AC Milan center back Alex. (Photo : Getty Images)
UC Sampdoria (9-14-9, 36 points) and AC Milan (13-9-10, 49 points) may be on opposite ends of the current 2015-2016 Serie A overall standings, but both are equally struggling at the moment. The two teams are scheduled to square off at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on April 17th, Sunday for their second and final meeting this season.
Milan crushed Sampdoria, 4-1, during their first meeting in Nov. 28th of last year at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Both clubs went on separate ways since then as I Rossoneri is now at sixth place in the league table and contending for a Champions League berth while I Blucerchiati is fighting off possible relegation to the Serie B next season at the 15th spot.
However, the two squads have not been in their top forms in their last six matches as Milan is currently on a five-game winless slide while Sampdoria had been winless in three of their last six.
Sampdoria snapped their three-game winless skid, though, with a 2-0 victory over lowly team Udinese Calcio at their home field of Stadio Luigi Ferraris last Sunday, via SkySports.
The first goal of the match was netted with an own goal from Colombian defender Pablo Armero at the 58th minute. La Samp's Brazilian defender Fernando then scored another goal with five minutes left before the full time whistle to seal the game for head coach Vincenzo Montella's side.
Meanwhile, Il Diavolo is coming off a sorry 1-2 loss to defending champions Juventus FC at their home stadium in San Siro last Saturday, as per Goal.
Milan drew first blood in the contest with an 18th minute goal by another Brazilian defender, Alex, but it was eventually a consolation one for outgoing manager Sinisa Mihajlovic's boys as the visiting reigning champs fired two after that.
Mihajlovic was sacked on Tuesday because of the team's recent rut and will be replaced by former midfielder Cristian Brocchi starting in this game versus Sampdoria.
The predicted result is a 2-1 bounce back win for AC Milan as they welcome Brocchi as their new head bench tactician.
Sampdoria starting lineup (3-5-2 formation): Viviano; Diakite, Ranocchia, Moisander; De Silvestri, Soriano, Krsticic, Barreto, Dodo; Muriel, Quagliarella
AC Milan starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Donnarumma; Abate, Alex, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Honda, Montolivo, Kucka, Bonaventura; Bacca, Balotelli
