Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Could Fiorentina dent AC Milan’s Europa League hopes on Sunday?

Crippy Cooke in Editorial, Serie A 19 Feb 2017

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AC Milan manager Vicenzo Montella is desperate to turn his side’s fortunes around.

An inconsistent AC Milan welcome Fiorentina to the San Siro in Sunday’s Italian Serie A clash, needing a win to ensure they don’t lose ground in the race for a top-five finish.

Any chances of attaining Champions League football appear over for this season with third-placed Napoli already ten points clear of Milan with 14 games to go.

But AC Milan are within touching distance of a Europa League place, so it’s a shame they have an in-form Fiorentina side who could well put a dent in their hopes of continental football, leapfrogging them in the table if they win.

Milan plummeting from a Champions League spot to fighting for the Europa League

Vincenzo Montella’s side are currently seventh in the Italian Serie A with 41 points from 24 games this season, coming off the back of just one win in their last six games. The Rossoneri have endured a monumental collapse that has seen them drop from the Champions League places to being outside the two Europa League spots – from being third going into the New Year, to now being seventh in February.

Milan have picked up just nine points in their last nine games, and given the large deficit to third-placed Napoli as they approach the run-in to the season, it’s unlikely the Rossoneri will catch them. Instead, focus goes towards attaining Europa League football, and Milan are currently four points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta and fifth-placed Inter Milan.

Contrasting form could Fiorentina come out on top at the San Siro

Fiorentina come into this weekend’s clash boasting four wins and a draw from their last six league games. The Violas have been impressive on the road of late too, winning two of their three previous away outings. They will go two points clear of Milan in the table with a win at the San Siro, and the poor form of the home side might make their task of getting a result much easier.

Montella’s Milan side have suffered consecutive home defeats ahead of their clash with Fiorentina, while being on the winning side just twice in the league this year. It’s a bad time for a slump with the season close to the business end, and the lack of goals at the San Siro of late will be a worry – two goals in their last four home games in Serie A. Fiorentina are 12/5 to win against AC Milan on Sunday evening. Who will take the points?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Crippy Cooke


Crippy Cooke has somehow written for the Telegraph, Independent, Huffington Post, Zoo Magazine, Daily Mail, ITV Football, MSN Sport, Yahoo Sport, London24 and Bleacher Report among others, despite knowing less about football than your average Fan TV member . The weekly accumulator enthusiast is saving up his winnings to pay for a much-needed hair transplant but grows more on his chin than his head. He lives and breathes football and somehow makes a living writing from it.

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