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Udinese vs Milan Preview

Gregory Sica, February 11 2012,
AC Milan will have another opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Juventus when they travel to the Stadio Friuli to do battle with Udinese on Saturday.

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Team News

Once again AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has a selection nightmare, as not only will he be unable to count with the injured quartet of Alexandre Pato, Alessandro Nesta, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Alberto Aquilani, but also without the suspended pair of Mark van Bommel and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker received his marching orders against Napoli for violent conduct, which resulted in a three-game ban.

Due to Ibrahimovic's suspension, either Stephen El Shaarawy or recent signing Maximiliano Lopez will partner Brazilian striker Robinho in the Milan attack.

Meanwhile, Francesco Guidolin, the coach of Udinese, will have to deal with a number of absentees, which include striker Antonio Floro Flores, who is injured, and the Ghana duo of Kwadwo Asamoah and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, who are still on national team commitment at the African Cup of Nations.

Form

Italian champions Milan come into the clash in devastating form, as they haven't managed to claim a victory in their last three games in all competitions. After having been beaten 2-0 by Lazio, they dropped a further two points in their race for the Scudetto with a goalless home draw against Napoli. Then on Wednesday, they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Juventus in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals at the San Siro.

Rivals Udinese have also struggled in recent outings, with two wins and three defeats from their last five games. Last Sunday Guidolin's side were ousted 3-2 by Fiorentina in Florence, despite taking an early lead through Antonio Di Natale.

Head-to-head

The last three encounters between the sides have ended in draws, with the last having been a 1-1 tie at the San Siro stadium in September. This trend, and the fact that Udinese have the best home record of the Serie A this season, suggest that it is likely to be a very evenly-matched clash. But while the last two meetings between the sides only brought two goals, prior to that the teams managed to find the back of the net no less than eight times in a memorable 4-4 draw.

Prediction

Due to the recent history between the two teams, it is likely to be a very evenly balanced clash. Knowing that a win would move them on the same amount of points as Milan, Udinese will be highly motivated coming into the game, and if Di Natale, the league's highest marksman with 16 goals, is provided with the right service the Bianconeri could obtain a crucial victory. However, Milan still possess a threat and would rate their chances of returning to the San Siro with the three points.

The Verdict:

Udinese 1-2 Milan

 

Udinese vs Milan

Date: Saturday, 11 Feb 2012
Time: 12:00 ( US/Eastern )
Competition: Italy Serie A
Live/Repeat: Live
Venue: Stadio Communale Friuli (Udine)

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