Milan - Empoli --
Football Italia previewThe stage is set for a crunch encounter at the San Siro on Saturday as Milan and Empoli fight to keep their dreams of a Champions League spot alive.
Milan’s season is hanging by a thread. After the heartbreak of conceding a last-gasp equaliser against Bayern Munich in midweek, their Champions League adventure is in the balance and if they are to compete in Europe’s showpiece event next term they have a lot to do on the domestic front.
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Roma did the Diavoli’s cause little good and allowed Empoli to overtake Carlo Ancelotti’s men. With time running out Carletto knows they need maximum points from here on. Fourth-placed Palermo are in poor form but still have a four-point cushion and the Milanese faithful must be wondering just how costly their Calciopoli deduction will prove.
It remains to be seen whether Empoli’s extraordinary season will have a fairytale conclusion. Gigi Cagni has worked miracles with a side expected to struggle for survival, but will need some more wizardry if his minnows are to hold off Milan and overhaul Palermo.
Whatever happens this will be the Empolesi’s most successful season in the history of the club after the 4-1 rout of Ascoli last weekend saw the Azzurri break their record number of points accumulated in a single Serie A season. With nothing to lose and hero status assured, they can approach this game quietly confident.
When the two sides met in Week 12, a struggling Milan side was forced to settle for a stalemate despite seeing Ricardo Oliveira rattle the woodwork twice. Despite their underdog status, Empoli have recent memories of victory at the San Siro. The Tuscans shocked Milan 1-0 in 2002-03 but have lost the other six meetings between the two sides – there has never been a draw in this fixture.
Ancelotti’s injury crisis is finally over. Only Argentine defender Leandro Grimi is unavailable due to an abdominal complaint and continues to wait for a debut. The Brazilian partnership of Oliveira and Ronaldo is set to start once more despite Alberto Gilardino’s goal as a substitute against Roma. There is pressure on Clarence Seedorf to improve on lacklustre recent performances as Yoann Gourcuff is breathing down his neck.
The visitors also have the luxury of a strong squad. Sardinian youngster Ivano Baldanzeddu is the sole absentee with acute lower back pain. Cagni’s main decision is whether to stick with a two striker system or drop one of the ex-Milan pair of Nicola Pozzi or Luca Saudati who both bagged braces last weekend.
Man on fire: Nicola Pozzi (Empoli) – The 20-year-old marksman is so committed to the Azzurri cause that he was willing to lose the mobility of a finger for life to avoid a six-week absence and took full advantage with a vital double last weekend.
Last season: Milan 3-0 Empoli
Form guide: Milan (D W L W D) Empoli (W W D L W)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milan (probable): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Simic, Jankulovski; Brocchi, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kaka; Ronaldo, Oliveira
Empoli (probable): Balli; Raggi, Pratali, Lucchini, Tosto; Busce’, Almiron, Moro, Vannucchi; Pozzi, Saudati
Channel4