Week 34: Lazio – Milan
Milan had scored an important win and actually scored goals in beating Genoa last weekend but yet another controversial match featuring highly questionable refereeing ended Milan’s Coppa Italia run. The team may not have deserved to reach the Coppa final and the team’s recent attacking struggles were still on full display but Italian football is not helping itself with the quality it offers in many respects, including its officiating.
The final five matches of the season won’t be easy and maintaining the lead over Inter – whose one game in hand will be played next week – to win an unlikely scudetto is going to be big challenge. A trip to Lazio comes first.
The blunt attack is not helped by the Ibra’s perpetual absence. The lack of options is further exposed when the Swede is basically a non playing member of the team. Giroud, much like all his teammates, is struggling and Lazetic is not a ready deputy. The Serbian was supposedly signed for the senior team but is too young and raw and may not even stay for next season. A loan away for experience seems likely.
The biggest news of the week featured yet another buyer rumour. Elliott have quickly denied previous such whispers but this looks somewhat more serious and Bahrain founded Investcorp might be able to snatch Milan from Elliott’s hand for around €1 billion. Various credible sources claim an exclusive period of negotiation is underway with the state of finances and a stadium of course the main points being looked at. This writer wonders if Elliott have given up their stated goal of not selling before building a stadium.
On the pitch, the team is set to be predictable again. Florenzi, Ibra and Kjaer are of course missing. Rebic remains a walking wounded, the Croatian was apparently ready to come on during half time of the Coppa match but is not fully fit. This all leaves the lineup easy to guess with Diaz and Messias’ participation, in place of Kessie and Saelemaekers, the only real question marks.
The Lazio squad may be missing several players who are battling illness but their main weapons are ready. Ciro Immobile, Mattia Zaccagni and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will line up to win and Luiz Felipe and Francesco Acerbi will try to contain Milan’s tame attacking force.
There is always more about this and all Milan matches on the forums.
Lazio – Milan play on April 24 2022 at 20:45CET