PREVIEW Milan VS JUVENTUS

It’s practically a play-off for second place and therefore the ability to say this season has not been a total failure.

Both sides will end the campaign empty-handed – as Inter boss Jose Mourinho has been at pains to point out – as it’s very unlikely Milan will be able to close the seven-point gap at the top in four rounds. Juventus were the principle challengers for the Scudetto until a sensational collapse that has seen them go seven games without victory amid in-fighting, transfer gossip and even talk of a caretaker Coach to replace Claudio Ranieri should this fixture end in an embarrassing defeat.


“We simply cannot do without Kaka,” confessed Carlo Ancelotti after the Brazilian’s recent return to full fitness coincided with a run of seven wins from eight games. “You can see how important he is to the side.” The Ballon d’Or winner has scored four goals in his last three matches and inspired many more.

Yet he is not the real form player for Milan right now, as that title belongs to SuperPippo Inzaghi with an astounding 11 goals from eight rounds. It is always a special occasion for him to face his former club and with the team in this form, it’s no wonder Ronaldinho has been left on the bench for the last month.

Alexander Pato is still recovering from injury, but his pace could be a very useful asset against the decimated Juve defence. Carlo Ancelotti could stick with the Christmas Tree formation and Clarence Seedorf, who has an excellent record against the Bianconeri.

These teams have been beset by injuries this season and the list still includes Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Alessandro Nesta, Kakha Kaladze, Christian Abbiati and Luca Antonini on one side, Momo Sissoko, Hasan Salihamidzic, Albin Ekdal, Dario Knezevic, Claudio Marchisio and Zdenek Grygera on the other.

Juventus have two other problems to contend with, as Pavel Nedved and Olof Mellberg are suspended for this tie after picking up yellow cards. Nicola Legrottaglie and Giorgio Chiellini hope to recover from their niggles in time to take the centre-back slots and Jonathan Zebina could be the choice to fill out the defence.


Ranieri is hanging by a thread and this week general manager Jean-Claude Blanc would only back his tactician by urging “unity for the next four games, then we’ll see.” The Coach is regularly insulted by fans and there was a reported locker-room row with Mauro Camoranesi at half-time against Lecce. Gianluigi Buffon stormed out after just three minutes and spent the break wandering by himself around the pitch, spotted muttering the phrase “I can’t take this any more.”

There are rumours Buffon will request a transfer in the summer with Milan first in line to snap him up, having come so close to getting the goalkeeper in 2006. He certainly can’t be happy at conceding 11 goals in the last five Serie A games, as Juve haven’t kept a clean sheet since the Turin derby on March 7 and have shown an alarming tendency to let in stoppage-time efforts.

If the Camoranesi report is true, then he could be shelved for this big game in favour of Marco Marchionni with Sebastian Giovinco possibly taken out of storage to replace Nedved on the left. Alessandro Del Piero was also substituted at half-time and has had a distracting week with the birth of daughter Dorotea on Tuesday, but Il Capitano will partner either Amauri or Vincenzo Iaquinta. It looks as if David Trezeguet’s agent calling for “respect” from the Coach will be in vain.

Recent years have been very even at San Siro with all three results in the editions preceding this one. Last term it may have ended goalless, but the goalkeepers performed heroics to keep it that way. Juve’s happiest memory of this stadium is on May 8 2005, when David Trezeguet’s header secured the Scudetto in a 1-0 victory. There is another more burning result as they conquered the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza 6-1 in April 1997.

Keep an eye on: Pippo Inzaghi (Milan) – The former Juventus striker has a better scoring rate than players a decade his junior and hopes to continue that streak of 11 goals in eight games against his old teammates and an already nervous Bianconeri defence.

INJURED & SUSPENDED
The Bianconeri too have many injured players, as Claudio Marchisio, Albin Ekdal, Momo Sissoko, Hasan Salihamidzic, Dario Knezevic and Christian Molinaro are unfit to participate. However, it appears that Nicola Legrottaglie and Giorgio Chiellini will both be fit to play in central defence.

Olof Mellberg and Pavel Nedved are sure to miss out with suspensions, while Amauri, Chiellini, Tiago and Zdenek Grygera are all one booking from a ban.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Amauri will receive most of the defensive attention from Milan, and for good reason. He has scored just twelve goals this term and has created many more for his team-mates. While it is not entirely his fault, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has allowed eleven goals in the last five matches. As recently as earlier this season he was called the best goalkeeper in the world, so he needs to start conceding less goals.

Last season: Milan 0-0 Juventus

Form guide: Milan (W W W W W) Juventus (D L D D D)