AC Milan vs Sassuolo Prediction - Can AC Milan Still Dream With A Place At UEFA Europa League Next Season?

Next Sunday, AC Milan will take on a surprising Sassuolo side at San Siro for the last round of the Italian Serie A on a match of paramount importance for the home side’s battle for a place at the UEFA Europa League next season.

Franco Brienza will certainly be a name that the AC Milan supporters will not forget anytime soon. The experienced Italian forward scored Atalanta’s winning goal last Sunday against the Rossoneri and almost axed their aspirations of granting European football next season. AC Milan sucumbed 2-1 at the hands of the Bergamo side and saw Torino taking off thanks to their home draw against Parma.

For the last round of the Italian Serie A, AC Milan will entertain Sassuolo, a team that stole them three precious points when both sides faced each other back in January. If the Milanese side fails to win next Sunday’s match (consequently failing also to grant a place at the UEFA Europa League next season), it will be the first time since 1999 that AC Milan will not be present at a UEFA international competition.

For the match against Sassuolo, Clarence Seedorf is not yet certain if he will be able to rely on the contribution of the Slovenian midfielder Valter Birsa, who is still recovering from his recent injury.

As for Sassuolo, the match at San Siro will not have any major importance, since the Emilia-Romagna team has managed to secure a place at Serie A next season thanks to their home 4-2 win against Genoa last weekend. After spending a great part of the season at the bottom of the league table, Sassuolo’s fortune changed after Eusebio Di Francesco was reappointed as the team’s manager back in March. The Italian head coach had been sacked in January due to Sassuolo’s poor results, but the team’s board reconsidered their options and reappointed him in March, which proved to be a very wise move. Sassuolo were only defeated once during the last six matches and, since they were able to claim 13 points on those respective matches, they have managed to avoid what looked to be almost certain relegation.

For the San Siro’s match, Eusebio Di Francesco will probably still not be able to count on the Romanian forward Marius Alexe and on the Italian defender Francesco Acerbi, both sidelined due to injury.

Although AC Milan are favourites for next Sunday’s match, their imperious need to win might increase the team’s anxiety levels and benefit the visitors, who will certainly try to replicate the victory they achieved back in January.

AC Milan

Stats: W-15 L-13 D-9

Recent Form - WWLWL

Sassuolo

Stats: W-9 L-21 D-7

Recent Form - DWLWW

Possible Line-ups

AC Milan (4-2-3-1) - Abbiati - Mexes - Rami - Constant - Sciglio - De Jong - Kaká - Muntari - Montolivo - Honda - Balotelli

Sassuolo (4-3-3) - Pegolo - Rosi - Antei - Cannavaro - Ziegler - Magnanelli - Biondini - Brighi - Zaza - Berardi - Flores

Prediction

AC Milan 2 Sassuolo 1