Serie A’s governing body has not yet announced the kickoff times for Matchday 28, scheduled for the weekend of March 7-8, because it must first wait for the results of the Italian teams that will be involved in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League playoffs during the last two weeks of February.
That round of league fixtures will also feature the Milan derby between AC Milan and Inter, the two teams currently seen as the most serious contenders for the title, as they sit in second and first place respectively. Max Allegri continues to stress that the Rossoneri’s primary goal is to return to the Champions League, but deep down he is probably aiming for more than just a fourth-place finish.
The derby will say a lot, but the preceding weeks could also prove very important in the battle between the Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri, who are currently separated by five points. Looking at the two teams’ schedules, the first thing that stands out is that Inter will have two extra matches to play: the two-legged Champions League playoff against Bodø/Glimt, featuring former Milan player Hauge. As for their league opponents, both Milan and Inter will face one team from the top half of the table (Como for Allegri’s side, Juventus for Chivu’s) and three teams from the bottom half (Pisa, Parma, and Cremonese for the Rossoneri; Sassuolo, Lecce, and Genoa for the Nerazzurri). Attention should also be paid to what happens after the derby: while Milan will have a full week to prepare for their next match away at Lazio, Inter (if they get through the playoffs) could have the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon (on March 10 or 11).
How many points can Milan make up this month?
It’s hard to say, but it’s clear that the Rossoneri will need to string together a series of victories to put pressure on Inter and chip away at their lead, so they can get as close as possible to the Nerazzurri before the March 7 or 8 derby, which will say a great deal about the race for the title, as relayed via Milan News.
