AC Milan is already sure of a ticket for the Europa League, but will do everything to defend the sixth place. The seventh position would result in early preliminaries. Fiorentina only has a theoretical chance to enforce European football.
AC Milan:
A lot was expected of AC Milan before the start of the season. In the red-black part of Milan was thrown with euros and the Rossoneri would play a role in the battle for the top places. However, it quickly went wrong. Vincenzo Montella was fired and under his successor Gennaro Gattuso it was a bit better, but not good enough to win a ticket for the Champions League.
Last week AC Milan got the chance to win a prize in the final of the Coppa Itallia against Juventus, but in that game it became clear that the level difference with the Old Lady is still there. Milan was swept 4-0 off the mat in Rome and four minutes later, he tied 1-1 at the same time against Atalanta Bergamo. The Milanese now need a victory over Fiorentina to be sure of the group stage of the Europa League, as the gap with Atalanta Bergamo is only one point.
Gattuso has to deal with two suspensions this week, but they do not have a big impact. Riccardo Montolivo was sent off the field last week with a direct red card and Fabio Borini collected his fifth yellow card of the season. Both players came in the field as a substitute and that is why this week it is not so bad with the damage.
Fiorentina:
Fiorentina seemed well on the way to claiming at least the seventh place in order to enforce European football, but the last few weeks the good position disappeared like snow in the sun. The formation of trainer Stefano Pioli scored three defeats in the last five games and now needs a miracle to still secure the seventh place. The gap with Atalanta Bergamo is three points and the goal balance of the team from Florence (+12) is also a lot worse than that of the current number six (+19). It seems so excluded that Fiorentina will be admired in Europe after the summer and that really owes the team to itself.
Recently, there was lost of Lazio Roma (3-4) and low flyer Sassuolo (1-0) and last week there was a sensitive home defeat against degradation candidate Cagliari. That game seemed to be very suitable in advance to refuel confidence, but nothing turned out to be less true. Leonardo Pavoletti opened the score in the 37th minute and that turned out to be the only goal of the game.
In injury time, Jordan Veretout did not show his best side. The Frenchman first picked up a yellow card and then a direct red one and that put him on a suspension of three duels. Furthermore, Vitor Hugo will have to book progress to make it to the last game of the season. The Brazilian is still not completely fit.
PREDICTION: Over 2.5 goals @ 1.56
