After a humiliating exit from the Champions League on Wednesday, AC Milan coach Leonardo has shifted his teams focus back to the Serie A. The Rossoneri were bundled out of Europe’s lucrative club tournament by Manchester United who gave them a 4-0 (7-2 aggregate) thumping!
However, Milan’s exit from the competition could be their silver lining. After leaders and arch rivals Inter succumbed to a 3-1 defeat on Friday, Milan have a shot at the only trophy they can win this season – the Serie A.
Inter’s defeat still means that their 4 point lead over Milan remains solid however, should Milan beat Chievo Verona tonight then they will cut the Nerazzurri’s lead to just one point. This should be a huge motivating factor for Leonardo. The good news does not stop there as Leonardo can also expect to have their top scorer Alexander Pato back from injury.
The last time Milan met Chievo the match ended in a 2-1 win thanks to a last minute goal from Alessandro Nesta. The ironical thing is that Milan’s savior then will not be available for tonight’s match. Nesta has an injury on his right knee and he is in a race against time to get fit.
Milan’s injury woes do not stop there as Luca Antonini and Daniele Bonera will also miss the match. These last few weeks have made me realise the unpredictable nature of the beautiful game. Roma’s amazing run in the league has seen them overturn their disastrous season and put them back in the hunt for the scudetto while Inter have jeopardized their own title hopes by throwing away a good lead over both Milan and Roma.
Chievo midfielder Giampiero Pinzi has warned Milan to expect a tough battle at the San Siro tonight and i think Leonardo should not underestimate those words. With 11 games left to decide who will be champions, Milan should play every game like a final. Milan needs to win tonight if they want to win the scudetto.
Photo credit: Peppinogentile
