AC MILAN will host U.C. SAMPDORIA on Saturday afternoon for a match that both sides can use in order to promote in the standing. Second place against fourth – tough battle that both sides can decide.

Coming with an insane streak of good results, the Rossoneri will host Samporia for a match that can bring them back to the Scudetto race. Now, Milan must record a win in order to be counted again for the top of the Serie A since Juventus face Inter, for a match that opens Milan the door to leave with profit.

From the other side, from Genoa, the Blucerchiati will arrive to San Siro when they will be desperate to find first full three points since week 9 of the Serie A. But still, the maintained their four place in the standing despite lost and drew very much during the last two months.

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The numbers aren’t lying; Leonardo succeeds better than Carlo Ancelotti did in the recent years. The Brazilian coach was very controversial, but less than half a-year in the job of coaching AC Milan, Leonardo manages 12 matches without losing, and his team are in the second place in the league.

Everything is starting to shine and grow; even Huntelaar scored his first goals. So right, Milan did not play brilliantly against Catania, but every three points are vital, especially when Milan targeting the Scudetto. All the criticism has been erased and Milan proved to all of the doubter that they were wrong. Even Leonardo already understood: “Life is good at the moment.”

But with all the good results etc, Milan have more luck than brain in many situations this term. It took an injury-time header from the unlikely Alessandro Nesta to win at Chievo, recording narrow wins against teams like Lazio and Parma. But the top was on Sunday, against Catania, when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a brace (90+3′ & 90+5′).

Milan are maybe lucky, but it surly helps them to build up the team of season 2009/2010, because every win has added value, a mental value that goads the players to give more from themselves in the next matches and fight harder. Milan showed very good character so far and it was needed against the likes of Real Madrid and Roma, and even against Catania.

The Rossoneri claim points also when they are not having a great match, and in order to implement the full potential of the team – Leo must change something, because if this is what Milan can do with half-ability, imagine what the real Milan can do when they work perfectly. But Leo knows that every match has it own story and picking up different players it is hard because “when the actors change, even the characteristics.” But “the idea remains our way of playing.”

Leonardo however, is not so impressed by Huntelaar’s double and he will open with Pato on the right, Ronaldinho on the left and Marco Borriello in the middle. According to reports, Leo and Marco held a launch in which the discussed about the situation and Leonardo decided to start with Borriello instead of Inzaghi or Huntelaar.

Andrea Pirlo returns from suspension and will play a main role in Milan system against Samp. Massimo Oddo is out for two months, while Marek Jankulovski and Gennaro Gattuso are also sidelined. Filippo Inzaghi will serve one-match suspension against the Genoa team.

Oh Sampdoria Sampdoria. The Blucerchiati have won only two of their last eight games, but somehow, they are still in the fourth place in the league. The correct form of them is not a good sign, and Coach Luigi Del Neri must think very hard about what he’s going to do in front of an extraordinary Milan he will face on Saturday.

Del Neri boys lost to town-rivals Genoa in the last matchday in a match that there were three goals and three sent-off players, and even tough Samp had been in a numerical advantage, this team couldn’t beat the Grifoni. The lost in the ‘Derby della Lanterna’ just deepened the bad ambience that is surrounding in the team.

Samp’s main problem in the last time is the fact that their two best players – Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini are in good shape. The two forwards opened the season at their best but something has now changed and they are suddenly not the good couple the world used to see in the past – a thing that hurts Samp chances to score goals.

Sampdoria have scored only two goals in their last five games, and Cassano and Pazzini must do better in order to cerate chances of scoring, because they can do that. Milan must neutralize Cassano because he’s always dangerous, even though is not at his best now.

Del Neri will must activate great pressure on Milan players and defense, but with it try not to abandon the defense in front of Milan destructive attack.

Fabrizio Cacciatore, Marco Rossi and Angelo Palombo are all suspended after picked up a red card against Genoa.

By Meytar Zeevi, Rossoneri Blog