Spezia vs AC Milan

Dethroned Serie A champions AC Milan head to the Stadio Alberto Picco to encounter relegation-threatened Spezia in a high-stakes league showdown.

Spezia’s freefall continued last weekend as season-long relegation favorites Cremonese thumped them 2-0 to draw them straight back into the drop zone. Despite starting 2023 eight points clear of the red territory, Spezia’s abysmal eight-match winless league streak (D3, L5) has demoted them to 18th in the standings, three points adrift of safety. What’s even more concerning for under-pressure coach Leonardo Semplici is that his men have failed to find the net in ten of their 19 league outings in 2023. It gets worse at Alberto Picco, where ‘Acquilotti’ have drawn a blank in seven of their last nine matches in Serie A (W1, D3, L5), casting further doubt on their hopes of getting their stuttering season back on track down the final stretch.

Like their hosts, visiting Milan will take the field with their confidence at the ultimate low following a disheartening 2-0 loss to Inter Milan in the first leg of their blockbuster Champions League semi-final tie in midweek. Without standout performer Rafael Leao, Stefano Pioli’s side pulled off a crucial 2-0 home win over Lazio last weekend to stay within a two-point distance of fourth-placed Inter. But a third top-four finish on the trot is still in doubt, especially after ‘I Rossoneri’ drew back-to-back away league matches. Another share of the spoils in Liguria would see them register three straight Serie A stalemates on the road for the first time since 2017. That’s unlikely to happen, though, with none of Milan’s six previous meetings with Spezia in all competitions ending level (W4, L2).