AC Milan vs Catania

April 12, 2014
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

Having finally stabilised their form, AC Milan will be very motivated to extend the good run of results and revive their Europa League bid. Meanwhile, bottom-placed Catania are under extreme pressure seeing as how relegation will be on the cards unless they can win at San Siro.

Three on the bounce

It took new boss Clarence Seedorf quite a while to get this Milan side playing to their potential and it was by no means easy for the coach to find the right balance in the team especially with quite a few players arriving in January. And while the Rossoneri were showing glimpses of quality, they were unable to find any consistency, but the latest run of results is enough to suggest the Dutch tactician is on the right track. Following a good performance in the 1-1 away draw against Lazio, Milan went on to win next three league fixtures, defeating very good Fiorentina and Genoa sides on the road, while hammering Chievo on home soil. And while they were somewhat fortunate to win at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, the quality and character they showed prove this squad have got plenty of potential. And even if qualifying for the Europa League is likely to prove an uphill task, Milan players are determined to end the season on a high and the run of three straight victories will do wonders for their confidence ahead of the clash with sorry Catania.

Keisuke Honda has picked up an ankle injury and looks set to miss out, with De Sciglio, Essien, Muntari and Petagna also on the sidelines. Stephan El Shaarawy has resumed training and he could play a part.

Hopeless Catania

Everybody at the club had worked hard to establish Catania as a genuine top table side in Serie A, but one poor season threatens to ruin all the hard work. The Elephants have seen some key players leave the club in the past, but their replacements haven’t quite managed to produce the desired impact. One look at Maurizio Pellegrino’s squad will tell you that Catania boasts some quality players with plenty of experience, but the situation they find themselves in has had a huge weight on the players’ shoulders. The team have now lost five straight league fixtures, while picking up one point from last eight and it is this lack of confidence that is preventing the Elephants from showing all they’ve got. That is unlikely to change anytime soon seeing as how Catania sit seven points adrift of safety with just six games to go, and poor spirits could prove to be a major issue in the clash against in-form AC Milan, who appear to be playing their best football of the season. And taking also their 0-2-14 away record into account, the Elephants look set for another disappointment.

Full-back Gino Peruzzi misses out through suspension, whilst important players Sergio Almiron and Giuseppe Bellusci are out injured.

Verdict

Milan have finally rediscovered their form and with the likes of Kaka, Taarabt and Balotelli working their magic, they should have no problems extending the impressive run against rock bottom Catania. Having won just two points on the road this season and going into the game on the back of five straight defeats, the Elephants have little to hope for at the moment.

Top pick: Milan/Milan   2.00 (1/1) @ Betfair

Alternative pick 1: Milan with -1.5 Asian handicap   2.00 (1/1) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 2: Milan to win to nil   2.25 (5/4) @ Paddy Power

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