Fans’ favourite Clarence Seedorf returns to San Siro having taken over the reigns from Max Allegri and everybody is obviously hoping he will enjoy a winning debut. Hellas Verona need to show a lot of character if they are to get something from this match having suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Napoli last time out.

New winds blowing from San Siro

Many people agree that AC Milan chiefs have made a risky decision to appoint inexperienced Clarence Seedorf as a successor to long-serving coach Max Allegri, but with the Rossoneri under no pressure in the remainder of the season, at least the club legend will have around six months to adapt to his new job. The San Siro outfit may have been pretty disappointing this term, but everybody can see there is plenty of room for improvement and no doubt the arrival of Seedorf will be just the boost the players need to start playing to their potential. Milan played some very good games under Allegri as well, but the lack of confidence seriously affected them in some games, with the 4-3 defeat to Sassuolo, when the team squandered a two-goal lead, the perfect proof. With January signing Keisuke Honda likely to add a creative spark to the team and Giampaolo Pazzini finally back from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, there are some good times ahead for the Rossoneri. The new boss will need some time to patch up the leaky defence, which is why we cannot expect the hosts to keep a clean sheet against very good Hellas Verona, but Milan should prevail in the end.

Sulley Muntari misses out through suspension, whereas Ignazio Abate, Stephan El Shaarawy and Giampaolo Pazzini are out injured.

Ten points ahead of Milan

The mere fact Hellas Verona have all but secured Serie A survival midway through the league campaign speaks volumes about the performances of Andrea Mandorlini’s side, who are clearly the biggest surprise package of the season. It is the coach’s insistence on attractive attacking football that saw his side climb to sixth position in the standings, with summer signings Luca Toni and Juan Manuel Iturbe especially impressive. As a result, the back line was often left too exposed, but nobody will be concerned by the poor defensive record (30 conceded goals in 19 games) as long as the attack remains in fine working order. The Gialloblu ended the good run of results as they were soundly beaten at home by Napoli, but having previously scored four and three goals against Lazio and Udinese respectively, they look capable of making life difficult for underperforming AC Milan. The absence of key midfielder Jorginho, who is set to complete a switch to Napoli, is likely to further weaken the defence, so I am afraid another defeat is on the cards for Hellas Verona.

Samuele Longo is doubtful with a knee problem, whilst Jacopo Sala misses out through a muscle injury. Jorginho will not be in contention.

Verdict

The arrival of Clarence Seedorf is likely to provide a much needed boost for AC Milan, meaning the Rossoneri can be trusted to utilize their excellent attacking potential to the max. Hellas Verona are pretty dangerous up front and look like they can score at San Siro, but they should still return home empty-handed.

Top pick: Milan/Milan   2.20 (6/5) @ Betfair

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score   1.83 (5/6) @ Stan James

Alternative pick 2: Home win + both teams to score   3.10 (21/10) @ Coral