Milan - Atalanta --
goal.com previewWhen: Sunday March 18, 15:00 (CET)
Where: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan,ItalyBACKGROUND Milan have always been one of the heavyweights of Italian football, and have been earning that tag ever since a great run of form which began in November. The attack began to finally gel, and the defense was shored up.
However, losing 2-1 in the Derby della Madonnina to city rivals Internazionale last weekend was a big hit to their Champions League aspirations. The Rossoneri are six points back of fourth place, and must return to winning ways to keep the pressure on Palermo and Lazio.
Atalanta may not be a traditional power, but they have been hitting above their weight class for most of the season. This was clearly evidenced in the 2-0 home win against Milan in early November.
However, they have seen a dip in form recently, without a victory since January. Even without the full allotment of points during this stretch, they have only lost twice.
CURRENT FORM Milan (D W L, 6th place in Serie A) Milan will be determined to right the ship, following the loss to Inter last Sunday. They will need to display more defensive focus, though, as Inter was able to find plenty of space around the six yard box on several occasions. Still, they are just a pair of wins from third place, and can feel good about their chances of reaching that position before seasons end.
Atalanta (L L D, 9th place in Serie A) Atalanta are amazingly in the top half of the table, and this with their poor results as of late. While they have not been letting in many goals, they have also struggled to score, after starting the year with eight in their first two matches of 2007.
TEAM NEWS Milan must do without defenders Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, Serginho and Paolo Maldini, while Marco Borriello and Andrea Pirlo are suspended.
Atalanta do not have any definite injury absences.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Ricardo Oliveira (Milan) – With the release of his sister after having been kidnapped, he finally will not have this serious family concern weighing on his mind. He can now focus solely on football, and should start showing the Milan supporters why so much money was spent to acquire his services last summer.
Cristiano Doni (Atalanta) – Once a transfer target for Milan several years ago, he has been reborn this season, with ten goals to his name. Most people thought he was done for sure, but he has proven his critics wrong this term.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida; Oddo, Bonera, Simic, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Brocchi, Seedorf; Kakà ; Oliveira, Ronaldo
Atalanta (4-4-2): Calderoni; Rivalta, Talamonti, Loria, Bellini; Ariatti, Bernardini, Donati, Tissone; Doni, Defendi
PREDICTION With the season coming down to the final stretch (there are eleven matches remaining), both of these clubs will need to put their respective best feet forward. Milan will be missing some key members of the squad, but still have enough muscle to throw the knockout punch.
Milan 2-0 Atalanta goal.com