Serie A. Round 11
Stadium: Olimpico (Rome)
Hands down the central match of the Italian Serie A round 11 will take place on Sunday evening in the capital where Jose Mourinho's Roma will take on AC Milan. The Rossoneri has yet to lose in the 2021/22 championship – 9 wins and 1 draw. Will Stefano Pioli's team be able to extend the successful streak? There are several options to bet on.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Roma should not be judged by a devastating loss in the Conference League
Ten days ago, the Romans played a monstrous match, losing in Norway to the modest Bodo/Glimt 1-6 in the Conference League group stage. Not only was it Roma's worst defeat of the season, but it was also a record for Jose Mourinho – the legendary Portuguese specialist had never lost so dramatically in European competitions.
Of course, it is difficult to justify the failure in Norway and turn a blind eye to it. However, its significance should not be overestimated. And the Conference League is hardly a very important tournament for Roma, and the personnel resources of the Giallorossi are not large enough to effectively carry out the rotation, distributing forces on several fronts.
After Norway, Roma has already played two matches in the national championship. And the team looked very decent in them. First, the Yellow and Reds did not allow Napoli to reveal their attacking potential at home, 0-0. Then, Roma achieved a hard-fought win over Cagliari away (2-1). 10 rounds played, Jose Mourinho's team has 19 points and 4th place in the standings. Not a bad result so far.
AC Milan again scored 3 points on poor play
The Rossoneri have shown themselves to be a team of the highest class this season. Only true giants know how to get results, even when the game is not going well. Moreover, this skill is the key to their tournament prospects.
Milan hosted a very tough Torino in the previous round at the San Siro. Ivan Juric's team was nothing worse than Stefano Pioli's and could have easily earned the points. However, Torino failed to score, while Milan converted what was probably the only scoring chance they had. Olivier Giroud brought the victory to the Red and Blacks as early as minute 14.
AC Milan has 9 wins in the 10 starting matches of the new championship. The only non-win was an away draw with Juventus. Just a terrific start, which allows the Rossoneri to sit at the top of the Serie A at the moment, having the same number of points as Napoli. In the Champions League, Milan has almost no chance of making the playoffs, as the Red and Blacks have lost all 3 starting matches of the group stage, so there is good reason to assume that Stefano Pioli's team will continue to go the distance of the national championship as confidently – the matches in the Champions League can be removed from the list of priorities not to waste energy.
Head-to-head encounters
Last season, Paulo Fonseca's Roma failed to beat AC Milan: 3-3 away, 1-2 at home. Let's see if they can avenge Jose Mourinho.
Watch Live Now!Expert Betting Tips
Roma was not discouraged by the defeat in the Conference League. In the next two games, the team from the capital played at a very high level. In a meeting with Napoli, the Romans were a bit unlucky, and in Sardinia, against Cagliari, Roma managed to snatch a character win. It is an important point. Self-confidence is crucial for the Giallorossi in their upcoming game. Still, even in a great mood, it is unlikely that Roma can outplay AC Milan. It's the Rossoneri who are the most confident of their abilities. Yes, AC Milan has a full infirmary, including the main goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but the most important players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Simon Kjær, are healthy and ready to lead the Red and Blacks to new heights.
Prediction: Milan will score points in a toughest away game.
Betting options:
- Milan Not To Lose for 1.60;
- Handicap Milan (0) for 2.25;
- Asian Handicap Milan (+0.25) for 1.88.