AC Milan have a game against Juventus on the horizon, but before they face them there are six huge points up for grabs.
Tuttosport (via MilanPress) writes how Milan are preparing for eight days that could jeopardise qualification for next season’s Champions League or almost wrap it up. Udinese and Hellas Verona are the two teams that they will face, and they will have to be respected, but wins are expected.
Two match points with the 4-3-3
Massimiliano Allegri will play these next two matches with his new 4-3-3 formation, as per the paper. It is the solution that he has turned to in order to try and fix an attack that is struggling for goals, with the team having failed to score in three of the last six games (losing all three 1-0).
Milan need two wins against the Bianconeri and the Scaligeri to arrive in the best possible shape for the direct clash against Juve. The pace has dropped in the second half of the season from an average of 2.2 points per game to 1.75, and four or five more wins are needed to lock in the top four.
The home match against the Bianconeri is scheduled for April 26th, with matches against Atalanta and Bologna to follow. Maintaining a comfortable six-point cushion or extending the lead would ensure greater confidence going into the big match at San Siro.
Allegri himself suggested in his pre-match press conference that he is aware of the potential for his team to have a dip, now that the title looks like an unattainable dream.
“The psychological aspect… It’s normal that after you lose in Naples, you lose second place, dropping to within nine points of Inter. The first two days were the most difficult. But then we need to focus on the objective.
“Maybe we weren’t good enough to be closer to Inter, we need to work on improving, without losing sight of the Champions League objective. There are seven games left, and some teams are improving.
“It happens during the season that there are moments when the strikers score and other times when they don’t. But I’m sure that from here on out they’ll score goals that will help us qualify for the Champions League.”
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