AC Milan vs Genoa Preview

PROBABLE LINEUPS

AC MILAN AbbiatiBonera, Nesta, Yepes, Antonini, Nocerino, Van Bommel, Muntari  Emanuelson Ibrahimovic, El Shaarawy

GENOA Frey Mesto, Granqvist, Carvalho, Bovo Rossi, Veloso, Kucka, Sculli Ze Eduardo, Palacio

AC Milan had many walking-wounded during the 1-0 over Chievo, but the situation is less dire for coach Massimiliano Allegri for the clash at San Siro.

Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has a foot problem, but is expected to feature nonetheless, while defender Daniele Bonera and midfielder Alberto Aquilani return from suspension with the former slotting in at right-back. However, veteran Massimo Ambrosini and centre-back Thiago Silva are sidelined due to injury.

Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel has recovered to play at the heart of midfield, but playmaker Kevin-Prince Boateng and striker Alexandre Pato are still not available. Thus, Stephan El Shaarawy looks set to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front with Robinho, Antonio Cassano, and Maxi Lopez all options off the bench.

Genoa's situation seems to be getting worse by the week as the coaching reappointment of Alberto Malesani, following the sacking of Pasquale Marino, has done little to lift their form and they now sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Former Milan man Kakha Kaladze is injured along with midfielder Kevin Constant, while Fernando Belluschi and left-back Emiliano Moretti are both suspended.

Another ex-Rossonero, striker Alberto Gilardino, could find himself on the bench to start this one in favour of Ze Eduardo who could partner the club's top-scorer Rodrigo Palacio upfront.

DID YOU KNOW?

• AC Milan have lost just one of their last six matches against Genoa, a 1-0 reverse in May 2010.

• Star striker Ibrahimovic leads the Serie A scoring charts with 23 goals.

• Allegri's men have let in nine goals at home this season, less than any other Serie A team.

• Genoa have not won in their previous 10 matches, their last victory coming February 5 against Lazio.

• The Grifone have the worst defensive record in the top flight this season, having conceded 58 times.

• Gilardino has scored three goals in 11 appearances since his winter move from Fiorentina.

Head to Head

Italy - Serie A ‎(ITA1)‎	Dec 2, 2011	Genoa 0 - AC Milan 2
Italy - Serie A ‎(ITA1)‎	Feb 6, 2011	Genoa 1 - AC Milan 1
Italy - Serie A ‎(ITA1)‎	Sep 25, 2010	AC Milan 1 - Genoa 0
Italy - Serie A ‎(ITA1)‎	May 9, 2010	Genoa 1 - AC Milan 0
Italy - Serie A ‎(ITA1)‎	Jan 6, 2010	AC Milan 5 - Genoa 2

Last Five Matches

AC Milan
Apr 10, 2012	Chievo 0 - AC Milan 1	ITA1
Apr 7, 2012	AC Milan 1 - Fiorentina 2	ITA1
Apr 3, 2012	FC Barcelona 3 - AC Milan 1	UCL
Mar 31, 2012	Catania 1 - AC Milan 1	ITA1
Mar 28, 2012	AC Milan 0 - FC Barcelona 0	UCL

Genoa
Apr 11, 2012	Genoa 1 - Cesena 1	ITA1
Apr 7, 2012	Novara 1 - Genoa 1	ITA1
Apr 1, 2012	FC Internazionale 5 - Genoa 4	ITA1
Mar 25, 2012	Genoa 2 - Fiorentina 2	ITA1
Mar 19, 2012	Roma 1 - Genoa 0	ITA1

Players to Watch

Sulley Ali Muntari
POSITION:	Midfielder
SQUAD NUMBER:	11

GAMES	GOALS	YC	RC
8	2	5	0

The Ghana international has been a welcome boost to the midfield since arriving on loan from the Nerazzuri and was the hero on Tuesday as his vicious long range strike secured a 1-0 win at Chievo. His defensive and attacking contributions have given Allegri's side more bite in the centre of the pitch.

R. Palacio
POSITION:	Striker
SQUAD NUMBER:	8

GAMES	GOALS	YC	RC
27	17	6	0

The Argentine has been the only one able to consistently provide a threat for Malesani's side and despite the team's slump, still has three goals in his last four matches. If Genoa are to get a shock result, it is likely the former Boca Juniors star will be at the heart of the effort.

Prediction

Genoa nearly pulled off a shocking comeback on their last trip to San Siro, a 5-4 loss to Inter, but Milan do not have the defensive issues that have plagued their city rivals and Allegri's men should see off the visitors, despite their desperation to avoid relegation, with relative ease.

Chievo 0-1 AC Milan: Below-par Rossoneri dig deep to go top of Serie A thanks to Muntari's first-half strike

The Ghanaian midfielder netted a vital winner for the champions, who have ended their winless run and will now look to resume their title tussle with Juventus in the coming weeks

AC Milan's pursuit of the Serie A title is back on track, but they were made to work hard to record a 1-0 victory over Chievo at the Bentegodi on Tuesday.

An early strike from Sulley Muntari was enough for the Rossoneri to return to the summit, and although an uncomfortable night was endured by the Milanese outfit, they ground out the victory to edge two points clear of Juventus, having played a game more.

The champions gave a first league start of the season to Mattia De Sciglio at left-back, while Gennaro Gattuso was welcomed back into the XI for the first time since September as the visitors' injury problems were made plain. But even he failed to provide inspiration to what was a lacklustre Milan display.

An uncertain beginning to the match saw Massimiliano Allegri's men frequently squander possession, with Michael Bradley and Co doing their utmost to unsettle thei lethargic visitors, who struggled to stamp their authority.
But they were able to claim an early advantage. A counterattack led by Robinho found team-mate Muntari, who, helped by a bobble, fired a low shot from distance past Stefano Sorrentino for the lead.

However, the goal did not act as a tonic for Allegri's side, and Chievo will have been deeply disappointed not to have found the equaliser before the interval. 

Frenchman Cyril Thereau was presented with a headed opportunity following Luca Rigoni's good work, but Christian Abbiati played a key role in ensuring his net was not exploited throughout the encounter.

Robinho again flattered to deceive in a Milan jersey, but he came agonisingly close to doubling the lead for his side after some magnificent individual play. The Brazilian shifted past Francesco Acerbi, but his left-footed strike came a whisker away from beating Sorrentino.

The status quo was carried over into the second half, as Chievo again dominated much of the play. They restarted with two more chances, but Bradley's strike was straight at Abbiati, while Sergio Pellissier failed to make the rebound count, blazing hopelessly over the bar.

The Flying Donkeys' endeavour showed no signs of abating, and the introduction of Luciano promised more inventive football from the hosts. However, Milan remained rigid in their approach and continued to keep the result in their favour.

The remainder of the contest saw opportunities at a premium. Domenico Di Carlo's men did not throw in the towel and did their best to salvage what they could, but Pellissier, who tried his best to act as a target man, had little to work with.

Alessandro Nesta's handball in the box was the only other noteworthy incident, but the defender threw up his arm for an offside call, which referee Paolo Valeri correctly agreed with.

The hosts' last action saw them find the net in injury time, but the effort was adjudged to be offside, and Milan now move two points clear of arch-rivals Juventus at the top of Serie A, with the Turin giants facing Lazio on Wednesday.

Allegri: Serie A title wide open between AC Milan and Juventus

The trainer was not too disheartened by Saturday's defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, pointing out that there was plenty of football still to be played in 2011-12

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has insisted that he is not concerned with his team's Scudetto chances following a last-minute defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, although he admitted that the result had thrown the Serie A title race wide open. 

The previous leaders saw a two-point advantage at the summit evaporate on Saturday afternoon, as Amauri's 89th minute strike condemned the Rossoneri to a 2-1 reverse at San Siro. The result was made even worse thanks to Juventus, who overcame Palermo 2-0 away from home to overtake their rivals at the top. 

Speaking after the game, Allegri confessed that the defeat was a blow to his team, but pointed out that there was still a lot of football to be played before the Scudetto's destiny would be decided. 

"We have to accept this result, in the knowledge that there are still lots of games remaining and everything remains wide open. It has not been a great week, but we have to bounce back because we still have everything to play for," the coach told reporters, also referring to the club's midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona. 

Milan favourite Antonio Cassano gave the club a silver lining in the clouds which had gathered over San Siro, as he made an appearance for the first time in five months. Allegri concluded the conference by stating that he expected the former Sampdoria man to keep improving as he picked up more minutes on the pitch. 

"Today [Antonio] played a quarter-hour, it will take time because he is lacking match fitness but he is training and progressing very well," he explained. 

Milan now trail Juventus by one point at the top of Serie A, with seven games remaining.

Iniesta called to give me encouragement, reveals Cassano

The AC Milan forward confessed he had no idea how much people cared about him prior to his health scare in October, but added he is now ready to make up for lost time

The 29-year-old's career looked in jeopardy following a bout of cerebal ischemia on the flight home from AC Milan's 3-2 win over Roma on October 29, but he admitted that the compassion shown to him was a crucial factor in his recovery.

"Iniesta called me [before my operation]," Cassano told Studio Sport. "It was then when I realised how many people cared about me."

Cassano was given the green light to resume his football career on Tuesday after passing his latest round of medical examinations, and the Italy international says his main priority now is to make sure he can restore his reputation in the game.

"I want people to remember the good Cassano, not the one who provoked sympathy," he affirmed. "To hurt others is what I hate most."

He also spoke of his desire to return to first-team action and stated to Il Corriere dello Sport: "I have incredible enthusiasm, if I could play for [Massimiliano] Allegri, I'd fly. I'm ready, I want to help Milan win the Scudetto."

The former Roma man then turned his attentions to his hopes of earning a call-up this summer for Cesare Prandelli's Euro 2012 squad.

"The Euros in June? I intend to have a great tournament with the national team. To be out for all this time was difficult, but my wife and my son have given me the strength to go forward," he concluded.

AC Milan 1-2 Fiorentina: Late Amauri goal earns stunning victory and provides critical blow to title hopes of Rossoneri

Serie A leaders fail to banish their Champions League blues as they fall to a surprise defeat to at San Siro

AC Milan's title aspirations have been dealt a severe blow as Fiorentina snatched a 2-1 win at San Siro on Saturday afternoon.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired the home side in front from the penalty spot, but Stevan Jovetic levelled and a late, late winner from Amauri stunned the home fans into silence, and means that Juventus can go top with victory at Palermo later tonight.

Milan started the game half-asleep, the visitors making the most of their hosts stupor to go close early on through the lively Jovetic, who fired a warning across Abbiati's goal after just three minutes.

Slowly but surely, however, Milan started to dominate. Ibrahimovic became increasingly involved in some dangerous link-up play. Unsurprisingly, it was the Swede who had the hosts first effort on target - his 25-yard free-kick palmed away by Artur Boruc in the Fiorentina goal - with Sulley Muntari blazing his follow-up effort over the bar. 

Fiorentina briefly flickered into life as an attacking force, but were forced to shoot from distance - both Jovetic and Behrami blazing long-distance efforts wide of the target.

Milan's corner count was rising almost by the minute, but it looked like they needed a spark - or a helping hand - if they were to think about taking the lead. It turned out to be the latter - Lopez winning the hosts a penalty after tumbling over the flat-footed Nastasic in the area while trying to latch onto an Ibrahimovic cross. 

Ibrahimovic stepped up confidently to drill home a low penalty, which sent Boruc the wrong way. 

Up top, Milan's strike pairing were starting to click, Ibrahimovic finding Lopez with a lovely drifting pass, which the Argentine pulled down and smacked against Boruc's left-hand post from 15 yards.

Milan finished the half on top - Ibrahimovic making a barnstorming run though the visitor's defence only to blaze over. 

With everyone expecting Milan to coast to victory in the second half, the last thing expected was a Fiorentina goal - but one arrived within minutes of the re-start when Jovetic took advantage of a suicidally high line from the hosts to run onto De Silvestri's through ball and slot home. 

Milan were stung into action with Abate seeing one shot heroically blocked by Di Natale and Boruc pulling off a double save from Ambrosini and Emanuelson. 

However, Milan's attacking efforts carried more than a whiff of desperation and were limited to blocked shots and penalty box melees. Lopez did hit the net, but saw his header disallowed after Ibrahimovic's cross drifted out of play. 

With a frustrated home side mentally coming to terms with dropping two points, however,Amauri played a one-two with Jovetic, muscled Mexes off the ball and slotted home to throw the Scudetto race wide open. 

Milan will now watch this afternoon to see if Juventus can overcome Palermo away from home to leapfrog the Rossoneri to the top of the table. Fiorentina, meanwhile, will be celebrating a famous victory that moves them well clear of the bottom three.

AC Milan

1 vs 2

Fiorentina

Played
April 7, 2012 2:00 PM BST
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza — Milano
Referee:‬ D. Celi‎
Attendance:‬ 52000‎

AC Milan - Fiorentina Preview: Allegri's men aim to bounce back with win against struggling Viola

The Rossoneri were disappointingly knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in midweek, but will resume domestic affairs on Saturday when Delio Rossi's side come to town

AC Milan

0 vs 0

Fiorentina

Pre Match
April 7, 2012 2:00 PM BST
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza — Milano
Referee:‬ D. Celi‎

PROBABLE LINEUPS

AC MILAN Abbiati Abate, Bonera, Mexes, Antonini Aquilani, Muntari, Nocerino Emanuelson Ibrahimovic, Robinho

FIORENTINA Boruc Cassani, Natali, Nastasic, Pasqual Marchionni, Behrami, Olivera, Vargas Lazzari Jovetic

Massimiliano Allegri will again have to make do without the services of Mark van Bommel, Thiago Silva, Filippo Inzaghi, Rodney Strasser, Flavio Roma and Mathieu Flamini, while Alexandre Pato is out for the rest of the season due to a troublesome muscle injury.

However, that should not deter the 44-year-old from making changes to his team, as three are expected to be made from the side that was defeated 3-1 by Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Alberto Aquilani, Sulley Muntari and Urby Emanuelson look set to replace Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini and Kevin-Prince Boateng for the visit of Fiorentina.

Viola, meanwhile, have seen themselves tumble down the table at an alarming pace, following a wretched run of form of late. Nonetheless, widespread alterations are not expected from under-fire coach Delio Rossi.

Amauri requires a late fitness test, while Riccardo Montolivo is suspended, so Andrea Lazzari and Ruben Olivera will come into the fold as their replacements. Alessandro Gamberini is also sidelined with injury, so Cesare Natali is set to start against the Rossoneri.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The draw in the reverse fixture ended a run of seven straight wins for AC Milan against Fiorentina.

• The Rossoneri boast Serie A's best attack with 60 goals - 22 of these have been netted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

• AC Milan have won nine of the 10 games in which they have been leading at home.

• Their only defeat at San Siro in the league this season was in the derby against Inter.

• Over the past decade, Fiorentina have managed to beat AC Milan in the league just once - a 3-1 win at the Artemio Franchi in November 2005.

• The Viola's last victory at San Siro was back in 2001, with Enrico Chiesa scoring a double in a 2-1 win.

• Fiorentina would be 18th in the Serie A standings if only the last 10 games were taken into consideration.

• They have won just one match away from home this season, against Novara.

Last Five Matches

AC Milan
Apr 3, 2012	FC Barcelona 3 - AC Milan 1	UCL
Mar 31, 2012	Catania 1 - AC Milan 1	ITA1
Mar 28, 2012	AC Milan 0 - FC Barcelona 0	UCL
Mar 24, 2012	AC Milan 2 - Roma 1	ITA1
Mar 20, 2012	Juventus 2 - AC Milan 2	ITAC

Fiorentina
Apr 1, 2012	Fiorentina 1 - Chievo 2	ITA1
Mar 25, 2012	Genoa 2 - Fiorentina 2	ITA1
Mar 17, 2012	Fiorentina 0 - Juventus 5	ITA1
Mar 11, 2012	Catania 1 - Fiorentina 0	ITA1
Mar 7, 2012	Parma 2 - Fiorentina 2	ITA1

Players to Watch

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
POSITION:	Striker
SQUAD NUMBER:	11

GAMES	GOALS	YC	RC
24	22	3	1

The Sweden international just can’t seem to stop scoring in Serie A and after another below-par showing against Barcelona during midweek, he will be eager to resume finding the back of the net in order to silence his critics. Needless to say, Ibra is of paramount importance to the Milan cause and is their reference point in everything they create on the pitch.

Stevan Jovetic
POSITION:	Striker
SQUAD NUMBER:	8

GAMES	GOALS	YC	RC
23	12	2	0

The Montenegro international has been one of the only bright spots in a wretched season for the Tuscans and is currently leading the goalscoring charts for his side, having netted 12 times in the league so far this term. However, he has now gone five games without a goal, so he will be desperate to put an end to his barren spell at the San Siro shopping window.

Cassano likely to make bench against Fiorentina, says Allegri

The Rossoneri boss has revealed that the attacker could make his comeback on Saturday, while adding that he's confident Pato will bounce back from his injury problems

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has stated that there is a good chance that Antonio Cassano will make his comeback from injury in Saturday's Serie A clash against Fiorentina and the player has subsequently been included in the 19-man match squad.

The Italy international was recently given the green light to play after a lengthy absence due to heart surgery, and Cassano will probably start the match at San Siro from the bench.

"Antonio is fine physically. He has so much class and this can compensate for a lack of match rhythm," Allegri stated at a press conference.

"Will he make the squad for the game against Fiorentina? I will decide after [Friday's] training, but there is a good chance he will be called up and start from the bench."

Allegri then went on to discuss the situation of forward Alexandre Pato, who picked up a thigh injury in the 3-1 loss versus Barcelona on Tuesday and will be out of action for the remainder of the 2011-12 campaign.

"He is currently being treated and will do his utmost to return as soon as possible. Everybody is sorry for these injuries.

"I always want to look at the bright side of things and I think that Pato will definitely return to the level of a few years ago. He will do whatever he can to be ready for next season."

Saturday's game against Fiorentina kicks off at 15.00CET.