Coming down from the Derby high, Milan must stay grounded as Le Aquile (the Eagles) fly into town. Well, maybe not fly. They are eighth in the table and had an awful summer due to a transfer ban imposed by poor financial management. Sarri, having returned this summer after more than a year away from coaching, has struggled to get Lazio off the ground and consistently winning. Which means that Allegri, especially with injuries is more likely to struggle against his team. Normally, I would feel bad for a team in a bind like this, but it's Lazio. Sorry, not Sarri.
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| The team that stays together will win... I think. |
While Lazio has been inconsistent, their last match was a convincing 2-0 win over Camarda's Lecce last Sunday. For that match up, Sarri lined up a 4-3-3 with: Provedel; Marusić, Gila, Milan's Scudetto-winning captain Romagnoli, Luca Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Cataldi, Toma Basic; Isaksen, Boulaye Dia, and Zaccagni. Sarri also has injuries, with Gigot, Rovella, Cataldi, and Cancelleri all out for this one.
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| Is he observing the match or trying to express his desire for a cigarette? |
I always wonder what Sarri is writing on his tiny pieces of paper. We think it is some kind of tactical notes about the match, but most likely, he is writing something like "I would kill for a cigarette right now." Speaking of trying to kill, Sarri had an incident with Saelemaekers four years ago in which he felt like Saelemaekers insulted his elders (him) with his celebration or something, and he went after him. That was before Saelemaekers even realized that being annoying was his superpower. But the player stayed calm and reported the Lazio manager to the referee, who red carded Sarri. (Ibrahimović did make Saelemaekers apologize, though.) But it didn't end there. Sarri continued to harass Saelemaekers in the tunnel and also blasphemed the referee, so he was given a two match ban. I look forward to their reunion.
There is one thing Sarri and I agree on, though. A few weeks ago, after their match with Inter, he very publicly criticized the refereeing, specifically suggesting that Italy recruit foreign referees. This forced Lazio to make a statement to distance themselves from his comments, praising the referees, which we all know is a pathetic lie. We all know this is Marotta's League, and expecting a fair match vs. Inter is just completely unrealistic.
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| This happened before Saelemaeker realized that getting under people's sikin. |
This match will also be a reunion of Tare with his old club for the first time since he signed for Milan as Sporting Director. But the best, most recent incident between the two clubs unfortunately will not see a reunion. Last year, when Lazio came to San Siro in March, the referee lost the plot completely, and showed a whopping 15 cards. Lazio were shown three red cards, and Pulisic was directly involved in two of the three players being sent off. It was delicious. But unfortunately, he will not be playing on Saturday, so he will not get a chance to harass them again.
Which brings me to Milan's injuries. Pulisic is out, and so are Santi Gimenez and Athekame. Milan's squad is so thin that means Allegri will have only six outfield players on the bench, as it is reported that Allegri is not calling up any Futuro or Primavera players for this one. And that leaves Milan especially lacking in attack. Tell me this owner and CEO have no idea how to run a football club without telling me they have no idea how to run a football club. Their attempt at having such a sparse roster has wreaked havoc every time we have even the slightest amount of injuries. Speaking of management, after not responding to formal communications or the amazing display Sunday at the Derby, they were called out by the Curva Sud this week once again for not having addressed the issue of the Sodalizio Rossonera banner. Our fans deserve better.
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| Guendouzi probably thinks he'll miss Pulisic the most, but Milan could really use him more. |
After the thrill of the Derby, this match was always going to be difficult. But Lazio are always in the picture, even when they seem like they would not be a threat. Just look at the incidents with Sarri and with the two squads, and I only began to tell the stories. It is a match where anything can happen, following a win where players likely lost some focus. Sure, Milan have Allegri, who has been coasting on the fortunes of having signed players like Modrić and Rabiot. But on the other side, you have a 66 year-old man who looks 80, thanks to his to his lifelong habit of chain smoking, who is also prone to irrational outbursts. So, may the best team with the least amount of racist fans win. Sorry, not Sarri.