Serie A

Atalanta vs AC Milan: Rossoneri desperate for a much-needed win

Italian Soccer Serie A - Inter vs Milan
Photo credits: Fabrizio Forte

AC Milan will be desperately seeking a much-needed win as they travel to take on Atalanta at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on Sunday.

The Rossoneri have hit yet another snag as they try to chase down a European football spot. Although they could qualify for Europe by winning the Coppa Italia, they will be taking on reigning champions Juventus. With the way the Bianconeri have been on a roll in domestic competition, certainly, AC Milan will want to have a back-up plan to make sure they return to continental football next season. And that guarantee will be to finish in the top five (albeit, should Juventus win the Coppa, then a top six finish will suffice).

AC Milan’s very outspoken president Silvio Berlusconi has made it no secret that he wants to see the Diavolo featuring in the Champions League. If that was a tall order at the start of the season, the way Sinisa Mihajlovic‘s side have performed as of late surely will make that desire an utterly unrealistic expectation. With Sassuolo continuing to be their bogey team and two draws with Chievo and Lazio, the Rossoneri have picked up just one win in their past five matches. This has seen them fall a whopping 11 points behind Roma and six behind cross-town rivals Inter.

Moreover, unless if AC Milan turn things around, they could find the plucky Neroverdi breathing down their necks – literally. Sassuolo picked up a resounding 3-1 win over Serie A debutants Sassuolo and now sit just one point behind the Rossoneri prior to their upcoming match with Atalanta.

Although La Dea currently sit in 14th place with 33 points, they are just five points above the bottom three. With eight matches – and 24 points – to go, Edy Reja’s men are not safe from the drop, and they will be just as desperate to pick up a victory as their upcoming visitors in order to build up some buffer and between the teams in the midst of the relegation battle.

AC Milan will be M’Baye Niang, Alex, and Juraj Kucka – all due to injury – for this match, whilst Atalanta will only be without the services of Carlos Carmona. With both sides really needing a victory to salvage their respective disappointing seasons, who will come out on top? Or will they cancel each other out?

A draw, of course, will help neither AC Milan’s nor Atalanta’s cause, which should all in all make for a very tense encounter in Bergamo Sunday afternoon.

MORE: You can watch Atalanta vs AC Milan live with FuboTV 24-hour game pass FREE.

Michelle Bonsu

Freelance football journalist based in New York. Primarily support AC Milan as well as the Ghanaian and Italian NT’s, but you’ll find me watching the Bundesliga and Premier League as well–enjoy a good game, regardless of where it’s being played. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of my favourite players.