Novara vs Milan Match Preview
AC Milan will strive to maintain pressure on Serie A league leaders Juventus when they clash with Novara for the second time in the space of five days on Sunday.

El Shaarawy scored in the Cup win over Novara
After their derby defeat to Inter, AC Milan welcomed Novara to the San Siro for the Coppa Italia mid-week, in a game which the Rossoneri won thanks to an extra-time winner from Alexandre Pato after the match ended in a 1-1 draw over the ninety minutes.
Now the two teams will meet again, for the second time in the space of just five days, this time at the home of Novara the Stadio Comunale Silvio Piola, for the 19th round of the Serie A.
Milan come into the clash as the odds on favourites to escape with the three points, not only because they beat Novara with a second-string side just a few days ago, but because both sides find themselves on opposite ends of the table, as while Milan are currently second from top, Novara find themselves rock-bottom of the 20-team Italian first division.
Novara are expected to return to the Serie B next season, as they are the team who have claimed the fewest wins this season with just two. Their last win came on November 26 when they downed Parma. The hosts also have the worst defensive record in the competition, having conceded a total of 35 goals in 18 matches.
Due to their woeful defense, Milan are likely to have a field day, as the Italian champions count with the deadliest attack in Serie A this season, after having notched up a staggering 37 goals, four more than their closest rivals Napoli.
But for Sunday's clash, the Rossoneri will be unable to count with the services of Brazilian striker Pato, who combined superbly with fellow countryman Robinho to secure Milan's passage into the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. Pato will be sidelined for an approximated four weeks after picking up a muscle strain, while Kevin-Prince Boateng is also expected to be out of action for some time due to a thigh problem.
Due to such injuries, Massimiliano Allegri is likely to present Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf with a starting role in midfield, while Robinho is expected to get the nod ahead of Stephan El Shaarawy to partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the Milan attack.
As was the case in the mid-week Cup match, Novara coach Attilio Tesser will be forced to reshuffle his defense due to a combination of injuries and suspensions. But the good news is that he will be able to count with the presence of the club's winter transfer window reinforcements, which include strikers Andrea Caracciolo and Giuseppe Mascara.
Novara vs Milan Match Report
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores a brace to lift Milan to an easy victory over Novara that keeps the Italian champions on Juventus' trail

Ibrahimovic and Robinho were on target for Milan
Italian champions AC Milan thrashed Novara 3-0 thanks to two goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and another from Robinho at the Stadio Silvio Piola on Sunday.
With the result, the Rossoneri closed the first round of the 2011-12 Italian championship in second place with 40 points, one point behind league leaders Juventus, with 41 points. While, Novara remain rock-bottom, with a mere 12 points.
Milan, who knocked Novara out of the Coppa Italia midweek, took the game to the hosts immediately from the kick-off as they looked to make amends for their painful derby defeat to city rivals Inter Milan in the Serie A last weekend.
Massimiliano Allegri's side piled heavy pressure on the Novara goal, with Robinho coming inches close to putting them ahead when he fired just wide following a Ibrahimovic free-kick.
The Rossoneri continued to look dangerous in an attacking sense, throwing everything that they had at the vulnerable Biancoazzurri goal, but Novara goalkeeper Samir Ujkani kept them out with a number of sensational saves.
It finally appeared that Thiago Silva had given Milan the lead when his header seemed to have beaten a hapless Ujkani, but to his disbelief Andrea Caracciolo cleared the ball off the line and away to safety.
The flow of the match remained the same after the restart, as the visitors continued to prove too hot to handle for the Serie A wooden spooners.
But from the run of play, Novara almost took a surprise lead, when Marco Rigoni slid a superb through ball into the path of the onrushing Caracciolo but the striker fired the ball agonisingly wide.
When it seemed that Novara would begin to lift their game, Milan went ahead, when in the 57th minute Ibrahimovic received a perfect through ball from experienced midfielder Massimo Ambrosini before blasting the ball home from close-range.
In the 74th minute Milan went two-up when speedy substitute Stephan El Shaarawy fired a shot across goal, only for Robinho to meet it with the coolest of finishes.
Ibrahimovic added his second goal and Milan's third of the match in the 90th minute, to round off a perfect display for the Italian champions.