Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 23/10
Bookmaker: bet365
AC Milan and Fiorentina will stand against each other at the condemned stadium of San Siro on Sunday evening, in what will be the sixth game of the Serie A season for either team.
Once upon a time, not so long go, a clash between these teams was considered among the derbies of the league. Now, however, both are struggling to come even close to what they once were.
AC Milan
Led by Marco Giampaolo, who succeeded club legend Gennaro Gattuso in the managerial post, Milan started the season with a defeat away to Udinese. Just as it seemed they would bounce back after they beat Brescia at home and Verona away, they sank again by losing the Milan Derby to Inter and then away to Torino.
Therefore, their current tally is six points from five games, which puts them in 13th place. Not something usually expected from a seven-time European champions, but the tide has indeed turned for the worse for the Rossoneri since the days of Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Filippo Inzaghi or Andriy Shevchenko. They are struggling at the moment even to attract the biggest talents these days, despite the club’s glorious history.
Team News
Giampaolo will be without the services of Pepe Reina, with the second-choice goalkeeper serving a one-match ban after receiving a red card for dissent against Torino. Defender Mattia Caldara is out with a knee injury, while winger Lucas Paqueta is back in training and will be assessed ahead of the game.
Fiorentina
As has already been said, Fiorentina aren’t doing too well themselves. Just like with Milan, the days of the football greats who used to don their shirt are gone for the time being – Gabriel Batistuta, Manuel Rui Costa, Predrag Mijatovic, Francesco Toldo, Enrico Chiesa, and numerous others.
Their Serie A campaign began with a seven-goal thriller which they ended up on the wrong side of at home against Napoli. Another defeat followed, away to Genoa, before things started taking an upwards turn. A draw at home against champions Juventus came next, followed by another one away to Atalanta. On Wednesday they finally discovered what it means to win when Sampdoria came to visit.
Team News
Defender Jacob Rasmussen, who is only 22 years old, is likely to miss this game as he’s currently battling a bout of illness. Head coach Vincenzo Montella, who is currently in his second spell in charge of the club and was at one point at Milan, has no other players missing from his squad.
Conclusion
With neither of the two teams looking very convincing so far this season, it’s not easy to judge when, or indeed, if, one of them will snap out of the stupor and go on a winning streak. However, at the moment, and despite the table standings, Fiorentina seem perhaps more likely to improve their results in the near future and climb up the ladder, and what better place to start the revival than away to AC Milan. A bold prediction, but it may be worth a punt.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 23/10
Bookmaker: bet365
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