AC Milan vs Salernitana: Rossoneri seek to keep regaining form
Milan will be keen on making it two wins on the spin as they take on struggling Salernitana on Saturday. As things stand, the Rossoneri are sandwiched in between Napoli and reigning Scudetto champs Inter. Sitting in second spot, a win for Milan could see them regain top spot, especially with Napoli facing a potentially tricky clash against plucky Atalanta also this weekend. By contrast, any slip-ups could see them slide into third, especially if Inter beat Roma later on the same day.
Milan’s 3-0 win over Genoa was exactly the result Stefano Pioli needed after seeing his team succumb to back to back defeats to Fiorentina, and most recently, Sassuolo. The consecutive losses, which are Milan’s first of the season, did set off some alarm bells among Rossoneri supporters, with many fearing that another mid-season collapse was on the cards. However, their midweek win, which saw new signing Junior Messias grab a brace after veteran striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic opened the scoring, has ensured that the Diavolo haven’t fallen too behind the pace. To some extent, they were also helped by Napoli’s draw with none other than the same Sassuolo side who beat them 3-1 at the Stadio San Siro last weekend.
They’ll have a great chance to get some much needed points on the board as they host Salernitana. The Granata, who are back in the top flight for the first time in over two decades, have had a miserable campaign so far, to say the least. Stefano Colantuono’s squad have won just twice all season, and have earned just one point from their last five Serie A games. As a result, the newly promoted side remain stuck at the bottom of the table, albeit they haven’t been fully cut adrift just yet.
Indeed, with eight points, they are only three points away from safety. That being said, the debutants face an unrelenting schedule, as besides Milan, they’ll also have to play Inter before the end of 2021. Not the kind close-out a floundering side will want to take on, especially given they’ve conceded a whopping 31 goals and haven’t won a match since October.
In short, this is a fantastic opportunity for Milan to record an easy win and put some pressure on Napoli. Depending on how things pan out, the Rossoneri could actually finish this round back on top of the table, especially if the Partenopei stumble against Atalanta. Will Pioli’s side seize the gift that’s been virtually handed to them and rebound by earning a victory over the basement boys? Or will Salernitana, their backs against the wall, unveil a rather unpleasant surprise for the Diavolo?
