Serie A: AC Milan’s Scudetto Hunt Just Got a Little More Complicated

AC Milan vs Genoa

Despite staying on top of the Serie A table, AC Milan’s chances of winning the Scudetto this season have dwindled because of the fact that they kept on bottling their chances.

Here at SBOTOP, I’ve been harping that they cannot afford to drop points especially against their bottom half counterparts Bologna and Torino. But for some reason, they’re unable to get the job done.

They’re clinging on to their miniscule advantage despite themselves, but defending champions Inter Milan are coming in hot with a game in hand. Following last week’s victory against Spezia, Inter Milan have leapfrogged Napoli at second place, although they’re level with 66 points each.

AC Milan will host a Genoa squad who are also yearning for points since they’re at a precarious position. Needless to say, I Rossoblu are a group that I Rossoneri cannot take for granted.

Talking Points

AC Milan paying the price

By dropping points in these last few games, AC Milan have essentially thrown away the title race back into Inter Milan’s hands after taking the top spot weeks ago.

AC Milan had a golden opportunity to break free from the chasing pack when four of their last five opponents were from the bottom half at the table. However, they could only muster two 1-0 wins and two goalless draws.

Should Stefano Pioli’s side eventually lose the title, they would probably look back particularly at their goalless draws against Bologna and Torino where they had 47 total shots with 11 of them on target but couldn’t convert at all.

Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao couldn’t find the back of the net, while injuries haven’t helped either as Ismael Bennacer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessio Romagnoli, Alessandro Florenzi, Ante Rebic, and Simon Kjaer have all spent time at the sidelines.

Many have criticized AC Milan’s inability to reinforce their squad during the January transfer window, which seems valid now given their recent Serie A 2022 results.

Compared to Inter Milan and Napoli, AC Milan have the toughest schedule among the three as their next five opponents after Genoa are all from the top half of the table.

On the other hand, Inter Milan have five of their next six at the bottom half while the same can be said for Napoli in their next four after AS Roma. 

Genoa desperate to stave off relegation

Genoa are far from where they were last term when they almost sneaked into the top half of the table under the tutelage of Ivan Juric, who’s now coaching Torino.

Since then, I Rossoblu have had a revolving door of managers – from Davide Ballardini, to Andriy Shevchenko, to now Alexander Blessin – which sums up their ineptitude as a calcio.

In fact, they’ve had more managerial changes than victories so far this season and now they’re back at the drop zone – placing 19^th with only 22 points.

To maintain and salvage their top-flight status by the end of this season, Genoa’s key players must step up. Look for them to rely on their veterans Mattia Destro and Domenico Criscito – who have combined for 14 goals and two assists thus far.

History

AC Milan shouldn’t be overconfident despite their head-to-head advantage over Genoa. In their last 30 games together, they have the upper hand with 18 wins while Genoa have won in seven along with five draws. AC Milan have won seven of their last 10 Serie A games against them after losing four of the previous five.

This season, I Rossoneri have manhandled I Rossoblu, beating them 3-0 during their reverse fixture last December and eliminating them at the Coppa Italia Round of 16 with a 3-1 scoreline.

Genoa’s last win in this matchup dates back to March 2020 with a 2-1 tally as Goran Pandev and Francesco Cassata gave them the lead for good, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the consolation goal for AC Milan.

Betting Tip

AC Milan are favoured by the Serie A 2022 odds. They’re priced at 1.85 to win, while Genoa are the underdogs at 8.00 and chances for a draw are at 2.31 in the 1X2 market.

While going for an AC Milan victory is the easy choice, it’s hard to trust them wholeheartedly given their recent performances, although Genoa are unlikely to win either.

So Under 2.75 @ 1.75 is the recommended bet since neither have been clinical in the final third. We wouldn’t be shocked if this turns out to be another draw, which might cost AC Milan their shot at the title this term.

 

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