Week 34: Torino – Milan

Coppa semi home elimination by Lazio, dropping points at Parma and the late season nose dive continues unabated. The near miracle of hanging on to 4th place and the final Champions League spot is about to come crashing down.

Despite 1 win in 6 Milan somehow remained in 4th place at the start of week 34. This is about to end unless Torino – 1 loss since January – can be beaten away. Milan’s mediocre form and Gattuso’s continued insistence on using the likes of Suso and Borini are putting the coach’s position under more scrutiny and the much talked about “Finish 4th and he stays” is now under threat as well. Maurizio Sarri or another coach could be on his way no matter how the season ends.

Racist trouble hit Italian football, again. Bakayoko was the subject of chants via the famous right wing elements at Lazio. After the Serie A win vs Lazio on April 13 the aforementioned and Kessie created their own pseudo controversy by holding up an Francesco Acerbi jersey jokingly (or mockingly) at the end of the game, but this half silly half bad judgement gesture paled in comparison to the fascism that is part of Lazio lore.

Torino themselves could catch Milan as they lie only 3 points behind the rossoneri. This makes the game even more important. Gattuso’s baffling and stubborn choices are set for more head scratchers as Cutrone is set to start ahead of Piatek while the short lived 3-4-3 used in the coppa game will be dumped for a return to the predictable 4-3-3. Conti could be getting a start as Calabria injured himself midweek and will miss the rest of the season. The team is otherwise healthy and Paqueta makes a return to the starting lineup. The Brazilian will line up with Bakayoko and Kessie behind Suso, Calhanoglu and Cutrone. The aforementioned Bakayoko may sour on Italian football after the racist abuse and lower the chances of a Milan stay. Whether Milan have the cash to make his loan permanent may become irrelevant.

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