Serie A: Top Spot Beckons for Milan

AC Milan vs Sassuolo

Sassuolo heads to the San Siro for a Sunday Serie A date with title hopefuls Milan, where the hosts will have their eyes on a big prize.

I Rossoneri are second in the Serie A table, behind Napoli on goal difference and four points ahead of their city rivals Inter, and as Napoli face Lazio in the late kick-off, Milan can take top spot for a few hours at least, by avoiding defeat to Sassuolo. The visitors are toiling in 13^th place; comfortably above the drop zone but well off the pace of the leading pack. The Milan vs Sassuolo betting odds point to a home win at odds of 1.55 and anything else would be a sizeable shock.

Milan come into the game on the back of a 1-0 Champions League win away to Atletico Madrid, while Sassuolo drew with Cagliari last week, and I’m backing I Rossoneri to round of the week with another victory.  

Talking Points

Inter in the rear view mirror

Milan’s defeat to Fiorentina last week opened the door for either Napoli to forge ahead in Serie A, or for Inter Milan to haul the early pace-setters back, and that’s exactly what Simone Inzaghi’s Inter did, to ignite the race for the Scudetto. With their city rivals coming into view Milan will be kicking themselves after falling behind 3-0 behind to La Viola; and even a brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic couldn’t save them as they eventually went down by the odd goal in seven.   

Milan have had no problem scoring goals and head coach Stefano Pioli has a good supply of strikers to choose from. Ibrahimovic is top scoring with five goals, while Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud have four each. Ibrahimovic and Leao were rested in Madrid and could both make a start against Sassuolo, with Alex Saelemakers stepping aside alongside one of Giroud and Brahim Diaz.       

And then there’s Junior Messias, on loan from Crotone, who scored the late winner in Milan’s victory over Atletico, a result which has revived I Rossoneri’s hopes of making the knockout phase. Pioli will have plenty of firepower on the bench if he needs it.      

At the other end of the pitch with the vastly experienced Simon Kjaer and Alessio Romagnoli at the heart of Milan’s defence, Sassuolo will need to find some magic to break their hosts down, while wing-back Theo Hernandez, with four assists, provides another attacking threat for I Rossoneri.  

Sassuolo’s searching for lost momentum

After a bright start to the campaign Alessio Dionisi’s Sassuolo have hit the skids. I Neroverdi’s draw with Cagliari followed back to back defeats to Udinese and Empoli. But they can spring a surprise on the big guns, as they proved when they beat Juventus in Turin as Maxime Lopez latched on to a brilliant ball from Domenico Berardi to win the game deep into stoppage time.

With three assists to add to his six league goals Berardi is Sassuolo’s star player as he proved with some eye-catching displays during Italy’s successful Euro 2020 campaign. He’s struck up a good relationship with Gianluca Scamacca who has three goals so far. The 6ft 5in 22 year old is a handful at set pieces and provides dangerous knock downs for his fellow strikers, while young midfielder Davide Frattessi adds to the team’s creative muscle.    

But it is Sassuolo’s defence, marshaled by Gian Marco Ferrari, which is likely to have the busier day, and having conceded two goals in each of the last three games they need to tighten up.

History

Milan have been in charge of the head to head meetings with Sassuolo winning ten, drawing two and losing five over the past seven years. 

But the Neroverdi have had some success in their last two visits to the San Siro, drawing 0-0 in 2019 and, last season, escaping with a 1-2 victory in April as Giacomo Raspadori hit a quick-fire brace in response to a screamer from Hakan Calhanoglu.

With an eighth placed finish in 2021 Sassuolo are no pushovers.

Betting Tip

	AC Milan vs Sassuolo	AC Milan Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.01
	November 28, 22:00 (GMT+8)

The draw is at 3.88 and a Sassuolo win at 5.22, but I’m backing a Milan win as the Rossoneri has the better form, higher quality players and home advantage.     

Milan have another incentive to win, of course, after the SBOTOP football stats guys installed Inter as title favourites following their victory over Napoli last week. But there’s little to choose between the three leaders and things can change quickly as the Serie A results roll in. Inter are away to Venezia on Saturday and are expected to win, so I Rossoneri must take care of their business…and I think they will.

 

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