After their derby defeat to Inter, AC Milan will be expected to return to winning ways against lowly Novara in the round of 16 stage of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.
Italian champions AC Milan will be hoping to rebound from their painful defeat to arch-rivals Inter Milan on the weekend, when they take on relegation candidates Novara in the round of 16 stage of the Coppa Italia at the San Siro stadium on Wednesday.
Milan are in much-need of a boosting result against Novara, as not only did they lose the city derby, but they surrendered Serie A league leadership to Juventus.
But the Rossoneri still come into their clash with Novara as the odds on favourites not only because of their history and the depth of their star-studded squad, but because the visitors currently find themselves bottom of the 20-team Italian first division, with as few as twelve points.
Novara, who have failed to win any of their last six games since knocking Catania out of the Coppa Italia with a 3-2 win in late November, know that they face a daunting task against the Italian champions.
The Piedmont-based club only returned to the Italian top-flight this season after a 55-year absence, but marked their return in grand style as in their first home game last September they crushed then-world champions Inter Milan 3-1. Recalling a result of that magnitude could bolster their chances of upsetting the Rossoneri.
Novara travel to Milan without the services of defender Andrea Lisuzzo, who is out injured, but they will be boosted by the return of Carlalberto Lodi, who has recovered from an ankle injury just in time for the game.
Attilio Tesser, the coach of Novara, is expected to employ an extremely defensive 4-4-2 formation against Milan, with Andrea Caracciolo and Riccardo Meggiorini his preferred strike-partnership.
Meanwhile, the hosts will confront the match with neither Alberto Aquilani nor Gennaro Gattuso. However, Clarence Seedorf is expected to return to the starting eleven, after a polished substitute appearance against Inter on Sunday. He is likely to replace fellow Dutch midfielder Urby Emanuelson, who put on a below-par performance against the Nerazzurri.
Despite a rather uninspiring attack in recent weeks, Massimiliano Allegri has once again opted for the Alexandre Pato-Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike-partnership, with Robinho having to wait for his opportunity from the substitute's bench.
Milan are in much-need of a boosting result against Novara, as not only did they lose the city derby, but they surrendered Serie A league leadership to Juventus.
But the Rossoneri still come into their clash with Novara as the odds on favourites not only because of their history and the depth of their star-studded squad, but because the visitors currently find themselves bottom of the 20-team Italian first division, with as few as twelve points.
Novara, who have failed to win any of their last six games since knocking Catania out of the Coppa Italia with a 3-2 win in late November, know that they face a daunting task against the Italian champions.
The Piedmont-based club only returned to the Italian top-flight this season after a 55-year absence, but marked their return in grand style as in their first home game last September they crushed then-world champions Inter Milan 3-1. Recalling a result of that magnitude could bolster their chances of upsetting the Rossoneri.
Novara travel to Milan without the services of defender Andrea Lisuzzo, who is out injured, but they will be boosted by the return of Carlalberto Lodi, who has recovered from an ankle injury just in time for the game.
Attilio Tesser, the coach of Novara, is expected to employ an extremely defensive 4-4-2 formation against Milan, with Andrea Caracciolo and Riccardo Meggiorini his preferred strike-partnership.
Meanwhile, the hosts will confront the match with neither Alberto Aquilani nor Gennaro Gattuso. However, Clarence Seedorf is expected to return to the starting eleven, after a polished substitute appearance against Inter on Sunday. He is likely to replace fellow Dutch midfielder Urby Emanuelson, who put on a below-par performance against the Nerazzurri.
Despite a rather uninspiring attack in recent weeks, Massimiliano Allegri has once again opted for the Alexandre Pato-Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike-partnership, with Robinho having to wait for his opportunity from the substitute's bench.
