Although they're still the new kids on the block as far as Serie A is concerned, Sassuolo have quickly become a team that Milan fans are becoming wary of. The plucky Neroverdi outfit has met the Rossoneri three times thus far--and has won two out of those, including a 2-1 result at the San Siro in their first league match of 2015.
The loss was a big setback for Filippo Inzaghi's men, who had hoped to earn 3 points in their first match following the Christmas holiday. And now that they were held to a 1-1 draw with Torino, the Diavolo will have some work on their hands if they want to keep climbing the table to ensure a European spot for the upcoming season.
However, for the present, there is the Coppa Italia, and as luck will have it, it will be Sassuolo who they will welcome to their home ground for the second time in a week. Indeed, it is an interesting case of déjà vu but supporters will certainly hope that the result will not be the same as it was last week Tuesday. And given that they are in eighth place, the same spot they finished in last season, goalkeeper Christian Abbiati has realized that his teammates must take this competition seriously.
"Sassuolo has great players. In the league match, we made the mistake of not closing out the game by scoring a second goal," the veteran shot-stopper stated in his pre-match press conference.
"[Right now], the Coppa Italia is the only cup that we have [to compete for], so it's like our Champions League. It's an important goal for us to win it because whoever does will go directly into the Europa League."
The last time Milan won it, though, was way back in 2003 when they defeated Roma, and Sassuolo, who are keen on continuing their run in the top flight, also are aware of that. They, too, also know that a win for them could give them an unprecendented chance to feature in Europe--quite akin to Ligue 1's Guingamp, who a year after winning back promotion to the top league surprised all by winning the Coupe de France last May--despite finishing in 16th place in league play.
While Milan have struggled since the start of the New Year, Eusebio Di Francesco's side have started off well, following up their win at San Siro by holding Udinese to a frustrating 1-1 stalemate which means they have not lost their last three games since a 2-1 reversal to Palermo on December 13th. Simone Zaza has found the back of the net in each of those three games, including one against Milan last Tuesday and so the hosts will be wary of the problems he could cause for them.
Who will emerge on top in this re-match between Milan and Sassuolo? Can the Diavolo exact revenge on their opponents at home? Or will the Neroverdi again hand them defeat for the second straight time in one week?
AC Milan vs Sassuolo team sheets
AC Milan's starting XI: Abbiati; Abate, Alex, Zapata, De Sciglio; Poli, De Jong, Bonaventura; Cerci, Pazzini, El Shaarawy
Sassuolo's starting XI: Pomini; Vrsaljko, Cannavaro, Antei, Longhi; Chibsah, Missiroli, Biondini; Floccari, Pavoletti, Sansone
AC Milan's bench: Diego Lopez, Agazzi; Albertazzi, Bonera, Rami, Zaccardo, Montolivo, Saponara, Mastour, Niang, Menez
Sassuolo's bench: Consigli, Polito; Bianco, Gazzola, Brighi, Magnanelli, Floro Flores, Berardi, Zaza
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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