With nine matchdays left in the 2015-2016 Serie A season, reeling contenders AC Milan (13-7-9, 48 points) and SS Lazio (11-10-8, 41 points) are not favored to snag a Champions League berth for next season. The two teams are set to meet for a domestic game in San Siro on March 20th, Sunday as they vie for a slot in the Europa League instead.
Milan is currently at the sixth spot of the Italian top flight table and owns the final Europa qualifying berth at the moment. Lazio is seven points behind at the eighth spot and could still overtake Sassuolo and I Rossoneri if they can string consecutive wins starting with this match against Siniša Mihajlović's side.
The Red and Blacks are coming off a disappointing 0-0 draw with middling team AC Chievo on the road at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi last Sunday, as reported by Four Four Two.
The hosts actually netted a goal late in the game, but it was cancelled after the referees called it for offside, which allowed Milan to settle for a share of a point in the overall standings with Gialloblu.
It was the third draw in the last six outings for Mihajlović and his crew, and the fourth winless performance in the same time span, as they dropped out of the race for a Champions League spot next season.
Meanwhile, Lazio pulled off a 2-0 blanking of lowly team Atalanta BC at their home field of Stadio Olimpico in Rome also last Sunday, as per ESPN.
I Biancocelesti's German striker Miroslav Klose scored a double at the 67th minute and in stoppage time to lead Stefano Pioli's men to their first win in four games.
It was also only the second win of the Eagles in their last six assignments in the domestic league, which made Sassuolo overtake them for the seventh spot in the overall standings.
The predicted result is a close 1-0 decision for AC Milan over Lazio.
AC Milan starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Donnarumma; Abate, Alex, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Honda, Poli, Bertolacci, Bonaventura; Menez, Bacca
Lazio starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Marchetti; Patric, Mauricio, Hoedt, Braafheid; Onazi, Cataldi; Anderson, Mauri, Kishna; Klose