Italian Roundup

Within weeks, AC Milan hopes are faltering

ROME (AP) -- In the last few weeks, AC Milan fans have gone from dreaming of a Grand Slam to fearing a Big Flop.

The second loss in three rounds suffered by the Milan soccer powerhouse last Sunday, by lowly Perugia, slipped AC Milan into a second-place tie with Juventus in the Serie A table, three points behind crosstown rival Inter Milan.

It was the reverse of the situation in mid-January, when AC Milan led Inter by three points and appeared heading toward a decisive flight toward its 17th Scudetto (league title).

For the fans -- including AC Milan No.1 supporter and president Silvio Berlusconi -- it was an abrupt fall of early season illusions when the Milan team was described by soccer critics as almost unbeatable, with the most spectacular and high-scoring play seen in Europe.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti stressed that AC Milan still was in the running for a Grand Slam achievement -- the Serie A, the Champions League and the Italian Cup titles.

However he could not hide that the nose dive of the team in the last few matches was unexpected and worrying.

While rotating in front such stars as Brazilian standout Rivaldo, Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi, Ukrainian forward Andriy Shevchenko and Dane Jon-Dahl Tomasson, AC Milan only scored two goals -- one on a penalty kick -- in the last three league matches, including 0-1 losses at Udinese and Perugia and a close 2-1 home win against underdog Modena.

In the meantime, the Milan team was held to a goalless draw by Perugia in a first-leg semifinal of the Italian Cup and was likely to have a tough second leg at home next month against the team led by Fabrizio Miccoli, the rising star of Italian soccer.

Miccoli, a diminutive, flashy forward who has been already compared by some critics -- with some exaggeration -- to Diego Maradona, scored Perugia's game winner against AC Milan, two goals which eliminated Juventus from the Italian Cup quarterfinals and set up Italy's winning goal, on his debut with the Azzurri, in Wednesday's friendly against Portugal.

Inzaghi's scoring drought following a sensational season start, Shevchenko's difficult coexistence with his Italian teammate and deteriorating form of some key midfielders have all been cited as factors in AC Milan's decline.

Ancelotti said the return from injury of quick Brazilian midfielder Serginho was likely to improve offense.

"We are through an unlucky period. It's not a serious problem. We have struggled against defensive teams because we are slow in circulating the ball. We must not forget we have crossed the mid-season tape in first place and that we are very close to the top in the table," Ancelotti said. "I'm looking forward to the next matches with confidence."

No doubt that the next matches will be decisive for team owned by premier and media tycoon Berlusconi.

Berlusconi, who likes to be considered a soccer expert, said prior to the upset loss to Perugia that Ancelotti's squad was the best ever of his successful presidency with the Milan club.

In the 21st round this weekend AC Milan takes on at San Siro fourth-place Lazio in a match crucial for both teams.

Milan, unbeaten at home, enters the match with a record of 13-3-4, while Lazio is coming off one loss and two draws following a sensational first half season.

On Wednesday, AC Milan will play Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League as the European competition resumes with the Milan team leading Group C.

Weekend matches feature Inter Milan at Chievo, Juventus at Parma and AS Roma playing host to Roberto Baggio's Brescia.

Chievo vs. Inter Milan and AS Roma vs. Brescia were scheduled on Saturday with AC Milan vs Lazio on Sunday night.

Other Sunday's matches were Atalanta vs. Udinese, Empoli vs. Perugia, Piacenza vs. Bologna, Reggina vs. Como, Torino vs. Modena.

Inter, running short of strikers because of injuries, will be allowed to start at Chievo veteran Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta who had a two-match suspension lifted by the league disciplinary commission.

Next month crucial, says Lazio midfielder Simeone

ROME (Reuters) -- Lazio midfielder Diego Simeone believes his side's match against AC Milan on Sunday opens a month of high-pressure clashes that will sort out the pretenders from the contenders at the top of Serie A.

"Right now there are four teams in the race for the title," the Argentine was quoted as saying in Corriere dello Sport on Thursday. "One of them is Lazio.

"The next four matches will be decisive for us, Inter, Juventus and Milan, who remain a strong team despite having lost to Perugia [last weekend]."

In the next month Lazio face tough fixtures against Milan, AS Roma and Perugia, while Inter Milan take on champions Juventus in the first week of March.

Lazio led Serie A for a brief period last November, but since Christmas the Rome-based team has fallen off the pace, dropping points against relegation-threatened sides Reggina and Torino and slipping back to fourth, seven points adrift of the top spot.

"Lazio haven't changed their way of playing, but they've suffered a physical decline," said Simeone.

"The other clubs in the running for the title haven't always maintained their momentum either. But our hunger is the same as it always was," he added.

Lazio's next opponents, AC Milan, are also going through a period of indifferent form.

After being crowned "Winter Champions" in January for leading the table at the halfway point of the season, Milan lost games to Udinese and Perugia to surrender the top spot to city rivals Inter.

Lazio and Milan drew 1-1 in their first league meeting this season in Rome in September.

Suspension of Batistuta is lifted

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- The Italian soccer league's disciplinary commission Thursday lifted a two-match suspension for Milan's Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta after his club appealed the punishment which was based on television replays.

The decision, which reversed the suspension levied by a soccer judge a day earlier, means that the Argentine player will be able to start in Saturday's league match against Chievo, at Verona.

Serie A leader Inter enters the 21st round of the season this weekend with a three-point advantage over Juventus and AC Milan, which are tied in second place.

Batistuta had been suspended from Inter's next two league matches for striking an opposing defender with his arm during last Sunday's home match against Reggina, which Inter won 3-0.

The referee, who was close to the action, did not call Batistuta's foul but a league judge, using television replays, disqualified the player.

Batistuta claimed that he had hit the opponent inadvertently while jumping for a header.

The reversal is big relief for Inter's Argentine coach Hector Cuper as the team's top striker Christian Vieri, with an injured knee, is a questionable starter, while Argentine striker Hernan Crespo is sidelined with a pulled muscle.

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.