Having already dropped out of Europe and virtually secured the Serie A title, Milan have no reason not to take this game very seriously with another important trophy being just a couple of wins away. Coppa Italia is the only chance for Palermo to save their season, meaning that the Rosanero will give their best to record a positive result before the return leg at Renzo Barbera.

Milan continue to impress

Milan chiefs made a bold move in appointing talented but inexperienced Masimilliano Allegri as the coach at the start of the season, but looking in hindsight, that now looks like a visionary decision from Silvio Berlusconi. The talented coach has got the team playing great football this season and still managed to contain some enormous egos in the dressing room, which is one of the main reasons for team’s success this season. While the Rossoneri made several slip ups in Serie A, they managed to step up the plate when it was needed the most, with victories over Napoli, Juventus, Inter and Fiorentina helping them create a six-point cushion at the top with just five more rounds to go. The impressive performances in Serie A will allow the team to fully focus on the Coppa Italia semi-finals and give them an opportunity to get revenge on Palermo for the defeat at Renzo Barbera in Serie A. Masimilliano Allegri is expected to field a very strong side, so there is no doubt the hosts are the favourites here.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start as he is suspended for next weekend’s clash against Brescia, while Massimo Ambrosini and Daniele Bonera should be in contention after resuming full training. Alexandre Pato and Christian Abiatti miss out after picking up injuries against Sampdoria, while Alessandro Nesta is an injury doubt. Philippo Inzaghi remains sidelined.

Last chance saloon

This season has been a real rollercoaster ride for Palermo and the Coppa Italia remains the last chance to make up for the numerous disappointments. The Rosanero had a dismal start to the season that saw them get eliminated from Europe and record some disappointing defeats in Serie A, but they then showed some improvement and at the time it looked as though they might be able to fight for the European places. However, the run of five straight defeats that included the 7:0 loss at home to Udinese saw their hopes go out in smoke and Palermo are now playing for their pride rather than anything else. A quality team that they are, the Rosanero are still showing glimpses of quality, with recent victories over Milan and Roma helping the players restore some of the lost confidence, but their inconsistency keeps preventing them from making a good run of results.

Coach Delio Rossi will have a full squad to choose from, with the exception of Michele Paolucci, who is struggling with injury.

Verdict

Milan have been in remarkable form of late and they should have no problems continuing the great scoring form, although their weakened back line is likely to face problems against players like Pastore, Hernandez and Miccoli. Therefore, backing both teams to score looks like the best choice here.

Our prediction: Both teams to score

Odds: 1.95 (19/20)

Bookmaker: Betfair