This has been a very up and down season for AC Milan, with wild swings in form from good to bad to just plain mediocre. They’re in a solid seventh-place standing in Serie A, but the league table is clumped up so tight that it would only take a couple poor matches for them to change places with their opponent this weekend, 12th-place Sampdoria.
AC Milan vs. Sampdoria 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Serie A online
Sinisa Mihajlovic has had Milan playing better of late, but now he has to face a team that knows him very well in Sampdoria.
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Sampdoria have struggled frequently this season, firing Walter Zenga, the man that replaced Milan manager Sinisa Mihajlovic this summer, and hiring Vincenzo Montella to take his place. Montella lost his debut match with the Blucerchiati, but his team looked much better than they had in recent matches despite the result. If he can keep driving improvement in his new players, Montella might just be able to work an upset that will significantly boost the spirits of Sampdoria.
Key factor -- Sinisa Mihajlovic versus his old club
Mihajlovic has had to tinker and experiment and adjust and cajole all season long, but he’s had Milan playing slowly and steadily better as the season has gone on. That could change in a hurry though -- while plenty of changes were made at Sampdoria this summer, they’re still the same team that Mihajlovic had such success with a year ago at its core. They know how he wants to play and how to counter it because of how intimately they know him, and how well they can communicate that knowledge to their new manager, Vincenzo Montella -- himself a frequent thorn in the side of both Mihajlovic and Milan in recent years -- the better chance Samp have of earning an upset.
Key player -- Riccardo Montolivo (Milan)
Montolivo has been wildly inconsistent since he returned from injury, looking excellent in some games and almost lost in others. With Andrea Bertolacci out and Juraj Kucka at less than 100%, Milan will be in dire need of the good version of Montolivo in this match, especially with Sampdoria likely to apply significant pressure on their midfield. If he can't play well and consistently loses possession today, it will be difficult at best for Milan to find a way to win.
AC Milan injuries and suspensions
Out: Nigel de Jong, Andrea Bertolacci, Mario Balotelli, Diego Lopez, Jeremy Menez In doubt: Luiz Adriano, Keisuke Honda
Sampdoria injuries and suspensions
Out: Ervin Zukanovic, Joaquin Correa, Andrea Coda In doubt: Mattia Cassani, Emiliano Viviano, Djamel Mesbah, Nenad Krisitic
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 8:45 p.m. local
Venue: Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy
TV: beIN Sports (U.S.), Sky Calcio 1, Sky Sport 1 HD Italia (Italy), BT Sport Europe (U.K.)
Online: Fubo TV, beIN Sports Connect (U.S.), Sky Go Italia (Italy), BT Sport Live Streaming (U.K.)
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