Betfair Live Video match preview: Cagliari v AC Milan

European Leagues / Dan Fitch / 23 November 2007 / Leave a Comment

Dan Fitch previews Milan's attempts to get their home form back...

Some people have accused Serie A of being boring this season. It doesn't seem as if any side will be able to seriously challenge Inter for the title, with the likes of Milan and Juventus still in recovery from their post-scandal blues. But if the events on the pitch are all too predictable, off the pitch, the shocks keep coming.

Tragedy struck at the heart of the Italian game once more on Sunday, as the Lazio fan Gabriele Sandri was killed by a policeman, following a clash between Lazio and Juventus supporters at a motorway service station. It was decided that the encounter between Lazio and Inter should be suspended, but that all other Serie A fixtures should go ahead. However, within 10 minutes of the match between Atalanta and AC Milan, the home Ultras tried to force their way onto the pitch and the match was abandoned.

It was wisely decided that the evening kick-off between Roma and Cagliari should be postponed, though this did not prevent an attack by hooligans on the Rome police headquarters. After the enforced break caused by the postponements and the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Cagliari and Milan return to action, against each other, at the Stadio Sant'Elia.

The match can be seen on Betfair Live Video, with both sides desperate for victory. Milan are still without a home win in six games and sit slumped in 11th place, whilst Cagliari hover just above the relegation zone in 17th, by way of goal difference. So bad has been Cagliari's start, that they have already sacked their manager Marco Giampaolo and replaced him with Nedo Sonetti. The home match with Milan will be Sonetti's first in charge of the team ... sort of. The Cagliari chairman Massimo Cellino, changes his mind regarding managers so often, that I have no real faith that Sonetti will still be the Cagliari manager by the time I have finished typing this sentence. The appointment of the 66-year-old Sonetti, represents his third spell as head coach of the Sardinian club. He first took over during 2001, but by 2002 he was gone. This is pretty typical for Sonetti, as he has managed an incredible 20 clubs in a 33 year managerial career (including two spells at both Ascoli and Lecce).

Sonetti is often appointed as a replacement coach, who is brought in to stop a side from being relegated, before being dumped the following season. He took over again at Cagliari in 2005 (at the time becoming the fourth coach appointed by the club in two months), before being replaced for the 2006-2007 season by Marco Giampaolo. The new man lasted just 17 matches before being sacked, though I hope he didn't move house, as before the season ended, Giampaolo was reinstated as manager. As we know, the two time coach Giampaolo quickly gave way to the three time coach Sonetti, though I'm sure the former can win another spell in charge, if he just hangs around long enough.

If the busiest man in Italy is the bloke that has to engrave the name on the door of the Cagliari manager's office, then the second must be Carlo Ancelloti, as he tries to work out why his team can't win at home, when they're really rather good away. Having lost to just Palermo on their travels, Milan have scored five goals on two occasions, against Lazio and in their last (completed) away fixture with Sampdoria. Given Cagliari's struggles, over 2.5 goals at [2.02] is a price worth considering. An away win seems probable, though a Milan win at [1.69] seems a bit short, for a side recovering from international fixtures. It may be wisest to back in play.

In a fortnight in which Italians have had to face their continued hooligan problem and the bloke that played Gianni Di Marco getting booted off I'm A Celeb... the nation needs cheering up. The Azzurri have gone some way to restore pride with their qualification for Euro 2008. Now it needs club football to once more win back the headlines.