Serie A preview and betting tips: Milan to cement top four spot at Roma's expense
- Sergiu Baltuta
- 28 April 2023
Roma and Milan clash at Stadio Olimpico on Saturday in one of the most interesting Serie A match-ups of the weekend. Tipstrr football pundit Sergiu Baltuta assesses their form and prospects.
At the moment the two teams are locked together on 56 points, with Milan just edging the final Champions League qualifying spot on goals scored (51 to 43) as their goal difference is also equal on +14.
It's worth adding that both teams have another route towards the Champions League as Roma and Milan are involved in the semi-finals of the Europa League and UCL respectively.
Roma's biggest problem this season has been their inconsistency and that came to the fore again earlier this week, when their three-game winning streak ended abruptly in Bergamo where they were soundly beaten 3-1 by Atalanta.
Roma boss Jose Mourinho could point to the fact that his players had played extra time just four days previously in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Feyenoord.
Milan have won four (including the last two at Olimpico) of their last six Serie A meetings with Roma, with the other two ending as a draw.
Suggested bet: Milan to win
They travel to Roma this time looking to extend a six-game unbeaten streak , although this run has been tempered somewhat by disappointing draws with Empoli (0-0 at home) and 1-1 at Bologna.
Milan have proved recently that they know how to manage big games, a quality highlighted in their three games in April against Napoli , whom they thumped 4-0 in Serie A before earning a hard-fought 2-1 aggregate win in their Champions League clash.
In their last Serie A game they managed a 2-0 win against Lecce thanks to a brace from Rafael Leao, their best player by far this season with 12 league goals and six assists and he is the one to watch in this encounter.
Suggested bet:
Rafael Leao to score at any time
Roma have kept a clean sheet in seven of their eight home league games - the best such record in the top five European leagues.
Milan themselves managed to keep a clean sheet in three of their last four Serie A games (two wins and two draws).
An interesting statistical quirk is that Roma have scored more goals in stoppage time this season (six) than any other team in Serie A, while they are also one of four teams that have not conceded beyond the 90-minute mark.
