Two teams in vastly differing form go head-to-head in the San Siro district – but despite their current poor spell, it’s AC Milan who have much more to play for here.
AC Milan vs Bologna predictions for their Serie A match on Monday.
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Bologna are on a high after winning six of their last eight Serie A matches under manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, whose ideas took a few weeks to take effect at the club nicknamed the Greyhounds but now they are certainly at full pelt.The Serb returns to the club he managed for most of the 2015-16 season with his current team now well out of relegation danger, but their only real motivation here is merely to continue their excellent run rather than any tangible reward.
For Milan, however, it is a different story. They are still fighting to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League next term having slid from fourth to seventh in the table due to a bad patch of results, including a Coppa Italia semi-final defeat to Lazio.
As a result, manager Gennaro Gattuso finds himself under pressure amid reports that he could be replaced at the end of the campaign perhaps by Arsene Wenger or even Mauricio Pochettino.
There is plenty of incentive here for the Rossoneri to end their slump, which comprises just one win in eight games, and with a superb head-to-head record against Bologna they are fancied to get their European quest back on course.
AC Milan’s defeat last weekend saw them drop out of the top four, leaving Gennaro Gattuso’s job on the line. Having crashed out of the Coppa Italia semis and the Champions League spots in a matter of days, the Rossoneri are in a really tough position.
They now have four games to save their season, which has rested on making the top four all season. Will they be able to get their push back on track when they face Bologna on Monday?
The Rossoneri went into the weekend in sixth place, having fallen three points shy of fourth placed Atalanta. They come into this one in terrible form, having claimed just one win in their last eight. That’s partly down to a tough run of games, which has seen their last five games include meetings with Torino, Juventus and two clashes with Lazio.
It’s been a major test of Gattuso’s credentials, which has the Milan hierarchy questioning his ability to do the job. As a response, Gattuso has put the players into ritiro, which means they eat, sleep and live at the training ground until their next clash. It’s a classic Italian response to a poor run, so the Rossoneri will be hoping it brings a change in fortunes.
Bologna, on the other hand, have managed to spark a survival push in recent weeks. Their 3-1 win over Empoli on Saturday has all but secured their place in Serie A next term. The Rossoblu have managed to boost their home form, which has carried them clear of danger. They now have the pressure off in their final four games, which includes meetings with three of Serie A’s big six sides.
The problem for the hosts in their massive problems against the very top teams in the league. They’ve played seven of the top eight at home, winning just one of their clashes against them.
They come into this clash having lost away on five occasions against the top 10, while they have an awful record against Milan over the years. The Rossoneri have won five of the last six meetings between these two teams, while they’ve won four of the last five clashes at San Siro.
Bologna also have huge issues on the road, having failed to win in 25 of their last 27 away league games.