Preview: AC Milan vs. Torino

AC Milan will be hoping to bounce back from a poor run of form when they take on Torino at San Siro this weekend.

The Rossoneri have lost four of their last five games, while their opponents need a win to stay in the race for a Europa League spot.

AC Milan

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The Serie A table must make tough reading reading for fans of Milan, as their team are currently in 11th place with just two games of the season left to play.

They have not finished outside of the top 10 in 18 years, but a terrible campaign on the pitch and fevered speculation behind the scenes have contributed to their struggles.

It was another disappointing outing for the Rossoneri last weekend, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat at Sassuolo thanks to a hat-trick from Domenico Berardi, who had fired four goals past them last season.

That result was their fourth defeat from their previous five games and they have now won just one out of the last seven, which was a 2-1 victory over Roma in their last home match.

Speculation over Filippo Inzaghi's future has reached fever pitch in the past month and reports have emerged this week that Carlo Ancelotti may be set for a sensational return to the club, with his own position as Real Madrid manager coming under threat.

Regardless of whether Inzaghi stays, Milan need to invest in their playing squad to be able to compete with the likes of Juventus, and the potential sale of the club to Bee Taechaubol could be the key to making that happen.

Recent form: DLLLWL

Torino

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It has been another solid campaign for Torino, who are on the verge of finishing in the top half of Serie A for the second consecutive season.

Should they win their final two games then they will equal last season's tally of 57 points, which was enough to secure them seventh spot and a place in the Europa League.

They could still seal a return to Europe, but they would have to beat Milan this weekend and Cesena in their final match, and hope that Sampdoria and Inter Milan both fail to pick up points in their remaining fixtures.

Giampiero Ventura's side have not been helped by a dip in form at such a crucial point in the season, as defeats to Empoli and Torino at the start of the month stopped the momentum that they had been building.

They did manage to end their winless run last Sunday by earning a 2-0 victory over Chievo, with Maxi Lopez grabbing both goals at the ​Stadio Olimpico.

Regardless of whether they make it to Europe or not, they will be able to celebrate a fourth successive season in the top flight, just 10 years after suffering bankruptcy and almost ceasing to exist.

Recent form: DWDLLW

Team News

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Jeremy Menez is serving the final game of his four-match ban, while Giacomo Bonaventura and Suso are also suspended for Milan.

There are doubts over the fitness of Mattia De Sciglio and Luca Antonelli, but Riccardo Montolivo will not play again this season.

However, Stephan El Shaarawy is available and will be fighting it out with Alessio Cerci for a spot in the attack.

Meanwhile, Torino will have to make do without the injured duo of Fabio Quagliarella and Cesare Bovo, while Nikola Maksimovic is suspended.

AC Milan possible starting lineup: Lopez, Abate, Alex, Paletta, Bonera, Poli, De Jong, Van Ginkel, Honda, El Shaarawy, Destro

Torino possible starting lineup: Padelli, Glik, Jansson, Moretti, Peres, Darmian, Benassi, Gazzi, El Kaddouri, Martinez, Lopez

Head To Head

In this season's reverse fixture, Torino came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw after De Sciglio had been sent off for the Rossoneri.

That result extended Torino's winless run against Milan to 14 games, although the last three meetings between the teams have ended level.

The Granata's last win over their opponents came in November 2001, when Cristiano Lucarelli scored in a 1-0 victory.

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We say: AC Milan 2-1 Torino

Milan will be desperate to win their last home game of what has been a desperately poor season. They will not find it easy against a Torino side who are capable of causing an upset, but we think that Inzaghi's players will have just enough to claim all the points.