Sinisa Mihajlovic expects no favours from his former employers Sampdoria as Milan target a first Serie A victory at San Siro in a calendar month.
During his last two years in Genoa, the Serbian coach – who also spent four years as a player at the Marassi – established Samp as a top-half outfit before leaving for Milan in the summer.
He has struggled to steer the Rossoneri into the title race and last weekend’s defeat to Juventus left his men marooned in seventh place and 10 points behind league leaders and city rivals Inter.
Samp, now managed by Vincenzo Montella after Walter Zenga’s sacking, are also enduring a difficult spell and arrive at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza still searching for their first away win of the campaign.
Mihajlovic told acmilan.com: “Sampdoria are a tough side to face.
“From the midfield up, they have players that can decide a match in any moment. They will make it hard for us.
“I can’t say yet whether there are any differences between Zenga’s Sampdoria or Montella’s Sampdoria. It’s too early. Each coach has his own ideas.
“Sampdoria was an important club for me, both as a player and as a coach, and I wish all the best to Montella and my former president (Massimo Ferrero).”
With Inter and second-placed Napoli waiting to do battle at the Stadio San Paolo on Monday night, Roma can reach top spot with a home win over Atalanta.
Rudi Garcia’s Giallorossi were thrashed 6-1 by Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday and were days earlier held to an unlikely 2-2 draw at struggling Bologna.
Director of sport Walter Sabatini said: “There’s no point talking about mental collapse or anything after this result. The team needs to recharge its batteries ready for Atalanta on Sunday (tomorrow).
“We need to focus on the league. There’s no doubt that the players in this team can do much, much more and they know that. They will give their all now, as they’ve always done.”
Reigning champions Juventus can continue their revival by beating Palermo in Sicily to register a fourth straight victory while surprise package Sassuolo host third-placed Fiorentina on Monday.
Lazio will bid to snap a four-game winless streak on their trip to Empoli, who will hope fellow strugglers Udinese are defeated at Chievo, the mid-table Flying Donkeys having only just recovered from a run of seven games without a win.
The team they edged out to end that poor run was Carpi. The promoted side from Emilia-Romagna travel to Genoa and the remaining relegation-zone dwellers, Frosinone and Verona, go head to head at the Stadio Matusa.
Elsewhere, this evening, upwardly-mobile Torino host improving Bologna.
Fixtures
Serie A
Playing today
Torino vs Bologna - 18.00
Milan vs Sampdoria - 20.45
Tomorrow – 15.00
Chievo vs Udinese
Empoli vs Lazio - 18.00
Frosinone vs Verona
Genoa vs Carpi
Palermo vs Juventus - 20.45
Roma vs Atalanta
Monday
Sassuolo vs Fiorentina - 19.00
Napoli vs Inter - 21.00
Standings: Inter 30; Napoli, Fio-rentina 28; Roma 27; Sassuolo 22; Juventus 21; Milan 20; Lazio 19; Torino, Atalanta 18; Chievo, Sampdoria, Genoa 16; Palermo, Udinese, Empoli 15; Bologna 13; Frosinone 11; Verona, Carpi 6.
Serie B
Played yesterday
Spezia vs Crotone - 0-1
Cesena vs Pescara - 1-0
Salernitana vs Pro Vercelli - 1-2
Today – 15.00
Avellino vs Perugia
Brescia vs Cagliari
Como vs Bari
Livorno vs Novara
Modena vs Entella
Ternana vs Vicenza
Virtus Lanciano vs Latina
Tomorrow
Ascoli vs Trapani - 17.30
Leading standings: Cagliari 32; Crotone 31; Bari 28; Cesena 27; Pescara 24; Novara 22; Livorno 21; Brescia 20.