AC Milan will be looking to close the gap to Serie A leaders Napoli when they welcome Jose Mourinho’s Roma to the San Siro on Sunday night.
With 16 games in the books, Milan sit second in the table – five points behind Napoli and six points inside the top four.
Meanwhile, Roma find themselves sixth – three points outside the Champions League places and six points behind Milan. Can they make up ground this weekend?
Let’s start by assessing the hosts, Milan, who returned from the winter break with a 2-1 victory over Salernitana on Wednesday.
That means Stefano Pioli’s side have lost just one of their previous nine Serie A encounters, securing seven wins and one draw along the way.
When you look at the bigger picture, Milan have only suffered two defeats in 16 Serie A outings this season – notching the league’s third-best offensive record in the process.
Better still, Milan have not trailed at half time in any of their last 18 home games in Serie A. That tells you everything you need to know about the team’s solidity.
As for Roma, they kick-started the second phase of the campaign with a 1-0 win against Bologna on Wednesday – thanks to Lorenzo Pellegrini’s sixth-minute penalty.
Consequently, Mourinho’s men have now avoided defeat in each of their last three league games and have won five of their previous nine.
Roma have been especially strong on their travels this term, losing just one of their past nine away games in Serie A.
Although Mourinho’s side are the lowest scorers in the top eight, they will fancy their chances of getting something on the road against Milan.
Head-to-head: Roma have only managed to win one of their last nine Serie A meetings with Milan, suffering six losses in the process.
Given that both teams have scored in seven of the previous eight league meetings between Milan and Roma, we should see goals at both ends of the pitch on Sunday.
Team news: Milan could be without as many as six players this weekend, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessandro Florenzi, Mike Maignan, Divock Origi, Ante Rebic and Fode Ballo out injured.
Roma currently have two players sidelined due to injury, with Andrea Belotti and Ebrima Darboe expected to miss Sunday’s clash.
Milan will be desperate to chase down high-flying Napoli, while Roma will be eager to break into the top four. This could lead to an exciting game with plenty of chances for both sides.
For that reason, Forebet predicts that Milan and Roma will play out a high-scoring draw – with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.