There’s little to write about regarding the scudetto race of the Serie A now. A commanding 3-0 win by AC Milan over Inter has seemingly decided that this season we will have a new champion. The scudetto is now for Milan to lose, and after the solid display the rossoneri put on for the San Siro, they won’t let this five point lead slip.

Going into the derby, not much was mentioned regarding AC Milan and the Brazilian duo which would play up front. Pato and Robinho were almost cast aside, with people doubting their ability to combine and create against this frail Inter defence. Instead, eyes were focussed on the lack of a big Swede, and people were fearlessly talking about how the Serie A would reopen if Inter won.

Before the derby Leonardo said:

“A derby goes beyond any tactical reasoning, there are many feelings especially because the two top teams of the table are facing each other, at a distance of just two points.”

This mentality was Inter’s undoing in the derby. While AC Milan were well organized, marking Sneijder and Eto’o tightly and very calculative in their movement, Inter was unprepared on a tactical level. Leonardo’s calm and romantic style of play wasn’t enough to break down this AC Milan side which defended rigidly and attacked quickly. And while Sneijder was silenced by van Bommel throughout the match, Pato and Robinho were given plenty of time and space to work their Brazilian magic.

From there, Pato scored two goals thanks to poor marking. While Ranocchia was doing his best to keep Inter in the game with some great interventions, when his central partner Chivu was sent off, there wasn’t much the young Italian defender could do. Pato was slipped through thanks to a wonderful pass by Robinho, and Chivu clipped Pato just enough to make him fall. As the last defender, Chivu had to go. The rest of the match was highlighted by brilliant saves by Julio Cesar, and a strange cameo by Cassano in which he scored a penalty, celebrated by taking his shirt off, and then got a second yellow and was sent off.

Ignoring Cassano’s strange ten minutes of play, AC Milan were unparalleled on the field. Mark van Bommel was brilliant in shutting down the Inter midfield, and Robinho and Pato were always dangerous with their quick movement. Massmiliano Allegri must be praised for setting up a well-oiled machine which had little difficulty in defeating the current champions.

The 3-0 derby victory puts AC Milan three points clear of second placed Napoli, and five points ahead of third placed Inter Milan. The possibility that AC Milan drops enough points for Inter to claw their way back to first seems slim, and as long as AC Milan keep focus, the scudetto will be theirs.

The current Serie A season has seen a trio of clubs compete for the Scudetto with Milan ahead by a small margin over Inter and Napoli respectively. The Milan-Inter showdown, set after the international break, will determine to a large extent the direction of the title. From an individual standpoint, there have been very few influential signings this season who can be credited with shaping the fortunes of their respective clubs.

Milan’s capture of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, on a loan deal likely to be made permanent at end of season, must rank as the season’s best transfer with the talented Swede carrying the club on his shoulders for an extended stretch earlier in the campaign. Ibrahimovic currently has 14 goals and 11 assists in the league alone. The former Juventus and Inter striker had an unimpressive spell with Barcelona, yet he has been firing on all cylinders with the Rossoneri. The knock on Ibrahimovic is his habit of disappearing on the big stage, with one major exception being his decisive goal for Barca in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid last season. In recent weeks, the Swede has been underperforming and his reckless side surfaced leading to his sending-off against Bari. This resulted in a three-match ban which could be decisive due to his absence from the much anticipated Milan derby.

Another success story has been Napoli’s striker Edinson Cavani who is having a remarkable campaign after his loan move from Palermo this summer. Cavani, who is only 24-years-old, is having the best season of his young career with a tally of 22 goals in 30 league appearances as well as another 7 strikes in just 8 European games. Cavani scored two goals against Cagliari over the weekend but his best achievement this season must be the hat-trick he managed against fallen giants Juventus. He also managed to score both goals in a 2-0 in over Roma to show he can rise to the occasion when needed. His two goals against Cagliari halted a recent slump in front of goal which included a missed penalty in recent weeks. Cavani will be one of the players to keep an eye on in the upcoming years as he has the potential to keep improving.

Finally, Juventus winger Milos Krasic deserves to be mentioned because he was instrumental in the early season push by the club before the Bianconeri started their plunge in the standings early 2011. Krasic’s drop in form coincided with Juve’s fall but he cannot be the one to blame for everything and he is clearly not the main reason. In recent weeks, coach Luigi Delneri has on more than one occasion subbed Krasic without a clear indication to the reasons despite the Serb’s critical role in providing much needed width. Krasic managed 5 goals in 26 league appearances which might seem as a low number but one must remember the Serb is not a striker. The winger provided 6 assists which ranks highest amongst his Juve teammates in Serie A. Krasic must also be dealing with fatigue since the Russian season’s schedule and his lack of rest must have exhausted him prior to joining the Bianconeri.

Considering various factors such as results, the importance of certain goals and the team’s progress, Ibrahimovic might be considered the summer’s best signing ahead of Cavani while Krasic’s stock has fallen as a result of Juve’s poor performances.

# To discuss your choice of Serie A’s best signing of the season or anything related to Italian or European football, feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter

Italy’s elite clubs are struggling in the Champions League and have struggled since 2000 despite two trophies won by Milan and one by Inter in the last decade.

Italian clubs were the dominant force in the 1990s with Milan and Juventus winning the Champions League with Juve reached  three consecutive finals. Italian clubs were also a force and quite successful in the UEFA Cup.

This raises the question as to what has caused this decline in European competitions. A number of reasons can be used to track and carefully assess the factors behind the fall from grace of the Italian clubs.

1- The English Premier League has been steadily gaining ground in terms of financial muscle, worldwide viewership as well as attendance at matches.

2- The top two clubs in Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, have been able to effectively use their popularity across the globe to promote their successful runs on both the domestic and European front. Barca have been particularly successful with many players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi starring on the club and international scene.

3- Calciopoli has certainly effected Italian football even if some would like to discount its effect or perhaps put it behind and overlook it. Juventus are no longer a force and can no longer afford, or even attract, stars such as the ones who wore the famous Bianconeri shirt in the 1990s like Zinedine Zidane, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Baggio and others.

4- Inter’s dominance for a number of years in Serie A has weakened the opposition in Italy, whether Milan or other clubs. Milan are back as a force but are struggling in Europe for various reasons.

5- Financially, the Italian league is simply behind England’s Premier League while both the Spanish La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga have overtaken Serie A as revealed by UEFA’s updated co-efficients which will starting 2012-13 see Italy have only three spots in the Champions League compared to four for German, English and Spanish clubs.

6- The lack of money compared to the other top three leagues has contributed to big names and stars preferring either La Liga or Premier League. The Spanish league might be limited to Barca and Real Madrid in terms of star power but the Catalans alone have Messi, Xavi and David Villa as well as others while Los Blancos have Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and other big names.

7- Big investors and wealthy businessmen are flocking to invest in the English Premier League with the global audience focusing on EPL and, thus, TV rights are much more lucrative for English clubs than Italian ones.

8- The lack of emerging Italian talent with Antonio Cassano long proving he lacks the discipline while Mario Balotelli remains immature. Other potential stars are not as prominent as those from Spain or Argentina or Brazil. Argentina’s biggest star, Messi, plays for Barca. Even the established Brazilians playing for Inter are no longer featuring much for the Selecao with Lucio and Maicon being overlooked in recent international matches.

9- One of Italy’s strong points used to be defenders and the peninsula now suffers from the lack of emerging leaders who can play as centre-backs or full-backs. The most evident example is Juve’s decline and their pathetic defensive record despite having two of Italy’s starting defenders in Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

10- Some of Italy’s elite coaching figures such as Carlo Ancelotti, Fabio Capello and Roberto Mancini are plying their trade in England with Capello in charge of the national team while Ancelotti is in charge of Chelsea and Mancini manages Manchester City.

Obviously, the lack of investors and capital have been quite a hindrance for Italian clubs and the progress made has been slow in recent years with Inter’s success last season owing much to foreign players as the Nerazzurri barely had any Italian citizens in their squad last season. This season Milan have been solid in Serie A but have been inconsistent in Europe due to their aging defensive line and midfield. The likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and Alessandro Nesta are all over 30 years old.

It is hard to see Inter overcome a 1-0 deficit against Bayern Munich since the return leg will be played in Germany but anything is possible. Roma will need to win by a two goal margin in order to progress unless they can win 4-3 while Milan will need a massive turnaround to even have a chance of defeating Tottenham in London.

For further discussions on Serie A and the Champions League, feel free to contact @RamiSoufi on Twitter

When Francesco Guidolin left Parma to manage Udinese, I was disappointed. Guidolin had united a set of strong individuals, managing Parma all the way up to eighth in the table last season. Udinese finished 15th this past season, yet Guidolin saw something in the club and decided to join them.

After a disappointing start of four losses in their first four matches, Guidolin’s decision to join Udinese seemed ridiculous. Given time, Udinese began to play more attacking football, ultimately cruising their way up to eighth in the table, where they are currently situated. With the highest average of goals per match (2.95 goals per match) in the Serie A, Udinese has become a scintillating team, fearing no opponent with their attacking playing style.

Their latest victory came against Inter Milan, an exciting 3-1 victory at the Stadio Communale Friuli. While Udinese conceded first with Stankovic scoring for Inter in the 17th minute, Guidolin’s team quickly made up the lost ground. Zapata took advantage of Inter’s poor defending, smashing the ball into the roof of the goal. While Castellazzi should have done better, Zapata’s shot was powerful and precise.

Di Natale scored Udinese’s second in the 25th minute, a wonderful free kick which looped over the wall, nestling into the bottom corner of the goal. The comeback was complete, but Udinese didn’t stop there. Inter tried to slow the tempo of the game down, doing their best to keep possession and slowly build from the back. Yet Udinese’s relentless pressure was a constant obstacle. Guidolin taught his men well: give the opponent no time on the ball, and once you have it, strike quickly.

Inter suffered for the rest of the first haf, and well into the second. Udinese eventually found the third goal, with Domizzi anticipating everyone, flicking the ball over Castellazzi with his outstretched toe. Leonardo could do nothing to inspire the Inter Milan players against Udinese. Guidolin on the other hand never had to say much, with his players giving everything for the home win.

It was a fantastic victory for Udinese. When Guidolin first joined the club, I feared that the underrated manager would have trouble, but he has shown his worth. Udinese’s next match is away from home, against Juventus. While Udinese seems very strong right now, their away record doesn’t compliment them. Out of eleven matches, Udinese have only three victories away from home. We’ll see if this exciting team will be able to win away from home, and maybe aim for a European spot for the end of the season.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments, share them below!

This upcoming weekend gives Juventus a great chance to bounce back from their bad run of defeats. Having only taken one point in nine the past three matches in the Serie A, Juventus need to pick themselves up if they want a chance at getting in a Champions League place by the end of the season.

Things haven’t been easy for Luigi Delneri at Juventus. He has tried his best to impose a sense of order on the club, with a rigid 4-4-2 which alters itself only when players are sent off (like Felipe Melo against Parma), or get injured (like Fabio Quagliarella who will be out for the rest of the season).

The latest mishap which has happened is Luca Toni’s injury. Toni was bought just days ago to help score some more goals, but in the Coppa Italia match against Catania (which Juventus won 2-0), he had to be carried off the field. The striker has injured his knee (a very delicate part of a footballer’s body), and it could take 25-30 days to recover. Now the only partially-healthy forward left for Delneri to use is Amauri, and the Italian-Brazilian has yet to score in the Serie A this season.

Del Piero is also having trouble, and it is doubtful he will be able to play against Bari. So in order to keep his classic 4-4-2 alive, Delneri could decide to put Pepe as a forward. It’s a temporary solution, and the club is quite keen on buying another forward during the January transfer market.

Right now it seems like the club has already agreed almost everything with Udinese’s Floro Flores. While the deal still needs to be signed, supposedly it has been worked out that Floro Flores will join Juventus for the rest of the season on loan. It’s a good choice as a replacement for Fabio Quagliarella, the two have many similar qualities.

Juventus fans will also be glad that their legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made a good return in the Coppa Italia match against Catania. He pulled off a couple of diving saves to keep a clean sheet, and he will be invaluable against Bari. Although Bari don’t score many goals (only 12 so far this season), Juventus concede quite a few (24 so far this season). If Buffon can manage to stop the Galletti from scoring, and the rest of the team can help Amauri get his first goal, Juventus could get what should be an easy win against Bari.

What do you think about this match? Will Juventus have any trouble against last-placed Bari? Share your comments about this match and any others this weekend below!

It had been a long time that the Serie A wasn’t as interesting as it is now. The vacuum left by Inter’s downfall  was filled with a tempestuous AC Milan which is now beginning to slow down. Along with AC Milan, Juventus have also begun to lose their knack of outscoring their opponents, especially noticeable in their 3-0 loss to Napoli. Roma were also unable to win, and now there are rifts beginning to form between Francesco Totti and Claudio Ranieri. How will it all finish?

1. Di Vaio Never Stops Scoring

Talk about consistency. Marco Di Vaio has had a lengthy career around Europe, and at the age of 34 he still bangs in goals which keep Bologna alive in the Serie A. With his latest goal against Bari he has now reached eleven goals this season, making up about 57% of Bologna’s goals in the Serie A! At the beginning of the season I wondered whether Di Vaio would continue to score so many goals, and he hasn’t slowed down a bit. With Bologna all the way up in 10th place, they shouldn’t have much trouble escaping relegation. Now the question springs into my mind, can Di Vaio continue this record for the rest of the season?

2. AC Milan trudge on after 4-4 draw

This was the most exciting match so far of this season in my opinion. An exciting 4-4 draw at the San Siro, with two goals coming in the final minutes of the match. While AC Milan started well and created opportunities, Udinese scored the first goal with Antonio Di Natale. As the first half drew to a close, Pato equalized with a simple tap-in delivered to him by Ibrahimovic. The second half saw Udinese go 3-1 up with a diving header by Sanchez and a fantastic run with a curling finish by Di Natale. With 12 minutes to go, AC Milan get lucky when Benatia heads a cross past Handanovic and into his own goal. Cassano replaces Seedorf and Denis replaces Di Natale, and both of the substitutes light up the match. Cassano serves Pato a great assist for the equalizer at 3-3, and then Denis scores a tap-in in the 89th minute to make it 4-3. As AC Milan fans filed out of the stadium in disgust, Cassano conjures up another sublime assist, filtering a pass through the Udinese defence for Ibrahimovic to score.

At 4-4, Allegri is happy to escape without a humiliating loss. The late equalizer will help hide the fact that this AC Milan side is unbalanced and concedes goals. If AC Milan concede this many to Udinese at the San Siro, how many will they concede to Tottenham at White Hart Lane? Hopefully Massimiliano Allegri will find a way to balance the side, or else AC Milan could be facing humiliation in the Champions League.

3. Edinson Cavani the hat-trick hero against Juventus

When Cavani joined Napoli from Palermo, I was slightly skeptical about his ability. While I thought that he wouldn’t be able to score as much without the brilliant Javier Pastore providing assists, I was completely wrong. Edinson Cavani has now scored 13 goals in the Serie A, with three in Napoli’s latest game against Juventus. All three goals were headers, showing that although Cavani can dance around defences and score with both feet, he can also use his tall frame to find the back of the net.

After this win, Napoli is now just four points from first placed AC Milan. If AC Milan continue to concede goals like they did against Udinese, and Napoli continue to provide Cavani assists, the title race could be between these two clubs.

4. Leonardo wins again as Inter return to form

Inter Milan’s second victory under Leonardo was a tough one. The nerazurri travelled to Catania where they went a goal down after 70 minutes of suffering. But in just ten minutes Leonardo’s side had turned the result around with two quick goals by Cambiasso. The first was a good finish after being served a sublime assist, and the second was a header which was served on a silver platter by Maicon’s outside of the foot cross. It’s a positive result for Inter who will now have to make up two of their matches which were postponed due to the FIFA Club World Cup. If they do win both of their games in hand, they’ll be just six points from their rossoneri cousins at the top of the table.

5. Both Roman sides lose

Lazio and Roma were unable to take advantage of AC Milan’s slip against Udinese. Lazio were defeated at home 2-1 by Lecce, and Roma lost by the same scoreline to Sampdoria. While Roma started well, with Vucinic skimming through Sampdoria’s defence and pounding the ball into the goal, the game changed when Julio Sergio was sent off ten minutes into the second half. The Brazilian goalkeeper’s rough challenge also gave Sampdoria a penalty which Pozzi smashed into the roof of the net. The winner was Juan’s mistake, he knocked the ball back towards substitute keeper Doni, and Guberti pounced striking the ball into the back of the net for the winner.

Lazio on the other hand were unable to function when their mastermind Hernanes had a bad day. Lecce went ahead first with a shot hitting the post and bouncing off of Muslera’s back and into the goal. An unlucky own goal which was equalized when Mauri awkwardly pushed the ball into the back of Lecce’s goal. But it was not to be for Lazio, Lecce showed great spirit and Grossmuller tapped in the winner, his first goal for Lecce.

What are your thoughts regarding the weekend of action? Will AC Milan pick themselves back up after their draw? Can Napoli continue to win and fight for the title? Share your comments below!

While one of the biggest moves of the January transfer window happened recently, with Toni going to Juventus, there have been plenty of other, quieter moves which have gone unmentioned. Mostly they are young, aspiring Italians joining clubs on loan so that they can get some playing time to improve. Federico Macheda from Manchester United to Sampdoria is probably the biggest name, but there’s also Stefano Okaka who joined Bari, Davide Lanzafame who joined Brescia, and Palladino who joined Parma.

Having recently completed his loan deal from Manchester United to Sampdoria, Federico Macheda could already play tomorrow in Sampdoria’s match against Roma. Mimmo Di Carlo has chosen Macheda as part of the squad, and the young Italian might even get in the starting eleven. It depends on whether Giampaolo Pazzini, who has been ill, will be able to play or not. Whether or not he starts, Macheda should get some playing time, and I really want to see how the 19 year-old does in the Serie A.

So far this season Macheda had seven appearances in the English Premier League, scoring only one goal. It’s only because of an in-form Berbatov and the energetic Javier Hernandez that Macheda hasn’t played much, and his return to the Serie A is a smart one. Macheda is tall, technically gifted, and intelligent with his runs, so if Di Carlo can use him properly we should see some good things from him.

There’s another tall Italian forward who will be making an impact this season. Stefano Okaka joined Bari recently, and he played in Bari’s 1-0 win against Lecce, scoring the only goal of the match. It’s certainly a great debut with the Galletti, and it looks like he will be in the starting eleven tomorrow when Bari play Bologna. Okaka could look to Marco Di Vaio as an example of a goalscoring forward, and model himself on the Bologna captain. Okaka has the pace and strength needed to succeed, he just needs to implement it properly around the goal.

These January transfer moves aren’t all of successful players, Davide Lanzafame has been overshadowed this first half of the season at Juventus. While in the preseason he had a big part to play in friendlies, the arrivals of Krasic and Pepe ultimately pushed him out of sight of any playing time. I really like Lanzafame, and I expected big things to come from him this season. Hopefully he will deliver at Brescia, because an Italian with his talent should be playing every weekend.

This January transfer window we also saw some intricate dealings between Parma and Genoa. Parma received Palladino (who scored against Juventus in his first appearance for Parma) on loan. And then the two clubs basically traded Francesco Modesto and Luca Antonelli, with a half share of Alberto Paloschi also given to Genoa, where Paloschi will be playing for the rest of this season. So for Antonelli and half of Paloschi, Genoa gave Parma all of Modesto, half of Palladino, and seven million Euros. Only are transfers in the Serie A this complicated.

The upcoming matches tomorrow will be exciting, with many young (and some old) Italians with a chance to really make themselves known. What are your thoughts on these transfers? What do you think will happen tomorrow? Share your comments below!

After the sad news that Fabio Quagliarella will be out for the rest of the season, Juventus got a replacement in record time. It’s Luca Toni who will be replacing Quagliarella (out for 4-6 months with a torn cruciate knee ligament), the World Cup winner leaving Genoa to sign a one and a half year contract with the bianconeri. It was a free transfer from Genoa to Juventus, and Toni makes sure to thank Enrico Preziosi for letting him join Juventus.

“I’m extremely happy, it’s a dream to wear this jersey… I thank Preziosi for this opportunity, at Genoa there were some problems, the marriage [between the club and the player] didn’t end well.”

Toni continued talking about the transfer,

I didn’t hesitate in joining Juventus, it is an adventure which fascinates me. I know the group, I know that every player wants to win. I believe… The Scudetto? We will try to win all the games and then we will see what happens, there’s a lot of will to return to the win.”

While Toni is 33 years-old, the tall striker was a useful player for Roma last season in their attempts to win the Serie A. Juventus’s next match is against Napoli at the San Paolo, a tough match after their 4-1 defeat to Parma at home. Quagliarella had to be substituted just three minutes into the match after injuring his knee, and he was replaced with Amauri. But the Italian/Brazilian had another dry night, goalless as his side suffered Giovinco and Palladino’s wrath.

Toni says he is ready to play, and after seeing what Amauri provided up front (little to nothing), Delneri could try and spark the team this weekend with his new signing. Here’s what Toni said regarding his possibility to play this weekend, and what he hopes to do at Juventus.

“I played 90 minutes yesterday with Genoa, I’m ready to play against Napoli, but Delneri will decide. I did my best to come to Turin, in 2007 I was a step away from Juventus but then I went to Germany. To play here I turned down offers which were economically more beneficial, I’ve cut my wages because I want to show my value here”

“I’m ready to play at Naples. I will find myself well, I’m a man of the penalty box and I can count on two strong wingers. I chose the number 20 even if I like 9 and 30, they were already taken.”

While this is a big move in the Serie A for this January transfer window, there’s a possibility of more to come from Juventus. It seems like they aren’t happy with just Luca Toni, especially after seeing the poor display of Amauri and Del Piero. Marotta didn’t say yes or no to whether Juventus will try and find a more similar forward to Quagliarella in hopes of replacing him.

I’m unsure about how Toni will do. While he won’t have a major part in Delneri’s plans, he will be a a useful player who will provide some goals. Krasic’s excellent service will finally be put to some use with Luca Toni often being a commanding presence in the box.

How do you think Toni will do at Juventus? A good or a bad signing for the bianconeri? Share your comments below!

During the winter break Serie A fans got to contemplate many things. How will Cassano do at AC Milan? What new signings will we see in the January transfer window? And how will Leonardo do at Inter Milan? The last question seems to be a little clearer after Leonardo made his debut on Inter Milan’s bench in their 3-1 win against Napoli.

It was a big test for Leonardo, having to face Napoli in his first match. The pressure of the San Siro weighed upon the new coach, the fans unhappy with the previous reign under Rafa Benitez. Yet Leonardo put out an organized and inspired side which scored just minutes into the match. A quick give-and-go between Thiago Motta and Stankovic, with the former spanking the ball diagonally into the bottom corner.

The San Siro went wild as did the players, celebrating after their good start to 2011. Yet Napoli’s response was quick, just minutes later Cavani had a goal disallowed because of an offside in the build-up, and then Napoli managed to score the equalizer. Pazienza snuck behind a distracted Inter defence on a corner, and he headed past a fumbling Castellazzi to make it 1-1.

But this Inter side is different from Benitez’s depressed group of injured players, Leonardo has truly inspired them. Cambiasso pops up with an opportune header in the 37th minute, putting Inter Milan in front. It was Maicon’s cross which was placed expertly on the Argentine’s head, and the Brazilian fullback had a strong game with the right wing his territory.

In the second half there was more of the same, with Inter not allowing Napoli breathing space. Ten minutes into the second half Thiago Motta bests himself with another beautiful goal. A pinpoint header from a corner, the ball perfectly thumped into the top corner for the final goal of the match. Inter held onto the match for their first three points of 2011.

While Inter Milan played well, Napoli allowed Leonardo’s side freedom in the midfield. Mazzari wasn’t happy on the sideline, and he was often found yelling at inanimate objects and colleagues. It’s an important win for Inter, and although they’re still 13 points from AC Milan at the top of the table, they have two games in hand to make up against Cesena and Fiorentina.

Is this a complete revival for Inter Milan? Will Leonardo be able to continue succeeding? Share your comments below!

The Serie A will be resuming tomorrow, when a fresh slate of midweek games will be played. There are many interesting fixtures, but the one which I’m really looking forward to is Cagliari – AC Milan. AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be returning to his former club at the Stadio Sant’Elia, and he’ll be bringing a slightly different side than usual with him.

The team which has been dominating the Serie A though isn’t quite the same after the winter break. Nesta complained about a muscle strain, and although he is part of the squad travelling, it is unlikely he will play. That leaves Thiago Silva and Bonera in the middle of defence, and they’ll be without Zambrotta on the right side of defence due to a meniscus problem. The midfield is weakened as well because Kevin-Prince Boateng won’t be playing due to a problem in his tendons (As you can see, I’m not an expert), and Pirlo is injured as well.

The attack is patched up with Pato returning from his injury, and Robinho should be able to play even if he crashed his knee into a camera on the side of the pitch in AC Milan’s 2-1 friendly win against Al Ahli. Yet AC Milan will be missing their main man up front, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede is suspended after repeated yellow card in multiple matches, and without Ibra, the team could have difficulty scoring. Along with Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho won’t be playing because it seems like his deal with Gremio is in the final stages of completion, leaving a slightly inexperienced forward line.

But Allegri has a player he can call upon if needed, Antonio Cassano is among the substitutes, and he will probably make an appearance in the match. Cassano played well in the friendly against Al Ahli, providing an assist for Seedorf and being selfless with his distribution to his teammates. But Cassano has been receiving comments regarding his overall fitness, and there’s certainly room for improvement in that area.

Whether Cassano will be able to make a difference against Cagliari is a tough question to answer, but I don’t think he’ll have much of an impact. While Cagliari are in 13th place, with just 20 points this season, don’t expect that Roberto Donadoni’s side will allow AC Milan to trample over them at their home ground. It will be a tough return for Allegri, especially with the reduced squad which he has to resort to. Do you think that AC Milan will continue winning in 2011? Can they be stopped? Share your comments below!