Serie A: Carlo Wants a Happy Homecoming

AC Milan vs Napoli

Milan take on Napoli in a top-four bout on Saturday, and the San Siro will be bouncing as the home fans welcome an old hero, and then aim to send him packing!

Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti is a Rossoneri legend, having won European crowns as both a player and manager with Milan. But time moves on; and when the ref blows his whistle at the start of this huge Serie A clash, the former hero will be intent on spoiling the weekend for Genarro Gattuso’s resurgent Milan.

After a period in the wilderness, Milan look like they may be emerging from the shadows to take their place among Italy’s elite again. Playing with the determination of their coach Gattuso, they have climbed into the top four in Serie A after an away win in Genoa last week. There will be a scramble for that coveted place, with the seven next teams all within seven points of the Rossoneri. But it’s theirs to lose, and the Serie A 2019 betting odds pitch Milan as one of three teams in with a real shout, alongside Roma and Lazio.

The Azzurri are 13 points ahead in second place, so their Champions League berth is all but booked. They will be determined not to let it slip away.

Talking Points

Life after Higuain for Milan

With Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Chelsea completed, Gattuso has already lined up his replacement and just captured the signature of Genoa’s scoring sensation Kryzstof Piatek. The fee is expected to be in the region of 35m Euros; money well-spent for a striker who has already hit 13 league goals, compared with the outgoing Higuain’s six.

Patrick Cutrone has been filling the Argentine’s boots in his absence and is likely to start on Saturday, but fans at the San Siro will be licking their lips at the prospect of Piatek’s arrival. Another youngster, Lucas Paqueta, has impressed in his first two appearances for Milan. The 21-year-old Brazilian has shown glimpses of his exciting talent in the midfield and will be one for the visitors to keep a close eye on.

It’s all looking pretty bright for the Rossoneri. A year ago, they were in mid-table on 28 points; they are now up in fourth with 34 points and may just have bought an upgrade on their main striker. Gattuso has worked wonders to keep Milan in the hunt despite a horrendous injury list in the first half of the season, and he’ll now be determined to see his team kick on.

Milik is in the form of his life

Arkadiusz Milik have made its mark in Napoli scoring 11 goals in Serie A — Arkadiusz Milik fights for the ball against Stefan De Vrij

Napoli sit second in the table, well clear of the chasing pack, but nine points behind Juventus. The Bianconeri are homing in on an eighth successive Scudetto, but Napoli haven’t given up quite yet. They came through a tough test last week, beating Lazio 2-1 as top scorer Arkadiusz Milik fired his 11^th goal of the season. The Pole looks like a new player since Ancelotti arrived at the club. He was bought for €35m in 2016 to replace Higuain, but he has been very unlucky with injuries and had a stop/start career in Naples since scoring a brace on his Napoli debut.

That all looks behind him now, and he’s repaying his fee. Injury has blighted the season for another of Napoli’s stars, though, and Marek Hamsik is likely to remain out with muscle problems. But Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz has become more influential by the game in the Azzurri’s midfield, so we could see a good contest between him and Milan’s Paqueta.

This game has it all and is sure to hog the Serie A 2019 news headlines at the end of the weekend!

History

These are two well-matched teams and have shared the spoils in their 35 meetings since 1993, Napoli winning 12 to Milan’s ten and there have been 13 draws. Milan are without a win against the Azzurri in the last eight attempts.

This season, Napoli won a five-goal thriller on their home ground back in August after Gattuso’s men had gone 2-0 up shortly after half-time. Piotr Zielinski levelled with a double for Napoli and Dries Mertens grabbed the winner with ten minutes left on the clock. The Milan players wouldn’t have forgotten that!

But it will be another fond return for Ancelotti; he’s much loved in Milan having won the Serie A title and European Cup playing for the club as a midfielder before returning to the Giuseppe Meazza as a coach and guiding the team to Champions League success in 2003.

Betting Tip

	AC Milan vs Napoli	AC Milan, Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 1.83
	January 27 03:30 (GMT+8)

Napoli are favourites to win this epic match with SBOBET odds of 2.03, while Milan are 3.65 and the draw a tempting bet at 3.30. Both sides have a strong case with players nearing the top of their game, but I think the home advantage could play a part here.

If Napoli fail to win, then the title moves ever closer to Turin…but Milan won’t care about that. The Rossoneri want Champions League football again.