Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri says his team need to improve at home if they are to stand any chance of denying Juventus a first Serie A title since 2003.

Milan have now taken just one point from their last two matches at the San Siro.

In fact, they are struggling all round with five points from their last four league games and only one win in their last six in all competitions.

It has allowed Juve to stretch their lead at the top of the table to three points and given that the Old Lady of Turin have the better head-to-head record, Milan need to make up four points if they are to win the league.

A month ago Milan seemed on track for a second straight title having opened up a four-point lead over a Juve side that had drawn six out of seven games.

But since then, Juve have recovered and won six straight matches while Milan have stuttered.

The Turin giants’ 4-0 win over Roma on Sunday was indicative of their recent form.

Gone are the days when they struggled to score goals and were hamstrung by a string of draws.

Now Antonio Conte’s team have become an unstoppable force, buoyed by Milan’s struggles and helped by their own failure to qualify for Europe this season leaving them fresher.

Even so, Allegri believes his team must simply get back to winning ways before worrying about what Juve do, something they failed to manage at home to Bologna on Sunday.

“We’ve got one point from our last two home games and we needed to get more than that,” said Allegri ahead of tomorrow’s game with Genoa.

“We started well (against Bologna) but then we gifted them a goal and became disorganised. We created a lot in the second half but we didn’t manage to win.

“On Wednesday we have another home game and we need to try to win regardless of what Juve do, not least because second place isn’t mathematically secure. And you never know in football.”

One advantage Milan have is they will be entertaining Genoa who are in disarray and in freefall towards the relegation trap-door.

Genoa were thumped 4-1 at home to Siena on Sunday in a match in which some fans held up the match for 45-minutes in protest at how their team was playing.

Genoa have the worst defence in the league and their own fans have turned against them leading to president Enrico Preziosi saying he’d like a stadium closure so they can escape their own supporters.

Juve for their part travel to rock bottom Cesena who will be relegated if they fail to win.

Their demotion back to Serie B after just two years in the top flight has appeared sure for some time but they at least showed some spirit in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Palermo.

Stopping a Juve team that has plundered 18 goals in their last six games will be another matter.

Elsewhere Novara could also suffer relegation if they don’t beat Lazio at home, although it would depend on three other teams’ results.

Lazio are defending third place, and the final Champions League qualification spot, with a three-point gap to Udinese, who host Inter.

Napoli, who travel to Lecce, are four points back with Roma, who host Fiorentina, five behind and Inter six off the pace.

Programme
Today: 18.30 Atalanta vs Chievo; Cagliari vs Catania.
Tomorrow: 12.30 Novara vs Lazio. 15.00 Lecce vs Napoli; Palermo vs Parma; Roma vs Fiorentina; Siena vs Bologna; Udinese vs Inter. 18.00 Milan vs Genoa; Cesena vs Juventus.

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