AS Roma v AC Milan
14/10 draw 5/2 18/10
A lot of things have changed in Italian football for the better, particularly for two superpowers Roma and AC Milan who were on a free fall at the beginning of the season. After a torrid start to the new season marked by constant bouts of seizures that rocked both the San Siro and the Olimpico, it can be said that the two sides have managed to turn a corner since the beginning of November as they climbed up the table in the Serie A. They now will face each other with both desperate for three points as this will be the last match before the Christmas break until the league resumes on 6 January.
Roma’s remarkable winning streak crashed to a halt in thick Verona fog last weekend as they went down 1-0 to Chievo. Zdenek Zeman’s men were on a roll after five consecutive victories in all competitions and reached the Coppa Italia quarter-finals last week. Their recent performances are due to the much added flair and confidence thanks to Zeman’s ultra-attacking philosophy. Daniel De Rossi should return to the middle of the park after being given time to shake off an injury and the presence of the Italian general will be a massive boost. Francesco Totti, at 36, is leading from the front but the future looks bright for the club with Erik Lamela, Pablo Osvaldo, Marquinhos, Alessandro Florenzi and more recently Mattia Destro all playing a big hand in making Roma’s attacking approach a beautiful spectacle. They have been excellent at home in their two recent matches winning 4-2 and 3-0 over Fiorentina and Atalanta respectively.
Milan recorded a handsome 4-1 win over Pescara thanks to two own goals and strikes from Antonio Nocerino and Stephan El Shaarawy last weekend. The Rossoneri were climbing up the table after three consecutive victories and expected to maintain their 100% Serie A home record against Pescara. After constant criticism and regular calls for manager Massimiliano Allegri’s head, he has somehow managed to steady the ship that was sinking Milan until October with some unthinkable and avoidable defeats against the likes of Sampdoria, Atalanta, Udinese, Inter and Lazio all in the space of a month or so. Since a disappointing draw at Palermo back in October and a 1-0 loss to Fiorentina, Milan have been an impressive unit finally looking more of a team with great results against the likes of Juventus and Napoli alongside the demolition of the likes of Chievo, Catania and more recently Torino. While their passage from the group stages in the Champions League was debatable, it was achieved with much ease with a game to play giving much breathing space to one and all in the Milan camp responsible to make the transition a successful one. Stephan El Shaarawy and Mattio De Sciglio have now looked capable of filling the void left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva back in the summer, and also assuring a better future for the club. El Shaarawy sits atop the goal scoring charts with an impressive 14 goals.
AC Milan are unbeaten at this venue in the last four seasons. However, it looks a far more daunting task this season considering Roma’s recent performances at home. Back the home win available at a good price.
