As AC Milan prepare to welcome Sampdoria to the San Siro, the Rossoneri will be heading into to this match with the realisation that it is win or go home, as far as their European ambitions are concerned.
Once regarded amongst Europe's premier sides, the decline of the Diavolo has been shocking for fans all over the world and they are looking dangerously close to failing to even make it into the Europa League for next season. Should that come to pass, it would be the first time since Silvio Berlusconi took over that they missed out on European football for two consecutive seasons.
Filippo Inzaghi's men have attempted to string together some positive results as they try to claw their way up the table, with two back-to-back wins against Palermo and Cagliari. However, Sampdoria, despite seeing their four-match win streak snapped by Fiorentina will not be keen on dropping points in their quest to secure a European football berth for the 2015/2016 campaign.
Has time run out for the Rossoneri to work their way into a European football spot for next season?
Whilst they have appeared to turn things around at their home ground with zero losses since the 1-0 reversal to Atalanta back in January, it is important to note that their three wins have been against the bottom three sides: Cesena, Cagliari, and Parma and their two draws were versus Chievo and Empoli, who reside in the bottom half of the table.
It goes without saying that the hosts will need to up their match as they welcome Sinsia Mihaljovic's troops later today, who will be definitely ensuring they stay just behind Fiorentina with Napoli breathing down their necks.
As has been the case throughout the season, Inzaghi will also have to contend with injuries to key players, including Japanese star Keisuke Honda and captain Riccardo Montolivo. However, this latest update will hopefully help to boost their cause with the season winding down, especially given how il Faraone has struggled to stay fit all season:
Official: @OfficialEl92 can get back to training after his injury! / Ufficiale: Stephan può tornare ad allenarsi! AC Milan (@acmilan) April 10, 2015
The last five meetings between the Rossoneri and the Blucerchiati have been fairly evenly matched. Milan have won twice versus Sampdoria's one and the other duo finished as draws, including a tense 2-2 result earlier this season. This will be their 130th meeting and in this case, the hosts clearly enjoy an advantage with a record of 63 wins, 36 draws, and 30 losses. And finally, the Diavolo have won nine out of their 12 home games against Sampdoria, losing and drawing the remaining three.
Of course, statistics and history oftentimes are not an accurate indicator of future success. To that end, the visitors will obviously want to take advantage of their opponents' struggles:
"We should not underestimate Milan because they [still] have players who can make a difference," Blucerchiati midfielder Roberto Soriano noted, as per Sky Sports.
"But whilst we're going to San Siro with respect for them, we are convinced we can leave with all three points."
With the 2014/2015 Serie A season winding down, make sure you do not miss out on your favourite Italian team's matches and check LiveSoccerTV.com's Multi-Platform Broadcast Guide for all things calcio.
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