Milan-Verona Preview: Concentration

There is a game called Concentration, also known as Memory. There are a number of pairs of cards, face down, and the object is to turn over two at a time, hoping for a match. Milan have a game on Saturday that will require their full concentration, only the only thing we really need to match is three points at the end of the game. We don’t need to play pretty football, although that would be ideal. And technically, we don’t even need a clean sheet. Just a win and three points. But to get them, we’ll need everyone’s full concentration.

No more of this, please

Verona languish in 19 th place on the table, with their only hope of avoiding relegation being to win every game from here on out and for others above them to lose. Which means, like Benevento, they are the most dangerous kind of opponent. Unless they are playing another relegation-threatened team such as SPAL, like they did last weekend. SPAL managed to beat them 3-1 at the Bentegodi, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous for us. In that match, Pecchia lined up Andrade; Vukovic, Caracciolo, Fares, Ferrari, Calvano, Valoti, Romulo, Petkovic, Matos, and our favorite short shorts model, Cerci.

Gattuso may have Romagnoli back, as he has been fighting back to train with the team and be ready to play. He will still be without Conti and Biglia, despite what he has said, clearly under the influence of pain killers. Locatelli has convinced Gattuso, and earned a starting berth ahead of the more experienced Montolivo. But Gattuso, despite what he will say, will have the Coppa Italia at the back of his mind, and may or may not choose to rest or sub off some of his starters to be fresh for that match on Wednesday.

The perfect match to earn 3 points

No one will forget the humiliation in December when Verona beat us 3-0 in the league after we had sent them out of the Coppa Italia that same week. And that is why this game will require the utmost concentration from every single player. Not only do they know they can beat us, the desperately need to beat us to stay in Serie A. Milan have kind of forgotten who they are in recent weeks, and it will be important to remember and not forget for even one second of the match. Whatever happens within 90 minutes, the victor will be the team who maintains the most Concentration.

This post inspired by the music of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”

Serie A Week 36

Milan vs. Verona

Saturday, May 5 • 18:00 CEST (12noon EDT)

This match will be shown on RAI Italia and BeIN Sports in the U.S.