It's all about winning. For Milan, who want to regain the first place given to Inter on Friday, but also for Lazio, who in the event of success would hook Roma in the standings, completing a huge comeback. On paper, both missions appear more than possible, given that neither Crotone nor Cagliari seem to be insurmountable obstacles, but football, as we know, is played on the pitch and there you have to stay on the spot from start to finish, in order to avoid bloody mockery . Sure though that the Rossoneri really can't be wrong: the Calabrians arrive at San Siro last in the standings and with the worst defense of the tournament (15 goals conceded in 46 days), which is why the 20 points are almost obligatory.
“We have lost two games at home, and we regret the draws with Verona and Parma – warned Pioli -. My concern is to keep attention high, so far we have maintained an excellent level, but we can improve. The ranking says that the top 7 all have the chance to win the Scudetto and get to the Champions League, they are all to be feared, we don't want to get out of the top four. Only the final part counts, we have to give our best every day”. After so many weeks of emergency, however, Milan were finally able to prepare for the match with the utmost serenity, even if the recoveries of Calhanoglu and Bennacer, in the light of the latest news, are not yet definitive.
However, the ingredients to win are all there, with Pioli who will choose a 4-2-3-1 with Donnarumma in goal, Calabria, Tomori, Romagnoli and Hernandez in defense, Meité and Kessié in midfield, Saelemaekers, Leao and Rebic behind the lone striker Ibrahimovic. Stroppa, a former luxury player in the match, will respond with a 3-5-2 that will see Cordaz between the posts, Magallan, Golemic and Luperto in the back, Rispoli, Zanellato, Benali, Vulic and Reca in the midfield, Ounas and Simy in attack. In the evening instead it will be the turn of Lazio, awaited by the postponement of the Olimpico against Cagliari (20.45 pm). Here too the same argument made previously for Milan is valid: victory, in the light of both technical and psychological differences, seems really within reach.
The biancocelesti are then returning from five consecutive successes, the last one in Bergamo with Atalanta, Sardinians, on the other hand, haven't even smiled since November 7th (2-0 over Sampdoria), since they have since made up for 8 defeats and 5 draws. “I think it will be a very tricky match – however Inzaghi warned -. They are making a few points, but the performances are good – the Biancoceleste coach said in the press conference on the eve of the match – We left a few points, but now we are there and we don't want to give up. We know that we have to pedal a lot, this will be an important test to evaluate our level of maturity". Missing the 3 points would actually be a bad thing, because this Lazio team was able to get back up after a start to the season below expectations and now they don't want to get lost right at the most beautiful moment.
Inzaghi has some important defections (Caicedo, Radu and the long-term patient Luiz Felipe), for the rest he can count on all the key men, including the new signing Musacchio, who arrived a few days ago from Milan. At the Olimpico we will see a 3-5-2 with Reina in goal, Musacchio, Hoedt and Acerbi in defense, Lazzari, Milinkovic-Savic, Lucas Leiva, Luis Alberto and Marusic in midfield, Immobile and Correa in attack. Several problems also for Di Francesco, forced to score points to stop a bleeding that brought Cagliari into the red zone of the standings with a 4-2-3-1 that will see Cragno between the posts, Zappa, Godin, Walukiewicz and Lykogiannis in the back department, Nandez and Nainggolan in the midfield, Marin, Pereiro and Joao Pedro behind the lone striker Simeone.
