Will Crushing European Defeats Affect AC Milan and Roma?
With the defeat behind them at the hands or rather feet of Manchester United in the Champions League, AC Milan resume their Serie A campaign this coming Sunday when they go to Bari.
Currently Milan are in third place in Serie A on 45 points. Unfortunately, they are also some 9 points adrift of Inter. While the season isn’t over yet and anything can happen between now and then, at the moment it is highly unlikely that Milan will achieve top spot.
However, it is very possible for the club to finish second if they can overtake Roma. The question is, will rather inconsistent performances so far this year plus a massive defeat in the Champions League affect them when they go to Bari?
On paper it should be an easy win for Milan as Bari are lying mid table in 10th position with just 32 points. Effectively, Bari’s own title hopes ended long ago but that doesn’t mean they will give Milan an opportunity to rise any higher in the table.
Rather, despite a faltering campaign (with 3 defeats from the last 5 games) they will still want to finish as high as possible themselves. After all, there is a Champions League place still available for next season.
Serie A Prediction: AC Milan to bounce back with an away win at 2.05.
Europa League Defeat Will Not Harm Roma
Milan’s closest rival this season – Roma – played Panathinaikos last night in the Europa League. Their 3-2 defeat brings a 21 game unbeaten run in any match so far to an end. Panathanaikos got the winner in injury time.
How will this affect Roma this weekend when they Catania this Sunday at home? Roma will want to consolidate their second place in Serie A with a convincing win but could the defeat in the Europa League, leave them with a bit of a hangover?
As for Catania, the team is still dangerously close to the bottom of Serie A, with just three points separating them and second from bottom club, Atalanta, with whom they drew 0-0 last weekend.
Meeting a team like Roma this late on in the season doesn’t bode well. But the team are not afraid of fighting their corner. The side has struggled this season but the club has still managed to get itself moving up the table after being rooted to the bottom for quite sometime.
A win at Roma will be a fantastic boost and could see them move up two places, leapfrogging both Udinese and Lazio if either of these teams does get beat.
Serie A Prediction: Despite losing to Panathanaikos, Roma will win comfortably. Bet on a Roma win and over 2.5 goals scored in the game at 2.30.
The title races are hotting up all across Europe. today we have focussed on the race for fourth spot in our Premier League predictions section and Real Mallorca’s astonishing home record over at the La Liga predictions section.
If you enjoyed this post then try these:
- Serie A Predictions: Roma Won’t Handle The AC Milan Onslaught
- Roma V Bari: A Clash of the Mid Table Titans
- Serie A Predictions: Catania Still Suffering, AC Milan Are Resurgent
- Will the Champion’s League Affect Serie A Form?
- Serie A Predictions: Juventus and AC Milan Take Centre Stage
