This rescheduled fixture gives both of these clubs a chance to make up points on their rivals in the standings.
Bad Memories
This match is the reschedule of a postponed fixture from the day on which a Lazio supporter tragically perished back in early November. Although the players had already taken the field and the match having started, it was stopped by the referee due to the protesting of the crowd.
Fans across Italy were extremely upset after hearing of the accidental shooting of Lazio supporter Gabriele Sandri, and the supporters in Bergamo forced the stoppage of play in this fixture after less than ten minutes.
The serious nature of the supporters’ intentions, if play were to continue, was clearly evidenced by the considerable damage to the barriers that separated the stands from the pitch. After Atalanta striker Cristiano Doni’s attempt to calm down the crowd was unsuccessful, the referee had no choice but to stop the match.
Moving on to the playing aspect of this fixture, Atalanta are a different side, at least according to the Serie A table, than they were when the original fixture took place. Back on November 11, the Oribici were in sixth place, on the back of a five-match unbeaten streak.
Currently, however, they have not won since December 2, having lost four of the five matches they have played since their 5-1 home victory against Napoli. This streak of poor results was blighted even further by their loss at the weekend, 2-1 away to Genoa. Following a goal from the penalty spot by Cristiano Doni with less than a half hour remaining, Genoa stormed back to win the match through Marco Borriello and then Luciano Figueroa. Atalanta were a bit unluckly, though, as they hit the goal frame on no less than three occasions.
Atalanta are also playing with heavy hearts, as club president Ivan Ruggeri is currently in hospital with a brain aneurism.
With the crowded schedule Milan now face in the coming weeks due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, they will need to draw on every member of their squad in order to get the full allotment of points on offer, which is almost necessary at this point to get up to fourth position in the standings by the end of the season.
Sitting ten points adrift of fourth-place Fiorentina, Milan have a lot of work to do. However, they have shown real improvement in the last two matches, largely to do with the addition of young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato and the return to fitness of Ronaldo. These two strikers, combined with the world’s best player, Kakà, have formed one of the most fearsome trios in all of Europe, despite having only played together on two occasions.
Their first match, a 5-2 victory over Napoli, was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Pato was making his debut, and Ronaldo was just returning from his umpteenth injury spell. The first half of the match was pretty even, with Napoli twice pulling back a goal after Milan had taken the lead.
But the second half was all Milan’s. When Ronaldo scored his second goal of the match inside the first minute following the restart, it appeared as though the back and forth fireworks of the first stanza would be replicated. This was not to be, however. A brilliant strike from the top of the box by Kakà ten minutes onward secured the win for Milan, and young Pato got the debut goal he had predicted a handful of minutes later.
Milan’s next match, which took place this past Sunday, was a difficult away fixture to Udinese, who were in fourth place in the Serie A table at the time. Both sides had numerous opportunities to take the lead, with each goalkeeper (Zeljko Kalac of Milan and Samir Handanovic of Udinese, respectively) keeping his side in the match with acrobatic saves.
The only goal of the game came in second half stoppage time, through the much-criticized Alberto Gilardino, after he made a substitute appearance for Ronaldo in the 83rd minute. Pato possessed the ball, and then passed to Kakà, who set up Gilardino for the finish with a cheeky backheel.
With the matches now coming fast and furious, Milan must take advantage of their bench, and despite Gilardino constantly being linked with a move away to another club, he will be needed in the push for a top-four finish.
FORM GUIDE (last five fixtures)
Atalanta
12/9 Juventus 1-0 Atalanta Serie A
12/16 Atalanta 1-3 Palermo Serie A
12/23 Livorno 1-1 Atalanta Serie A
1/13 Atalanta 1-2 Roma Serie A
1/19 Genoa 2-1 Atalanta Serie A
Milan
12/20 Milan 1-2 Catania Coppa Italia
12/23 Inter 2-1 Milan Serie A
1/13 Milan 5-2 Napoli Serie A
1/16 Catania 1-1 Milan Coppa Italia
1/20 Udinese 0-1 Milan Serie A
TEAM NEWS
Atalanta will be up against it in this match, due to their numerous absences through injury. The injury list includes Costinha, Leonardo Talamonti, George Forsyth and Marino Defendi, while Antonio Langella and Claudio Rivalta are doubtful.
Milan will again put Zeljko Kalac between the sticks, with Nelson Dida still suffering from a knee injury. Other names missing from the list of called-up are Filippo Inzaghi, Massimo Ambrosini and Marcos Cafu. Paolo Maldini is out with the flu. Fortunately, Andrea Pirlo returns from a one-match suspension.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cristiano Doni (Atalanta) – He is undoubtedly Atalanta’s best player. Once rumored years ago to have almost joined Milan, he can show the Rossoneri why passing on him was a mistake.
Alberto Gilardino (Milan) – Ronaldo will most likely start on the bench, and ‘Gila’ could get the start alongside Pato. The pressure continues to mount on Gilardino to score consistently, and finally having a complimentary forward next to him in attack could do a lot for his game.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s
Atalanta (4-5-1): Coppola; Belleri, Bellini, Capelli, Carrozzieri; De Ascentis, Pinto, Guarente, Doni, Tissone; Floccari
Milan (4-3-1-2): Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato, Gilardino
PREDICTION
With Kakà fielded behind a more traditional forward pairing of Pato and Gilardino, he could well play even better than he has recently. Atalanta will not have the defensive solidity necessary to keep out the Milan attack, especially with Andrea Pirlo returning to the squad.
Atalanta 0-2 Milan
Bad Memories
This match is the reschedule of a postponed fixture from the day on which a Lazio supporter tragically perished back in early November. Although the players had already taken the field and the match having started, it was stopped by the referee due to the protesting of the crowd.
Fans across Italy were extremely upset after hearing of the accidental shooting of Lazio supporter Gabriele Sandri, and the supporters in Bergamo forced the stoppage of play in this fixture after less than ten minutes.
The serious nature of the supporters’ intentions, if play were to continue, was clearly evidenced by the considerable damage to the barriers that separated the stands from the pitch. After Atalanta striker Cristiano Doni’s attempt to calm down the crowd was unsuccessful, the referee had no choice but to stop the match.
Moving on to the playing aspect of this fixture, Atalanta are a different side, at least according to the Serie A table, than they were when the original fixture took place. Back on November 11, the Oribici were in sixth place, on the back of a five-match unbeaten streak.
Currently, however, they have not won since December 2, having lost four of the five matches they have played since their 5-1 home victory against Napoli. This streak of poor results was blighted even further by their loss at the weekend, 2-1 away to Genoa. Following a goal from the penalty spot by Cristiano Doni with less than a half hour remaining, Genoa stormed back to win the match through Marco Borriello and then Luciano Figueroa. Atalanta were a bit unluckly, though, as they hit the goal frame on no less than three occasions.
Atalanta are also playing with heavy hearts, as club president Ivan Ruggeri is currently in hospital with a brain aneurism.
With the crowded schedule Milan now face in the coming weeks due to their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, they will need to draw on every member of their squad in order to get the full allotment of points on offer, which is almost necessary at this point to get up to fourth position in the standings by the end of the season.
Sitting ten points adrift of fourth-place Fiorentina, Milan have a lot of work to do. However, they have shown real improvement in the last two matches, largely to do with the addition of young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato and the return to fitness of Ronaldo. These two strikers, combined with the world’s best player, Kakà, have formed one of the most fearsome trios in all of Europe, despite having only played together on two occasions.
Their first match, a 5-2 victory over Napoli, was one of the most entertaining games of the season. Pato was making his debut, and Ronaldo was just returning from his umpteenth injury spell. The first half of the match was pretty even, with Napoli twice pulling back a goal after Milan had taken the lead.
But the second half was all Milan’s. When Ronaldo scored his second goal of the match inside the first minute following the restart, it appeared as though the back and forth fireworks of the first stanza would be replicated. This was not to be, however. A brilliant strike from the top of the box by Kakà ten minutes onward secured the win for Milan, and young Pato got the debut goal he had predicted a handful of minutes later.
Milan’s next match, which took place this past Sunday, was a difficult away fixture to Udinese, who were in fourth place in the Serie A table at the time. Both sides had numerous opportunities to take the lead, with each goalkeeper (Zeljko Kalac of Milan and Samir Handanovic of Udinese, respectively) keeping his side in the match with acrobatic saves.
The only goal of the game came in second half stoppage time, through the much-criticized Alberto Gilardino, after he made a substitute appearance for Ronaldo in the 83rd minute. Pato possessed the ball, and then passed to Kakà, who set up Gilardino for the finish with a cheeky backheel.
With the matches now coming fast and furious, Milan must take advantage of their bench, and despite Gilardino constantly being linked with a move away to another club, he will be needed in the push for a top-four finish.
FORM GUIDE (last five fixtures)
Atalanta
12/9 Juventus 1-0 Atalanta Serie A
12/16 Atalanta 1-3 Palermo Serie A
12/23 Livorno 1-1 Atalanta Serie A
1/13 Atalanta 1-2 Roma Serie A
1/19 Genoa 2-1 Atalanta Serie A
Milan
12/20 Milan 1-2 Catania Coppa Italia
12/23 Inter 2-1 Milan Serie A
1/13 Milan 5-2 Napoli Serie A
1/16 Catania 1-1 Milan Coppa Italia
1/20 Udinese 0-1 Milan Serie A
TEAM NEWS
Atalanta will be up against it in this match, due to their numerous absences through injury. The injury list includes Costinha, Leonardo Talamonti, George Forsyth and Marino Defendi, while Antonio Langella and Claudio Rivalta are doubtful.
Milan will again put Zeljko Kalac between the sticks, with Nelson Dida still suffering from a knee injury. Other names missing from the list of called-up are Filippo Inzaghi, Massimo Ambrosini and Marcos Cafu. Paolo Maldini is out with the flu. Fortunately, Andrea Pirlo returns from a one-match suspension.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cristiano Doni (Atalanta) – He is undoubtedly Atalanta’s best player. Once rumored years ago to have almost joined Milan, he can show the Rossoneri why passing on him was a mistake.
Alberto Gilardino (Milan) – Ronaldo will most likely start on the bench, and ‘Gila’ could get the start alongside Pato. The pressure continues to mount on Gilardino to score consistently, and finally having a complimentary forward next to him in attack could do a lot for his game.
POSSIBLE STARTING XI’s
Atalanta (4-5-1): Coppola; Belleri, Bellini, Capelli, Carrozzieri; De Ascentis, Pinto, Guarente, Doni, Tissone; Floccari
Milan (4-3-1-2): Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Kaladze, Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf; Kakà; Pato, Gilardino
PREDICTION
With Kakà fielded behind a more traditional forward pairing of Pato and Gilardino, he could well play even better than he has recently. Atalanta will not have the defensive solidity necessary to keep out the Milan attack, especially with Andrea Pirlo returning to the squad.
Atalanta 0-2 Milan
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