The biggest match of the Serie A round 7 will see under pressure AC Milan head coach Vincenzo Montella welcome his former club AS Roma in a huge test for Rossoneri title credentials.

Pressure Piling for AC Milan

The summer of heavy investments brought plenty of pressure on Vincenzo Montella’s shoulders. The young tactician has thus far coped well with his team trying to keep up the pace behind the leading sides in the league but the latest 2-0 defeat at Sampdoria has sent the alarm bells ringing.

Six games in and AC Milan find themselves in sixth place in the standings, level on points with their Sunday’s rivals who have a game in hand however. Two league defeats in early exchanges can prove to be costly for AC Milan in the long run and Montella need to beat his former club in order to a) send a statement about his own position at the helm and b) help the team gain much-needed confidence. Montella has come under great scrutiny this week after taking it to Twitter to sack the AC Milan fitness coach Emanuele Marra. The club owners seem to be losing confidence in the young tactician and are believed to have already made contact with Carlo Ancelotti, less than 24 hours after the experienced Italian manager got sacked by Bayern Munich.

Montella’s task of claiming the scalp of his former club is made difficult knowing that Andrea Conti is unavailable through a knee injury and that hosts will most likely have to do without Luca Antonelli, Davide Calabria and Ricardo Montolivo.

Summer recruits Andre Silva and Hakan Calhanoglu are tipped to start after convincing Europa League displays in a tough 3-2 win over Rijeka.

Injuries Troubling Giallorossi

AS Roma head into the AC Milan clash high on confidence following four wins on the trot. Eusebio Di Francesco’s men are coming off from a vital away win at Qarabag and will be determined to keep up the pace with the leading sides and put additional pressure on fourth-placed city rivals Lazio.

Hadn’t it been for the postponed game, AS Roma would have already been in front Biancocelesti and within the top four which ultimately is the main goal for Giallorossi after a busy summer. The club’s new sporting director Monchi has been proactive in the transfer window and AS Roma are given a competitive squad to fight their battles with this season. Their 3-1 loss at the hands of Inter Milan is a proof that the club still needs to grow and the forthcoming clash at AC Milan will be another important test to Giallorossi’s league ambitions. AS Roma barely moved out of the first gear in dispatching smaller sides but ended up stumbling over the first real obstacle and the Sunday’s derby match is sure to provide plenty of answers for Eusebio Di Francesco.

The AS Roma manager is struggling with shortage of options upfront as Patrik Schick will be unavailable for some time with his injury. The newcomer Gregoire Defrel limped off in the midweek fixture at Qarabag whereas Diego Perotti is a doubt.

Ultimately, Rick Karsdorp’s injury further limits AS Roma’s options. On the other side, Giallorossi will be hopeful Emerson will be able to shake off his problem in time for the game.

Verdict

Meetings between two of Italy’s biggest clubs rarely lack excitement. There were five goals scored last time these two sides met and we do expect to see another eventful affair. AC Milan will be determined to bounce back from their early struggles, whereas AS Roma can’t afford another defeat to direct league rivals.

Top pick: Draw   3.60 (13/5) @WilliamHill

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score – yes   1.59 (10/17) @10Bet

Alternative pick 2: AS Roma Draw No Bet   2.00 (1/1) @PaddyPower