Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri knows if his team do not start picking up points soon the unthinkable will happen and they will lose touch with third place and Champions League football next season.
Milan, who host Fiorentina tonight, have taken one point from their last two games to renew the almost inevitable speculation about Allegri’s future, something he has had to live with throughout the last two seasons.
After his side were held 1-1 at home by Lazio on Wednesday, leaving them 13 points off third spot, Allegri produced the familiar lines Milan fans have become tired of hearing recently.
He complained about injuries, said they performed well, failed to take their chances, lost concentration and made no real mistakes apart from the goal they conceded.
And Allegri said they would fight on and do better next time.
“The team played well, created chances and didn’t give anything to Lazio,” he said.
“And after we went ahead we had a couple of situations which we should have made more from.
“We will only get out of this with hard work but, of course, we are getting further away from third place.
“We must get back to winning... if we play like this, the team has a good chance of getting good results. There are reasons for not getting results but we have had a lot of injuries.”
Milan are 10th in the table with only 12 points from 10 games.
They need to finish third to earn a place in the Champions League play-off round, something they did by the skin of their teeth last season with a 2-1 win at Siena in their last game.
But they already find themselves cast adrift of Juventus, who are currently in third spot.
Fiorentina, enjoying another impressive season under coach Vincenzo Montella, are sixth with 18 points and have already beaten Juve 4-2 this season.
Meanwhile, Allegri revealed that Kaka will start today.
“Kaka’s got his strength back, and is improving physically. He’s the sort of player that in his head has the desire to show the winner that he is,” Allegri said.
After initially suffering injury problems Kaka appears to be rediscovering his form following impressive displays against Barcelona and Lazio and as a substitute against Parma last weekend.
Fiorentina forward Juan Cuadrado will miss the match after his club’s appeal against his red card at the end of the 2-1 defeat by Napoli was rejected by Serie A authorities.
“We declare that Fiorentina’s appeal is inadmissible,” the league said in a statement yesterday.
Roma, who set a Serie A record on Thursday night by winning their first 10 games after a narrow 1-0 victory over bottom-placed Chievo at the Olimpico, have a tricky tie at Torino tomorrow.
Second-placed Napoli, who are five points behind Roma, should canter to victory today at home to lowly Catania, who have failed to keep up the momentum which helped them finish eighth last term.
Champions Juventus, trailing Napoli on goal difference after winning their last two games, are at Parma this evening.
Elsewhere, Cagliari face a stern test with Verona boasting a perfect record at the Bentegodi stadium.
Verona beat Sampdoria 2-0 in midweek to climb to fifth place, level with Inter on 19 points.
Inter take on Udinese at the Friuli stadium with a sense of urgency, with Walter Mazzarri’s men having collected just one victory in their past five games as Lazio will fancy their chances of taking at least a point against Genoa with the Biancocelesti unbeaten at home this season.
The Romans have failed to win a game on the road but have taken 13 of their current 15 points at the Olimpico.
Fixtures
Serie A
Playing Today
Parma vs Juventus 18.00
Milan vs Fiorentina 20.45
Napoli vs Catania 20.45
Tomorrow – 15.00
Lazio vs Genoa
Livorno vs Atalanta 12.30
Sampdoria vs Sassuolo
Udinese vs Inter
Torino vs Roma 20.45
Verona vs Cagliari
Monday
Bologna vs Chievo 20.45
Standings: Roma 30; Napoli, Juve 25; Inter, Verona 19; Fiorentina 18; Lazio 15; Atalanta, Udinese 13; Parma, Milan 12; Torino, Genoa 11; Cagliari 10; Sampdoria, Bologna, Livorno 9; Catania, Sassuolo 6; Chievo 4.
Serie B
Played Yesterday
Cesena vs Ternana 1-1
Crotone vs Novara 2-2
Empoli vs Bari 1-1
Latina vs Reggina 1-0
Modena vs Lanciano 1-0
Padova vs Spezia 1-0
Pescara vs Brescia 3-3
Trapani vs Carpi 0-1
Varese vs Juve Stabia 2-2
Today
Siena vs Cittadella 15.00
Tomorrow
Avellino vs Palermo 12.30
Standings: Lanciano 25; Empoli 24; Cesena 22; Avellino 21; Crotone 20; Palermo, Modena 18; Spezia, Varese 17; Latina 16; Carpi, Brescia 14; Cittadella 13; Siena, Trapani, Pescara, Novara 12; Ternana 11; Padova, Bari 10; Reggina 9; Juve Stabia 6.