Curtain drops on the Italian football on Saturday night with AC Milan and Juventus locking horns in a Coppa Italia final, a highly anticipated game for both sides who want to finish current campaign on a high.
Can AC Milan win a trophy to salvage their season?
It has been yet another season of failed expectations and ruined dreams for Rossoneri family. AC Milan opened the season with Sinisa Mihajlovic at the helm hoping that Serbs character and charisma will be enough to wake up the sleeping giants, who have been on their knees for far too long now. With no proper signings and a relatively inexperienced team, AC Milan lacked quality to mount pressure on Juventus, Napoli and AS Roma despite some rare flashes of brilliance during the season. With his team nearing the end of the season outside top four and without any chance of grabbing European slots, Silvio Berlusconi opted to replace Sinisa Mihajlovic and brought Christian Brocchi who guided Rossoneri to utterly disappointing seventh place in the standings. The former Italian Prime Minister claims that AC Milan players have embarrassed the club, but it remains to be seen if his rough treatment will have the expected effect in the Coppa Italia final match against Juventus. The forthcoming game might be Brocchi’s final game in charge and Rossoneri are keen to lift a trophy that will undoubtedly lift the spirits before a summer break that could usher plenty of changes at AC Milan and mark the beginning of a new era.
AC Milan are preparing for the Coppa Italia final without Rodrigo Ely who is suffering from an ankle problem, while Ignazio Abate and Luca Antonelli are also out of contention.
Second straight double for Juventus?
The Old Lady have once again displayed their domestic dominance in the 2015-16 season. Following a sluggish start to the campaign, Juventus went on from strength to strength grabbing their fourth consecutive Serie A title in an impressive fashion last month with games to spare in the closing stages in the league. Having won their first Italian Cup in 20 years last season, Allegri’s men are extremely motivated to claim the double and wrap up their 11th Coppa Italia success. Juventus manager has been rewarded with a new contract as the club laid foundations for extending their dominance and making a step forward on the European scene. The summer transfer window is likely to initiate different activities with players expected to come and go, but Juventus will do their best to try and keep the key performers in. One of such has been Paulo Dybala who scored 19 Serie A goals in 34 appearances for Juventus, adding one more in the Coppa Italia. The 22-year-old Argentina forward has been in excellent scoringform and is expected to lead his team forward in the final game of the season.
Juventus have been dealt a huge blow with Claudio Marchisio’s cruciate ligament rupture that is likely to keep him out of action until October. Sami Khedira is closing on his return from a calf problem, while Martin Caceres is also a long-term absentee.
Verdict
The final match of the Italian football season will be a joy to watch as Coppa Italia final will see two Serie A heavyweights collide in a highly anticipated game. Judging on current form and individual strength verdict is clear regarding the match as Italian champions Juventus sit a firm favourites to lift the trophy. Backing them up to claim a win in 90 minutes can be a good value for your money.
Top pick: Juventus 1.7 (7/10) @Coral
Alternative pick 1: Juventus/Juventus 2.62 (13/8)@WilliamHill
Alternative pick 2: Juventus to win to nil 2.38 (11/8) @Bet365