First there were many, but now there are only four. The 2015/2016 Coppa Italia has finally reached its later stages as we have now arrived at the semi-finals, which will be contested over two legs in Turin and Milan. Three of the four teams - AC Milan, Juventus, and Inter - are of course well known to fans both in Italy and around the world. However, the fourth, Alessandria, was not a household name, and in fact, most people outside Italy had never heard of the Piedmont-based club prior to this season.
Well, they are here at this stage, alongside three of the biggest teams in Italy, and will be keen on showing they have what it takes to play with the "big boys" when they take on Milan later today.
Alessandria
Founded in 1912, Alessandria once featured in Serie A, but sadly, nearly a century later, the club declared bankruptcy and were subsequently refounded in 2003. After years in the non-professional divisions, they finally made it up to the Lega Pro, and after some ups and downs are now firmly established in Italian football's third tier.
This season has been nothing short of a Cinderella story for L'Orso (the Bear), who are currently in second place in the Lega Pro and have a good chance of securing promotion to Serie B. More important, they defeated two Serie A sides - Palermo and Genoa - to reach this stage, and in beating the Grifone, they became the first team from Lega Pro to reach the quarter-finals since Bari did so in the 1983/1984 season.
But Angelo Gregucci's men were not done yet: paired with another surprise package, Spezia, they secured an impressive place in the semi-finals and will certainly want to take down yet another Serie A side. Fortunately for Gregucci, he will have a full-strength line-up available for selection. The only key player to miss out will be Vedran Celjak due to suspension, and they will be coming into this game having secured a hard fought win in league play this past weekend.
Meanwhile, the Grigi will be relying on Riccardo Bocalon, who has 10 goals in the league and 13 in all competitions to lead the line.
Interestingly, this is not the only Coppa Italia Alessandria is featuring in: they are also in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia Lega Pro, which is for third-division sides. Naturally, they will certainly hope to make it to the "bigger" Coppa Italia final, and are just two games away from doing so.
AC Milan
Unlike Juventus and Inter, Milan, who finished in 10th, had to play two more games - against Perugia and Crotone - before eliminating Sampdoria and Serie A debutants Carpi to arrive at this stage in the competition. Sinisa Mihajlovic is under immense pressure to win a trophy this season, and with the Rossoneri having no chance at winning the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia will offer some kind of redemption.
Moreover, should they not secure a European football berth resulting from a good league position, they will receive an entry to the Europa League for the 2016/2017 season by winning the Coppa Italia this term. The season has been one of highs and lows: after a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Fiorentina, they slipped up against Empoli and had to settle for a point.
Currently in 6th place in the league, the Diavolo will be keen on setting up what will be a mouth-watering final against bitter city rivals Inter, or reigning champions Juventus. However, they have lost in either the quarter-finals or semi-finals in the past five seasons and have not won a Coppa Italia since doing so in 2003 under Carlo Ancelotti.
As such, will have to be wary of their opponents, who, despite having fewer resources and playing in the Lega Pro will be eager to pull off an upset in the first of this two-legged tie. The Rossoneri have never faced the Grigi - although that is not surprising given that Alessandria has spent all of their seasons of late in the lower tiers.
In terms of personnel, a now recovered Mario Balotelli could be given some more game time after making a substitute appearance during the draw with Empoli. Another attacking option for Mihajlovic is Luiz Adriano, who returned to Milan after a deal to transfer him to China went bust, and Cristian Abbiati - who has been long out of action - may be given a chance to feature in goal.
Which channel is broadcasting Alessandria vs AC Milan on TV or Online?
Due to the small nature of Alessandria's home ground - the Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta can only hold less than 6,000 spectators - this match will be played instead at Torino's Stadio Olimpico. If you happen to be in Turin, you could have a chance to watch the minnows attempt to take one step closer towards their first Coppa Italia final since 1936.
However, if you are not in the area, no worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has you covered with some options to catch the first leg of this semi-final tie. Here are some selections for those who live in the following countries:
- In the UK at 20.00 GMT on: SKY GO Extra, Sky Go UK, Sky Sports 3/HD
If you live elsewhere, please check out our special Alessandria vs. Milan broadcast page to search for viewing times and options for your current location.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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