AC Milan vs Sampdoria
AC Milan will press forward for their Serie A title challenge when they host Sampdoria at San Siro this weekend.
The Rossoneri are aiming to close the gap between them and bitter rivals Inter Milan, which makes this match a must-win for them.
It’s now or never for Stefano Pioli’s side since they’ve fallen behind at second place after a torrid start to their campaign.
As of this writing, AC Milan are six points adrift with 59 points, while the likes of defending champions Juventus and Atalanta are hot on their heels with 55 points apiece.
On the other hand, Claudio Ranieri’s side are placed 10th with 35 points and they will look to move up into the Italian top-flight standings.
Here at SBOTOP, we take a look on how these teams stack up on this Saturday night encounter.
Talking Points
Time is running out for AC Milan
AC Milan will almost have to pull off a miracle if they have plans to steal the Scudetto away from Inter Milan.
The Rossoneri haven’t been at their best and it doesn’t help that their roster is incomplete due to injuries and suspensions.
Ante Rebic was on the wrong end of the Serie A 2021 news when he was slapped a ban after insulting a referee during their defeat against Napoli.
The star forward disagreed with referee Fabrizio Pasqua on several occasions and it got to a point where Rebic hit Pasqua below the belt, calling her mother a prostitute in Naples.
With Rebic out of the equation, AC Milan were left without one more capable attacker alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Alexis Saelemaekers.
In the previous game, AC Milan fought tooth and nail against Fiorentina in what should’ve been an easy win.
The Rossoneri saw their lead evaporate when Franck Ribery equalised during the 51st minute, but it’s a good thing that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was there to bail them out.
Overall, it was a bad game by their standards and they are eager to bounce back this weekend.
Stefano Pioli is hopeful that Rafael Leao and Mario Mandzukic are going to be 100-per cent fit for this game, while Ante Rebic should return in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Alessio Romagnoli and Davide Calabria are not expected to play since they’re still nursing their injuries.
Sampdoria keen to build winning run
Claudio Ranieri was relieved when his boys broke out of their slump. They were able to beat Torino 1-0 after going five straight fixtures without a win.
I Blucerchiati endured a rough night offencively as neither side had trouble finding the back of the net.
Antonio Candreva scored the marginal goal during the 25th minute and it was enough to pull Sampdoria into the upper half of the table.
Other than Candreva, AC Milan would have to worry about Sampdoria’s other attackers.
Team captain Fabio Quagliarella is still a threat on goal despite being 38 years old, while Keita Balde and Albin Ekdal add guile and pace to their attack.
Unfortunately for Sampdoria, defence isn’t their strongest suit. But if they can replicate last week’s performance, they might catch the Rossoneri off-guard.
History
AC Milan and Sampdoria go a long way in Italian football. Prior to Saturday, these two proud clubs have faced off 38 times.
The Rossoneri have the significant edge in the overall head-to-heads with 23 wins, while I Blucerchiati have only won eight times along with seven draws.
Stefano Pioli’s side are unbeaten in three straight against Sampdoria. Claudio Ranieri’s men haven’t won in San Siro since the 2016/17 season.
In the reverse fixture earlier this term, AC Milan came away with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Sampdoria.
Albin Ekdal provided a scare for AC Milan with his goal during the 82nd minute, but Franck Kessie and Samuel Castillejo’s goals were enough to pull out the win.
Betting Tip
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AC Milan vs Sampdoria | AC Milan Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.73 |
| April 03, 18:30 (GMT+8) |
The Serie A 2021 odds are favouring the Rossoneri to win via a considerable margin.
AC Milan are priced at 1.56 to win, whereas Sampdoria are pegged lower at 5.80 and a draw is at 3.85 in the 1X2 market readings.
Sampdoria have the tools to make life hard for AC Milan, but ultimately I see the hosts coming away with the three vital points.
AC Milan simply have more firepower compared to their visitors. And on this weekend, I am expecting Zlatan Ibrahimovic and co. to unload on I Blucerchiati.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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