MY ACCOUNT
– Milan are unbeaten in eight home league games, winning five and keeping five clean sheets
– Verona have failed to score on five of their six league trips to top-seven sides this term
– Recommended bet: Milan to win to zero
Verona must better Spezia’s result at Roma to have any chance of securing Serie A survival, but the task they are faced with is a daunting one as they head to the San Siro to square up with heavyweights AC Milan.
The stakes are less significant for Champions League semi-finalists Milan, who are guaranteed fourth but can leapfrog Inter into third if they win and their fierce rivals lose.
Stefano Pioli’s side have responded positively to losing their crunch Champions League clash with Inter, winning back-to-back Serie A games against Sampdoria and Juventus.
Verona, meanwhile, are a shadow of the side that finished ninth last season and are on the brink of relegation, having lost 20 of their 37 league matches.
Team news
Milan remain without Algerian midfielder Ismael Bennacer and Swiss striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, otherwise Pioli has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
The injury situation is far worse for Verona, who remain without Ondrej Duda, Thomas Henry and Pawel Dawidowicz.
There are also doubts surrounding Josh Doig, Kevin Lasagna and Darko Lazovic.
The stats
Milan have lost only two of their 18 home league games this season and are unbeaten in eight Serie A matches at the San Siro, winning five of those outings.
Pioli’s side have won three of their last four league fixtures but goals have been hard to come by in their matches, with under 2.5 goals landing in eight of their last nine.
Rossoneri are also unbeaten in eight meetings with Verona, winning each of the last four meetings.
That said, both teams have scored in five of the last six meetings between the pair.
Verona have struggled on the road, however, winning only one of their 18 away games, albeit seven of those fixtures have ended as draws.
But the visitors have failed to score on trips to Lazio, Inter, Roma and Juventus this season, losing all of those games to nil, suggesting they could struggle at the San Siro.
Prediction
Verona are in need of a positive result to stave off Serie A relegation but they have struggled on trips to Italy’s elite this term.
Not only have Verona lost to Lazio, Inter, Roma and Juventus but they failed to score on each occasion and although they claimed a point at champions Napoli, they created little in that goalless draw.
That could spell trouble for them at fourth-placed Milan, who are always a force to be reckoned with at the San Siro.
Fresh from a 1-0 success at Juventus last time out, Pioli’s troops are fancied to stand firm and they could all-but send Verona down with a win to nil.
Marco Zaffaroni’s visitors have failed to score in eight of their 18 away league games this season.
