BACKGROUND
Milan defeated Roma 2-1 when this fixture was played on the final matchday of last season.
Kakà put Milan into the lead in the 5th minute from the
penalty spot, after Leandro Cufre was adjudged to have fouled Alberto
Gilardino in the box. Romas leveled in the 33rd through Philippe Mexes
heading the ball past Dida in the Milan goal.
Milan finished the match the same way as it started.
Gilardino was again pulled back in the box, and Marcio Amoroso
stepped-up and won the match in stoppage time.
CURRENT FORM
Milan (W L L, 7 points, 16th place)
Consecutive losses (by scores of 4-3 to Inter in the Milan derby and 2-0 away to Atalanta) have left the Rossoneri
in a dangerous position just four points above the relegation zone.
Despite the losing result against Inter, it seemed as though the
resurgence they experienced in the second-half would have put them on
the way toward finally playing up to expectations.
This has not been the case, however. While they did follow up the derby loss with a big win in Champions League
play, they then regressed back to the low level of play which has
plagued them most of the season in the away loss against Atalanta.
They did have two valid penalty claims waived off by the referee
(sparking further concern of a conspiracy against the club), but even
so, they sorely lacked the type of offensive completion required for a
top side; especially one with aspirations of winning the Champions
League (CL).
Milan have claimed all season that because of the points
deduction they received from the Calciopoli trial, they will firstly
aim for victory in European competition rather than focusing their
efforts on domestic play. This mindset has been clearly evident.
Through four CL matches, they have ten points, with three-goal
victories over AEK Athens and Anderlecht as the highlights of their
play. But in the Italian Serie A, they have struggled for goals
basically all season.
Roma (D W W, 20 points, 3rd place)
Roma have not had such troubles. With six victories from ten total matches, the Giallorossi sit in third place in the Serie A, just four points off the pace set by co-leaders Inter and Palermo.
They have displayed form similar to that which saw them go on
a record-setting streak of victories last season. Often playing
without a true striker, the goals have been provided by the dynamic
midfield, consisting of players such as Francesco Totti
and Amantino Mancini. Also, Rodrigo Taddei has improved his already
good form, and this was evident last weekend, in the 3-1 win against
Fiorentina, in which he had two goals.
TEAM NEWS
As usual, Milan have a group of top players
injured. Serginho has been missing in action for most of the season.
More recently, Gennaro Gattuso has gone down to a left knee injury
which will keep him out until the New Year, while Giuseppe Favalli will
not feature until 2007 with a right knee injury. Kakhaber Kaladze is
still suffering from the thigh strain he sustained warming up before
the CL match against Anderlecht, while Massimo Ambrosini is also out of
this match. Alessandro Nesta seems to have recovered from the shoulder
injury he picked up against Anderlecht.
Roma are a much-healthier group, although
they do have a few injury concerns. Mirko Vucinic, who had just
returned from knee problems, strained his calf during the win away to
Triestina in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. Gilberto Martinez and
Ricardo Faty are also out. In the good news department, Philippe Mexes
and David Pizarro appear to be fit and ready to play.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kakà (Milan) – He is the main cog in the Milan
machine this season, and his form very well may get him voted as the
best player in the entire world. In the absence of Andriy Shevchenko (who moved to Chelsea in the summer), he has begun to score more goals, and is now the most viable scoring threat for the Rossoneri.
Francesco Totti (Roma) – Despite Roma’s lofty
standing, he has not been in top form this season, but will get a
chance to prove his critics wrong, as he may be fielded as the lone
striker in this match. His finishing ability is as good as that of
most strikers, so he will definitely get some good chances against a
struggling Milan defense.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s
Milan (4-3-1-2): Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski; Gourcuff, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Oliveira, Inzaghi
Roma (4-5-1): Doni; Panucci, Mexes, Chivu, Tonetto; Pizarro, De Rossi, Taddei, Perrotta, Mancini; Totti
PREDICTION
This will be a hotly-contested encounter, no doubt about
it. Milan will be desperate to get a win, and Roma will put the
pressure on their hosts to try and defend their multi-pronged midfield
attack. There will be plenty of chances, but not so many goals.
Milan 1-1 Roma
Joel Whitehead