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Italy Coppa Italia Semi-Finals - 1st Leg, 12,13.February
- Thread starter spkutano
- Start date
Milan vs Juventus Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Milan:
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Calabria, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Castillejo, Kessie, Bennacer, Calhanoglu; Leao, Ibrahimovic
Juventus:
Szczesny; Cuadrado, De Ligt, Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Pjanic, Rabiot; Dybala, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo
Milan will host Juventus at Stadio San Siro in the first leg of Coppa Italia semifinals. Both teams are coming into the match from weekend's defeats in Serie A. Milan suffered a painful 4:2 loss to Inter in 'Derby della Madonnina' on Sunday evening. Everything looked good after the first half as the Rossoneri had a two-goal lead thanks to goals scored by Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, the second half was a real catastrophe as Donnarumma conceded four goals. Milan now share the 8th place in Serie A with Cagliari and Parma. All three teams have 32 points and they are just two points away from the sixth-placed Verona. So, reaching a Europe League spot is possible. At the same time, the defeat means Milan are now big 10 points adrift of the top four, so the Champions League spot look unrealistic. Coach Stefano Pioli have improved the results prior to the derby. Milan had five victories and one draw on the six matches in all competitions. They managed to beat Cagliari, Udinese and Brescia in Serie A, and also eliminated Spal and Torino in Coppa Italia. The key question at the moment is about the atmosphere in the squad. I am sure the defeat to Inter have negative impact to the players confidence. Some changes are possible and it is good that Pioli has almost a fully fit squad, only Leo Duarte remain a long-term absentee and Rade Krunic is rated as doubtful. Playing twice a week could be a problem for 38-year-old Ibrahimovic, so Pioli may decide to rest the Swedish veteran.
Juventus also lost during the weekend. The Bianconeri fumbled a 1:0 lead to lose 2:1 at Verona on Saturday. That were their third Serie A defeat of the season, after Lazio and Napoli. The defeat allowed Inter to catch them at the top of the table as now both teams have 54 points, one more than third-placed Lazio. The atmosphere in the squad is poor following the defeat, while coach Maurizio Sarri is feeling a big pressure. He was brought in to give the already dominant Juventus a new dimension and to win the Champions League. But the actual results in Serie A are not at desired level and the club officials are considering some options. According to La Repubblica, there is a group within the Juventus ranks calling for Max Allegri to be brought back, with President Andrea Agnelli himself not entirely convinced by Sarri. It won't be difficult as Allegri is still under contract, as he was fired in June although winning five consecutive Serie A titles. Despite the fact many big clubs wanted him in the coaching role, Alegri decided to take a year off. It is clear this match is extremely important for Sarri. A failure in the cup will additionally complicate the matters. That is why I am expecting Sarri to start with the strongest eleven, with in-form Cristiano Ronaldo leading the troops. The Portuguese superstar is in fantastic form at the moment. With his goal at Bentegodi, he set a new Juventus record in Serie A. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the first player to score in 10 matches in a row in Italy's top flight. Sarri has five injury worries ahead of the match. Captain Georgio Chiellini has recovered from a long-term injury, but this match comes too soon for him. Sami Khedira, Danilo and Merih Demiral are sidelined through injuries. Finally, Douglas Costa has suffered a left thigh strain and is expected to be out between 15 and 20 days.
Milan vs Juventus Prediction:
I think Juventus are closer to the victory here. Milan heavily depend on Ibrahimovic. The Swed was involved in both goals against Inter, assisting the first and scoring the second. But Ibrahimovic has 38 years and can't play at highest level twice a week. Juventus have no space for any further mistake and I am sure they will enter the match against Milan fully concentrated. Juve have a player able to make a difference here - Ronaldo is in fantastic form and he is easily scoring. He looks unstoppable at the moment.
Milan vs Juventus Pick: Juventus to win @ 2.10 with Pinnacle
Possible starting lineups:
Milan:
Gianluigi Donnarumma; Calabria, Kjaer, Romagnoli, Hernandez; Castillejo, Kessie, Bennacer, Calhanoglu; Leao, Ibrahimovic
Juventus:
Szczesny; Cuadrado, De Ligt, Bonucci, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Pjanic, Rabiot; Dybala, Higuain, Cristiano Ronaldo
Milan will host Juventus at Stadio San Siro in the first leg of Coppa Italia semifinals. Both teams are coming into the match from weekend's defeats in Serie A. Milan suffered a painful 4:2 loss to Inter in 'Derby della Madonnina' on Sunday evening. Everything looked good after the first half as the Rossoneri had a two-goal lead thanks to goals scored by Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, the second half was a real catastrophe as Donnarumma conceded four goals. Milan now share the 8th place in Serie A with Cagliari and Parma. All three teams have 32 points and they are just two points away from the sixth-placed Verona. So, reaching a Europe League spot is possible. At the same time, the defeat means Milan are now big 10 points adrift of the top four, so the Champions League spot look unrealistic. Coach Stefano Pioli have improved the results prior to the derby. Milan had five victories and one draw on the six matches in all competitions. They managed to beat Cagliari, Udinese and Brescia in Serie A, and also eliminated Spal and Torino in Coppa Italia. The key question at the moment is about the atmosphere in the squad. I am sure the defeat to Inter have negative impact to the players confidence. Some changes are possible and it is good that Pioli has almost a fully fit squad, only Leo Duarte remain a long-term absentee and Rade Krunic is rated as doubtful. Playing twice a week could be a problem for 38-year-old Ibrahimovic, so Pioli may decide to rest the Swedish veteran.
Juventus also lost during the weekend. The Bianconeri fumbled a 1:0 lead to lose 2:1 at Verona on Saturday. That were their third Serie A defeat of the season, after Lazio and Napoli. The defeat allowed Inter to catch them at the top of the table as now both teams have 54 points, one more than third-placed Lazio. The atmosphere in the squad is poor following the defeat, while coach Maurizio Sarri is feeling a big pressure. He was brought in to give the already dominant Juventus a new dimension and to win the Champions League. But the actual results in Serie A are not at desired level and the club officials are considering some options. According to La Repubblica, there is a group within the Juventus ranks calling for Max Allegri to be brought back, with President Andrea Agnelli himself not entirely convinced by Sarri. It won't be difficult as Allegri is still under contract, as he was fired in June although winning five consecutive Serie A titles. Despite the fact many big clubs wanted him in the coaching role, Alegri decided to take a year off. It is clear this match is extremely important for Sarri. A failure in the cup will additionally complicate the matters. That is why I am expecting Sarri to start with the strongest eleven, with in-form Cristiano Ronaldo leading the troops. The Portuguese superstar is in fantastic form at the moment. With his goal at Bentegodi, he set a new Juventus record in Serie A. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner became the first player to score in 10 matches in a row in Italy's top flight. Sarri has five injury worries ahead of the match. Captain Georgio Chiellini has recovered from a long-term injury, but this match comes too soon for him. Sami Khedira, Danilo and Merih Demiral are sidelined through injuries. Finally, Douglas Costa has suffered a left thigh strain and is expected to be out between 15 and 20 days.
Milan vs Juventus Prediction:
I think Juventus are closer to the victory here. Milan heavily depend on Ibrahimovic. The Swed was involved in both goals against Inter, assisting the first and scoring the second. But Ibrahimovic has 38 years and can't play at highest level twice a week. Juventus have no space for any further mistake and I am sure they will enter the match against Milan fully concentrated. Juve have a player able to make a difference here - Ronaldo is in fantastic form and he is easily scoring. He looks unstoppable at the moment.
Milan vs Juventus Pick: Juventus to win @ 2.10 with Pinnacle