Champions Milan still have a lot to play for if they are to salvage an underwhelming campaign in Serie A this season as they take on relegated Sampdoria at the San Siro on Saturday.
A run of just one victory in their last six has seen the Rossoneri’s season crash and burn at the last. However, there is still time to recover in Serie A with three games to go. A 1-0 defeat against rivals Inter in the Champions League semi-final midweek sealed a disappointing 3-0 aggregate loss but they must regroup now to save their season.
Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat away to Spezia resulted in talks with the Curva Sud for the Milan squad and head coach Stefano Pioli and the threat of no Champions League football next season is real as they currently sit some way off the rest of the top-four. Realistically, they need to take maximum points from their remaining fixtures if they are to qualify for Europe’s top competition next term.
That starts with what should be an easy meeting with Sampdoria who have already been relegated from the Italian top flight. A 1-1 draw at home to Empoli put an end to three consecutive defeats for the Blucerchiati but they are still without a victory in any of their previous eight matches.
Playing either home or away has made no impact for Sampdoria this season since they have the worst record in the division for both. However, it has been more taxing at the back when on their travels since they have the joint-worst defensive record in the division, conceding 36 goals in 17 games.
The same cannot be said for the home side here, nonetheless, since Milan have excelled when playing on their own turf this season. They currently have the fourth best home record in the league and have lost just once in their last ten across all competitions.
Milan have won all three of their last encounters with Sampdoria, picking up a 2-1 win at Stadio Luigi Ferraris last September thanks to goals from Junior Messias and Olivier Giroud. The Rossoneri recorded a 1-0 triumph in their last meeting at the San Siro.
Rafael Leao returned to action on Tuesday following an issue with his adductor. He should be good to go once again here and his form will be crucial for Milan’s season outcome. Mike Maignan has also been pivotal for the Rossoneri this term and his fine form has seen him labelled as arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.
Manolo Gabbiadini leads the way atop the goalscoring charts for the visitors this season but he has failed to hit the back of the net since March in what was the club’s last victory.
Ismael Bennacer has been ruled out for the season for Milan after sustaining a knee injury against Inter recently. He is a huge miss for the Rossoneri in the middle of midfield. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still working on his recovery from a calf injury so remains a doubt.
Mehdi Leris, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Ignacio Pussetto, Andrea Conti and Emil Audero are all unlikely to feature for the away side in this one since they have been dealing with injury issues of late.
UK fans can watch the Serie A clash live on BT Sport 1 and through the BT Sport app.
Expert Insight: Milan will be desperate to return to winning ways and rescue their season. That starts off with what should be a simple task against a Sampdoria side devoid of any sort of confidence. The Rossoneri are strong at home too so expect them to triumph in this one.
Serie A
UEFA Europa League