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Serie A Week 7 - 7/10/07 (19.30 UK)
Lazio - Milan

Stadio Olimpico

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Lazio and Milan are both way down the table compared with their pre-season expectations and at least one team will come away from this weekend disappointed again as Serie A’s biggest underachievers come face to face at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Seven points from six games is not exactly the start that the Rossoneri fans were hoping for from the reigning European champions. Since their 3-0 thrashing of Genoa in Week 1, Milan have failed to win a single match and their toothless strikers are yet to hit the net with all of their goals coming from midfield, with the one exception from defender Alessandro Nesta – in yet [another disappointing 1-1 draw with Siena in Week 3. Coach Carlo Ancelotti will be telling his team to just continue playing the way they know and the rest will come, but they also know the pressure will only get higher with every poor performance.

Ancelotti will still be without the added threat of Ronaldo in attack as well, as the Brazilian continues his recovery from a troublesome thigh injury. There are problems in defence too with Paolo Maldini, Kakha Kaladze and Serginho all missing, while first choice goalkeeper Nelson Dida is a major doubt after missing the games against Palermo and Catania through injury. That means Australian ‘keeper Zeljko Kalac will be on standby to step in again if needed.

His opposite number Delio Rossi also has some absences to worry about with Sebastiano Siviglia, Modibo Diakhite and Fabio Firmani all on the treatment table. There are also serious concerns over the fitness of Tommaso Rocchi and Valon Behrami and they may not be ready to play a part in this match. That could leave Rossi short of options, especially coming so soon after their Champions League tie against Real Madrid.

The Biancocelesti are desperately searching for some consistency at the moment, but they still don’t seem to have recovered from their injury-hit start to the season. They also only have one win to their name so far – 3-1 at home against Cagliari – and have failed to kill off teams they were expected to beat comfortably. Their home form has started to improve, as shown by that triumph over Cagliari, but this match will be a real test of their credentials as they come up against one of Serie A’s elite for the first time this term.

Keep an eye on: Kaka (Milan) – Luckily for the Rossoneri their Brazilian star hasn’t been affected by his teammates’ lack of form. With the strikers misfiring, Kaka quite simply is Milan’s attacking threat at the moment.

Last season: Lazio 0-0 Milan

Form guide: Lazio (D D L W D) Milan (D D D L D)


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Lazio (probable): Muslera; Behrami, Stendardo, Cribari, Zauri; Mudingayi, Ledesma, Mutarelli; Mauri; Rocchi, Pandev

Milan (probable): Kalac; Oddo, Nesta, Bonera, Jankulovski; Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka, Seedorf; Inzaghi

Ref: To follow...

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