AC Milan are getting closer and closer to winning the Scudetto at the end of this month. The Rossoneri beat Hellas Verona 3-1 thanks to a brace from Sandro Tonali as well as a finish by Alessandro Florenzi, who just returned from surgery. The team is now firing on all cylinders, as before this win they had beaten Fiorentina, Lazio, and Genoa. Two matches remain, and Inter Milan are close in the standings, but Milan control their own destiny.
AC Milan on the Brink of Scudetto
The Table
Milan are first in the Serie A table, as they have been for the past few weeks. The Rossoneri have collected 80 points in 36 matches. This includes 24 victories, eight draws, and just four losses. Milan also have a very solid goal difference of +33. This isn’t as high as some of the league’s top teams, mostly due to Milan having many 1-0 victories. At the end of the day, however, three points are three points.
Inter are hovering in second place with 78 points. This two-point difference means any slip-up can cost either of these teams a chance at Scudetto glory. Inter’s pace has been very similar to Milan’s as they just have one less victory and one more draw.
Napoli and Juventus are third and fourth respectively and have clinched Champions League qualification, but they are out of the running for the Scudetto.
The Remaining Matches
Milan’s next two matches come versus Atalanta and Sassuolo. Both teams are quite good and have caused Milan issues in the past.
Atalanta are seventh in Serie A. Although not a terrible standing, thee Bergamo based club have been a lot better than this in recent years. They were in Champions League this season, so of course, they are a well-equipped foe. Atalanta have a fiery attack and can score goals with ease. Counter-attacks come easy for this team, so Milan absolutely cannot afford to make mistakes against them. Strikers like Duvan Zapata are very difficult to cover. Milan were victorious in the two teams’ league meeting earlier this season. Tonali, as well as Davide Calabria and Rafael Leao, found the back of the net for Milan. Zapata scored for Atalanta, as well as former Milan midfielder Mario Pasalic.
Sassuolo are in 11th placebut like Atalanta, this team’s squad is better than their standing suggests. They have plenty of attacking options as well, including the likes of Domenico Berardi, Giacomo Raspadori, and Gianluca Scamacca. Milan fell 3-1 to Sassuolo in November. Berardi and Scamacca found the net in that match.
Inter’s next two league matches come versus Cagliari and Sampdoria. Cagliari are currently in relegation zone in 18th place, whereas Sampdoria are sitting in 15th place. Inter, however, will also play against Juventus in the Coppa Italia final this coming Wednesday.
On paper, Inter see an easier route to two league victories to close out the season. With that being said, Milan hold the head-to-head advantage, so if Inter were to win both matches Milan just needs one victory and one draw.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’rWY6RUXqTzlaPbZG5ptk9g’,sig:’bt6T5ufAnTcPqjaqHscoKJmpA2i_8Iw5XYv5QrVuco8=’,w:’594px’,h:’396px’,items:’1240555202′,caption: true ,tld:’com’,is360: false })});//embed-cdn.gettyimages.com/widgets.js
The post Scudetto Close for AC Milan appeared first on Last Word on Football.
Leave a Reply