Saturday March 5th 2011, 7.45pm GMT (live on ESPN)
As mentioned in the round-up of last weekend’s Serie A action here, Juventus coach Luigi Del Neri will soon feel the pressure which comes with his position if results don’t improve for the Turin side. “The defeat against Bologna is difficult to comment upon,” he said after last week’s loss to Bologna. “We are sorry. This season has been a year of tension and suffering.”
By comparison, life for Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has been much better in his first season at the club. He saw his team lose 2-1 to Juve at the San Siro in October, but the Rossoneri have lost just once in Serie A since then. Their comprehensive win over Napoli on Monday gives them a five-point cushion at the top of the table, and after this game they will turn their attentions to overturning a 1-0 scoreline against Tottenham in the Champions League next week.
Juve have lost four of their last six games, though their erratic form has seen them raise their efforts for fixtures with bigger clubs in the past. They followed a 0-0 draw with Bologna with a 2-1 win over Milan at the San Siro the last time these two met on October 31st. Hasan Salihamidzic, Mohamed Sissoko, Alberto Aquilani and Fabio Grosso will miss out due to injury for Juventus while Simone Pepe is suspended.
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| Pato scored one and set up another against Napoli on Monday |
The result of this game depends on a few intangibles: can Juve lift themselves for a big game once again? Has Del Neri lost the faith of his players? Will Milan prioritise their Champions League fixture on Wednesday over this game? I am wary of tipping against the Bianconeri given their wildly unpredictable form, but I was sufficiently impressed with their performance on Monday – in particular that of Alexandre Pato – to risk a small stake on another victory for Milan.
Prediction – AC Milan to win – 2pts
Match odds: Juventus 2/1
Draw 11/5
AC Milan 13/10
Juventus: Last 5 Serie A Results
26.02.2011 – Juventus 0-2 Bologna
20.02.2011 – Lecce 2-0 Juventus
13.02.2011 – Juventus 1-0 Inter
05.02.2011 – Cagliari 1-3 Juventus
02.02.2011 – Palermo 2-1 Juventus
AC Milan: Last 5 Serie A Results
28.02.2011 – AC Milan 3-0 Napoli
20.02.2011 – Chievo 1-2 AC Milan
12.02.2011 – AC Milan 4-0 Parma
06.02.2011 – Genoa 1-1 AC Milan
01.02.2011 – AC Milan 0-0 Lazio
