Serie A Preview: Milan-Fiorentina --
goal.com previewGreat ExpectationsThe early predictions for the outcome of this match have been slanted toward one style of play, and that is for each team to come out with ambition toward bagging the goals. But this is nothing new. Whenever these two club sides meet up, all of the prognosticators believe the goals will fly and attacking play will be prevalent.
And you know what? They are usually right, with last season’s scoreless draw at the San Siro being the first match in a long while that did not produce the goals everyone expects to see between Milan and Fiorentina. Score lines from the recent past of 6-0 and 5-2 (both in favor of Milan) show just what the atmosphere is like at Milan’s home ground when the much-loved club from Florence comes calling.
FORM GUIDE Milan8/26 Genoa 0-3 Milan Serie A
8/31 Milan 3-1 Sevilla UEFA Super Cup
Fiorentina8/26 Fiorentina 3-1 Empoli Serie A
CURRENT FORMMilan opened the campaign last Sunday with a convincing 3-0 win away to Genoa, one of the newly-promoted sides. The match was firmly within Milan’s grasp basically from the start, and they deservedly went ahead in the 21st minute, with Massimo Ambrosini heading in an Andrea Pirlo free-kick.
Then, just before the break for halftime, Milan essentially killed off the game. Kakà , now firmly acclimated to his advanced position as the makeshift second striker (a position he played the great effect in the Champions League last season) calmly slotted into the net at the far post in the 44th minute, after Massimo Oddo’s cross from the right had come through a crowd. Just seconds later, Alberto Gilardino was adjudged to have been fouled by the Genoa ‘keeper, Rubinho, in the box, and Kakà scored from the resulting penalty kick.
Genoa tried in earnest to get at least a consolation goal in the second half, but it was not to be, and Milan were able to grab the full allotment of points to take home.
This past Friday, Milan traveled once again, but for a competition of a different sort. The Rossoneri were taking part in the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla FC of Spain, which was held in Monaco. The events surrounding this match were enough to get it postponed (the death of Sevilla player Antonio Puerta giving everyone a reminder of what is really most important in life), but the ruling body, UEFA, decided the match should go forward, and Sevilla agreed.
Both squads started in a lively fashion, with Kakà hitting the outside of the post inside the opening few minutes. It was Sevilla, however, who went ahead. In the 15th minute, from a corner kick, Renato headed the ball into the net, partially thanks to some poor defending by Milan. The rest of the first half saw play go back and forth, but there were no more goals before the interval. When play resumed, Milan took the initiative, and a resourceful move and cross by Gennaro Gattuso was headed into the net by Filippo Inzaghi in the 56th minute.
Six minutes onward, Milan caught the Spaniards napping, and took the lead. After play had been stopped due to a clash between Gattuso and Seydou Keita of Sevilla, a free-kick was awarded to Milan, as a result of the clash. The ball was played to Andrea Pirlo, who then sent a perfect cross into the path of fullback Marek Jankulovski. He struck the ball first-time, and smacked it past Sevilla ‘keeper Andres Palop at the far post.
Milan secured the victory in the last few minutes (the 87th to be exact), when Kakà was fouled in the box, and he stepped up to take his own penalty kick.
Although, scoring the third goal was not simple. Andres Palop has become a hero to the Sevilla faithful for his penalty saving heroics, and he was able to block the effort of Kakà , albeit with his face. He got a bit unlucky in this instance, as the ball came right back to Kakà , and he headed into the empty net.
The thought among many is that Milan will return to the top this season and win the Serie A. This is within their grasp, of course, but the return of Juventus, along with the strengthening of Inter and Rome, will make it quite a remarkable feat if it is indeed accomplished.
For Fiorentina, they could not have started the season better, considering what took place over the summer. Their talismanic striker, Luca Toni, transferred to Bayern Munich, knowing this would be his last chance to secure a move to a larger club, having already considered offers from many of Europe’s top sides before turning them down to stay with Fiorentina.
Toni had been the heart and soul of the Florence-based club since his arrival from Palermo a few years ago. His amazing tally of thirty-one goals two seasons ago was good enough to become capocannoniere (the title given to the Italian Serie A’s top-scorer each year).
The workload left in Toni’s absence was now placed on the shoulders of Adrian Mutu and young striker Giampaolo Pazzini (whose name will forever be in history as the first player to score at the new Wembley Stadium in London, when he did so with a superb strike against England in a U-21 fixture last season).
While only one match has been played so far, these two players have stepped up to the challenge. Both scored in the 3-1 win at home against Empoli last weekend, with Riccardo Montolivo adding the third.
Not only that, but they seem to be relishing the prospect of having these expectations placed on them. Pazzini stated over the summer on more than one occasion how he was looking forward to stepping into Toni’s shoes, and Adrian Mutu has taken it one further, saying he will be among the contenders for this season’s capocannoniere.
These are big words, no doubt, but the confidence displayed by the strikers should give much hope to the supporters that all is right for the Viola.
TEAM NEWSMilan are without captain Paolo Maldini, who is recovering from knee surgery over the summer. It is uncertain whether Ronaldo will see his first action of the season, but could be a late addition to the lineup.
While Filippo Inzaghi was spectacular in the match against Sevilla, he will probably make way for Alberto Gilardino, as manager Carlo Ancelotti will want to get good use out of his strikers.
Fiorentina have more injury concerns that their opponents, as Riccardo Montolivo, Franco Semioli and Martin Jorgensen are major doubts. One piece of good news for the club is that Tomas Ujfalusi returns to the side.
PLAYERS TO WATCHAndrea Pirlo (Milan) – While Kakà will surely get most of the defense’s attention, this deep-lying playmaker cannot be overlooked. His man-of-the-match performance in Monaco on Friday could be the signal (an unwelcome one at that) to Italy that he is back to his best, after having struggled much of last season.
Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina) – He has thrown down the gauntlet, and must back up his words with the type of play he has already carried over from a good campaign last season. Possibly one of the most-underrated strikers in all of Europe, he can terrorize any defense when he is at his best.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s
Milan (4-3-2-1): Dida; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kakà , Seedorf; Gilardino
Fiorentina (4-3-3): Frey; Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual; Donadel, Liverani, Kuzmanovic; Santana, Pazzini, Mutu PREDICTIONThis match may indeed be what everyone is expecting to see, with the attacks coming fast and furiously at both defensive departments. In the end, the key to victory may lie in the solidity of Milan’s defense.
Milan 2-1 Fiorentina Joel Whitehead
Maybe I should throw in a bit more about how we'll play with two strikers, but then smirk and say that I consider Kaka a striker too.
