Juventus in the Coppa Italia. They are in first place in the league table with 49 points, 7 points ahead of second place Roma. Even more impressive than their point total however, is the fact that in just half a season they already posted 6 victories on the road. Roberto Mancini’s club have been able to absorb numerous injuries such as the ones that have kept Francesco Toldo, Luis Figo, and Walter Samuel out for long stretches but just continue to sail along. In strikers Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz they has shown to have what is perhaps the most in form pair of strikers in Europe.

It is certainly a daunting task for Udinese this week as the fixture list calls for them to play both Milan clubs back to back. Expect them to play much better than they did against Milan, but Inter are no pushovers. The neroazzurri will do enough to draw the match if not win.

Prediction: Draw (1-1)

Fiorentina vs Udinese

Fiorentina have been the surprise of the season in Serie A. A combination of grit, determination, and excellent production from key players has manager Cesare Prandelli’s side just 2 points back of league leaders Inter Milan through 11 rounds. The side from the Stadio Communale are one of only 3 unbeaten sides in the first division and are currently in the middle of a stretch that has seen them not concede a goal over 4 straight matches. As if that were not impressive enough, the Viola are coming off of a 6-1 slaughter of Elfsborg in their midweek UEFA Cup match. That victory extended their unbeaten run between Serie A and Europe to 21 consecutive matches.

The strong defensive effort is not to say that Fiorentina do not have a better than average attack. On the contrary, the combination of Montolivo and Romanian Adrian Mutu along with veteran Christian Vieri off of the bench gives opposing defenses fits. They have posted a very impressive goal difference of 18 scored with just 7 conceded. This week they are in for a challenge however as the visiting Udinese are quite the pesky side. They are currently on a 6 match unbeaten run and have conceded just 4 goals in 6 road matches in the present campaign. The strong work of Colombian center back Zapata has really fortified their back line.

The two sides come into their Round 12 matches with some injury concerns. Fiorentina right back Dainelli is not 100% and thus is listed as doubtful. If he cannot make the start, Kroldrup will come in to play alongside Ujfalusi. This was the modification that Prandelli employed against Elsborg earlier in the week and it got the job done. Meanwhile, the visitors are without their cultured right side midfielder Mesto who is out for two weeks with an injury. He will be replaced on the flank by Zapotocny.

With the clubs seemingly so evenly matched, and both sporting impressive defensive results to this point it is difficult to see one club having the edge over the other. Fiorentina a surely tough to beat at home but if anyone can match their tenacity on the defensive end it is the Friuli.

Prediction: Draw (0-0)