Milan face Sampdoria in a must-win clash following their loss to Juventus.
AC Milan came back from the international break hoping to begin their season anew, and were gunning for an unlikely win in Turin against Juventus to kick start their climb up the Serie A ladder.
Instead, they played like a team on autopilot, with their midfield lacking any creativity or direction and the forwards failing to find the back of the net. They suffered a 1-0 loss thanks to a brilliant Paulo Dybala strike, which piled further misery on the Rossoneri. They are now lingering in a precarious position on the table in seventh spot. This puts them seven points off the top four and 10 points off local rivals Inter, who are on 30 points in top spot.
This week sees Milan take on Sampdoria, who are in 12th spot on the Serie A ladder. The last time these two teams met, it ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams will be desperate for a win and Sinisa Mihajlovic, who just a few weeks ago had shrugged off the pressure and strain of his team’s poor record this season, will be once again feeling the heat. In what is already a long season for fans of the Rossoneri, a loss to Sampdoria would be crushing for both players and fans alike. It would, also, depending on results, see them drop as far as 10th spot on the ladder, and most likely end any real hopes of making top four.
As poorly as Milan have played this season, Sampdoria have been worse. They have four wins in 13 games this season, with four draws and five losses. That gives them 16 points and 12th spot on the table. Three of those wins came against teams in the bottom four, and their fourth win was against Roma. Their last win was against Verona on 25 October in a 4-1 triumph.
Milan face three of the teams in the bottom four in the lead-up to Christmas, but the way they are playing they do not seem likely to come away with the full nine points. Mihajlovic will be hoping he can turn his team around on the pitch before these against Sampdoria. The Rossoneri are consistently struggling with the midfield and the forwards. Andrea Bertolacci was not in the squad for the Juve game due to a thigh injury and is questionable for a return this weekend. Whether he starts or not, his injury struggles have become a blight on his first season at Milan. The midfield is clearly the weakest link in the team, so to have the most crucial third of the team to be suffering means the team as a whole suffers immensely.
Carlos Bacca, Milan’s first choice striker, is a frustrating figure to observe on the pitch, thanks, in part, to the midfield and its inability to get the ball to him much of the time. The midfield often finds itself on the back foot and flat-footed, losing possession and finding it tough to break through defences. Mihajlovic has done well defensively this season compared to the last couple of Rossoneri campaigns, but now he faces a battle to get his forwards firing.
Fans looking for a hero to save their season need look no further than between the goalposts. Since being thrust into the limelight of first choice goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma has performed tremendously. At just 16 years of age, Donnarumma has kept two clean sheets and provided a number of highlight-reel saves. If anyone can keep Milan in the hunt for a top spot, it is this wonder kid.
Statistically, Milan have the better record against the Blucerchiati and will be scrambling for the three vital points they need to stay in touch with the top teams. The Rossoneri have not lost to Sampdoria since the 2012-13 season, but they have more draws than wins following that loss (three draws, two wins). For Milan to have any real impact on the game and the games heading into the Christmas break, the midfield is going to have to fire up and become aggressive, especially possession-wise. They have a habit of failing to hold possession throughout a lot of game time.
It seems like easy wins on paper against Sampdoria and the bottom three teams nearing Christmas, but not everything is written in stone and Milan have taken a battering mentally the past two matches. The international break did little to improve their mental strength, copping a 1-0 loss to Juve. The biggest challenge Mihajlovic faces leading into the break is improving his players’ mental strength and enforcing the midfield and forward line .The link between the midfield and the forwards has flustered lately; if that can be improved then look for Milan to pick up maximum points in the coming matches. If they fail, they will slip further down the ladder and the pressure will once again mount on Mihajlovic.
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