It won't be a decisive match, at least according to Galliani's statements, but the match against Lazio certainly has a particular value for Massimiliano Allegri. The ranking says that Milan are eleventh with 7 points, 8 lengths from the third place which is worth the Champions League, occupied by Petkovic's blue-and-whites and Stramaccioni's Inter. In short, it's time to start racing, otherwise the season risks becoming a long agony, which the current AC Milan coach might not even survive. “I was pleased with Galliani's words, but the whole club showed their trust in me – said Allegri at the press conference. – We are a team that has changed a lot, that have only been working together for two months and maybe it takes some time. But I'm sure we will improve and do well both in the league and in the Champions League. Now we can't talk about the Scudetto or third place, we just have to think about going back up, but you'll see at Christmas: we'll be much higher up in the standings”.
So no proclamation, also because the match in Rome (20.45 pm) is rather complicated: “We'll have to be very careful, because Lazio are an excellent team, made up of technique, setters, who are unlikely to concede if they take the lead. We'll have to play a game that is careful on a technical and tactical level, we'll need intensity, because if it's true that we're missing a few points in the standings, it's also true that if we only have 7, it means that what we've done isn't enough. For example, we need to stop conceding goals from inactive balls, and since scoring is essential, we need to be more incisive under the goal." In this regard, Pato's return comes as a godsend, provided that the Brazilian is truly healed: “I see him very well, both mentally and physically. Obviously he doesn't have the 90' in his legs now, but as time goes on he will have to come back to be the decisive player that he knows is him. This time I think his return will be different from the others, there is no fear of new injuries ”. Pato will therefore be available to the coach as early as tonight, even if he almost certainly won't start from the first minute: "I don't know, I have to evaluate, but I think there are more possibilities that Pazzini will play from the start". For the rest of the formation-type, apart from Abbiati who, due to an inflammation of the respiratory tract, will be replaced by Amelia. On the other side there will be a Lazio loaded by the public (at least 40 spectators are expected at the Olimpico) and by Petkovic, who didn't hide himself yesterday either: "Looking at the standings, and given that we play at home, we are favorites but we have to prove it on field. Milan will come to play a great game, the Rossoneri are by no means a fallen noble”.
POSSIBLE FORMATIONS
Lazio (4-5-1): Marchetti; Konko, Biava, Dias, Lulic; Candreva, Gonzalez, Ledesma, Hernanes, Mauri; close.
On the bench: Bizzarri, Carrizo, Ciani, Scaloni, Brocchi, Ederson, Stankevicius, Cana, Onazi, Rocchi, Kozak, Floccari.
Trainer: Vladimir Petkovic.
Unavailable: nobody.
Disqualified: Sculli.
Milan (4-2-3-1): Amelia; Abate, Bonera, Yepes, De Sciglio; De Jong, Montolivo; Emanuelson, Boateng, El Shaarawy; Crazy people.
On the bench: Gabriel, Zapata, Antonini, Mexes, Acerbi, Nocerino, Constant, Flamini, Bojan, Pato.
Trainer: Massimiliano Allegri.
Unavailable: Strasser, Didac Vilà, Muntari, Mesbah, Robinho, Abbiati.
Disqualified: Ambrosini.
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Terni).
Line Assistants: By Liberatore – Cariolato.
Port Assistants: Mazzoleni-Gervasoni.
Fourth official: Nicoletti.
