AC Milan started off the month of February on a high note. Last weekend, the Rossoneri took down bitter city rivals Inter Milan in the Derby Della Madonnina. This match, of course, had serious implications outside of the rivalry. Milan positioned themselves to be right back in the Scudetto race, mostly in a tight battle with Inter and Napoli. This victory came off the heels of a quiet and questionable winter transfer window for Milan, yet they proved they’re still in it to win it.
AC Milan Face Crucial February
AC Milan Schedule
The Rossoneri have three Serie A matches remaining in the month of February. These come versus Sampdoria, Salernitana, and Udinese.
Left-back Theo Hernandez, who recently agreed on a contract renewal with the Italian giants, is suspended for the Sampdoria match after his red card versus Inter, while other stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ante Rebic, and Fikayo Tomori continue to recover from knocks. With that being said, they will all return shortly barring any further implications. This means that outside of Simon Kjaer who is out for the season, Milan should be at full strength, something which seems to have been a rarity this season.
No match comes easy, but the three on slate aren’t particularly concerning for Milan. Sampdoria are 16th in the Serie A table and are beginning anew with manager Marco Giampaolo (a former Milan boss). Salernitana are rock bottom of the Italian top flight with just 11 points from 23 matches. Udinese are 14th, but always present a credible threat to Milan.
With all that being said, all three of these matches are very winnable. Milan are tied for second on the table with Napoli after having earned 52 points from 24 matches so far. Inter top the table with one extra point, but they also have a game in hand over Milan and Napoli.
Inter Milan and Napoli Schedules
It just so happens that Inter and Napoli play each other this weekend. The outcome of that match holds several Scudetto implications for the two clubs, as well as for AC Milan. It will be closely monitored, but will also be a tight match.
Inter also have the Champions League to focus on. They play Liverpool only four days after the pivotal fixture with Napoli. After that comes Sassuolo, Genoa, and Salernitana. Inter’s February schedule is no easy task. A slip-up, at least domestically, is not out of the question.
Like Inter, Napoli also have a full schedule this month both in Italy and abroad. They play Barcelona twice in the next two weeks, on the 17th and the 24th. These Europa League fixtures need plenty of focus as well. Napoli’s other domestic fixtures include Cagliari and Lazio. The Cagliari match is certainly winnable, but Lazio presents a major challenge. The Rome-based club have a solid squad and is still alive in the race for the top four.
The Champions League and Europa League fixtures for Inter and Napoli may cause an issue domestically. Players can face fatigue, and the clubs may opt to alter line-ups to combat this. This is what tends to lead to slip-ups in the league. Milan, on the other hand, do not have to overcome the distraction of continental competitions for the remainder of this campaign, and this could give them a leg up on their rivals for the Serie A title.
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