AC Milan have used up all the credits this season and no longer have the right to make a mistake. Against Sampdoria, Stefano Pioli and his men have an imperative to win as they travel to Turin next weekend to face Juventus. In Bergamo, Atalanta and Verona are facing their own last chances: the host to remain in the race for a place in the Champions League, and the guests to rise above the relegation zone, as the direct survival opponents Lecce and Spezia collide tomorrow.Mike Maignan can’t do it all by himself. The French goalkeeper works miracles in the Rossoneri goal but in vain because there is no one in the attack to shake the opponent’s net. Apart from last Tuesday’s goalless exit from the Champions League in the semi-final clash with Inter Milan, Milan have not gone three matches without a goal in more than two decades, since 2002 to be exact.That explains why Pioli intends to send Giroud and Leao onto the field from the first minute despite fatigue and injuries that have not fully healed. The Frenchman and the Portuguese have each scored 13 goals this season, but Giroud hasn’t found the back of the net in Serie A for more than two months (the last time against Salernitana), and more than a month in general (the last goal against Napoli in the Champions League on April 18). Leao is not much better either, the Portuguese shook the net in only four matches in 2023: against Lecce twice, Salernitana and Napoli – too little for a player with a release clause of 170,000,000 euros.Apart from the Milan strikers with “moistened gunpowder”, this season there were also no goals from other players. After Giroud and Leao, Milan’s best scorer in the season (in all competitions) is Diaz with six goals.Pioli has all the players at his disposal except Ibrahimovic and Bennacer, and the only dilemma regarding the line-up is related to Messias and Saelemaekers, who are competing for one place in the starting line-up.Spalletti leaving Napoli, De Laurentiis has already contacted two candidatesSampdoria manager Dejan Stanković asks his players to finish a difficult season in which they had everything against them with pride and dignity, from the chaos in the club to the referee’s mistakes to their detriment to the luck that just turned their backs on them. In the part of Genoa that breathes for the Dorians, the deadlines that expire on May 26 and 29 are of much more interest than the results of today’s match: if no investor or new owner appears to inject 35,000,000 euros, Sampdoria will go bankrupt. In other words, Samp could end up in Serie D instead of Serie B.Verona have won twice in a row in Bergamo Atalanta and the Scaligeri hope that the Italian proverb that “there is no two without a three” (non c’è due senza tre) will be confirmed tonight. Also, on the last visit in Serie A, against Lecce, Veronese achieved their first victory away from Bentegodi in this championship campaign.On the other side, Atalanta tied two defeats against Juventus and Salernitana without scoring a goal. Since Gian Piero Gasperini came to the bench of the Goddess, Atalanta have never tied three matches without scoring a goal.##EDITORS_CHOICE##For Verona, tonight’s duel is an opportunity to get out of the relegation zone, considering that tomorrow’s direct clash between Spezia and Lecce could be of great help. Coach Zaffaroni plans to ensure survival tonight and in the next match against Empoli at Bentegodi before the last match against Milan at San Siro, since it is quite clear that the Rossoneri will need all three points to secure a place in the next season’s Champions League.The Goddess also doesn’t have a lot of room for maneuver and if she doesn’t win all three points tonight, her last chances for a place in the Champions League will disappear, especially since the next meeting in the championship is at Meazza against Inter.Atalanta will be without the support of their most ardent fans as the north stand was closed due to ethnic-racial abuse of Dusan Vlahovic in the previous Serie A match at the Gewiss Stadium.Gasperini cannot count on Duvan Zapata, but Lookman is back at his disposal. Atalanta’s most efficient player this season will start the match on the bench, and the young Hojlund will lead the host’s attack.Atalanta cannot count on a large number of players. Apart from Zapata – Hateboer, Palomino, Boga, Ruggeri and Soppy are also out of rotation.On the other side, Verona arrived in Bergamo without Davidovic, Doig, Duda and Henry.African players make up four of the top five scorers in Serie A this season 🤩 pic.twitter.com/mf69x5CTEL— GOAL (@goal) May 12, 2023 Cremonese still believe they can save themselves from relegation, although the chances are very slim. The first condition for the lifeline to remain within reach is a win against Bologna this afternoon.Interestingly, in the last ten rounds Thiago Motta’s team has only lost to teams that are struggling for survival (Verona) or were struggling (Empoli). Also, the Italian-Brazilian expert wants to set a new record in the number of points won since Joe Saputo took over the club. Last week, Bologna reached 47 points in one season and has three chances to improve their tally.Cremonese have all players available except for Dessers and Benassi, while in Bologna only Sumaoro, Soriano and Kyriakopoulos cannot help their team. The coach of the home team, Balardini, does not have many doubts about the lineup, while Thiago Motta is facing two ‘problems’, both in attack: Arnautovic or Zirkzee and Orsolini or Ebischer.SERIE A – ROUND 36FridaySassuolo – Monza 1-2 (1-0)/Berardi 45+6 pen – Ciurria 60, Pessina 90+3/Saturday16:00: (2.90) Cremonese (3.35) Bologna (2.65)19:00: (1.65) Atalanta (4.00) Verona (6.25)21:45: (1.24) Milan (6.75) Sampdoria (14.0)Sunday13:30: (2.35) Lecce (3.30) Spezia (3.45)16:00: (2.03) Torino (3.40) Fiorentina (4.00)19:00: (2.90) Napoli (3.45) Inter (2.60)21:45: (3.70) Udinese (3.40) Lazio (2.11)Monday19:30: (1.52) Roma (4.20) Salernitana (7.25)21:45: (5.30) Empoli (3.60) Juventus (1.75)***odds are subject to change***
