Alessandria host Milan on Tuesday evening in the first-leg of a Coppa Italia semi final that is to be held at Torino’s Stadio Olimpico.
The Grigi are in the last four for the first time since 1936 and not since Bari in 1984 have a third-tier side gone this far in the competition. Meanwhile, the Rossoneri are no strangers to this stage and will be playing their 27th semi final, five of which have seen them end up winning the trophy, most recently in 2003.
The Lega Pro side enter the tie in good form, standing second in the division and have lost just once in ten league games, as well as knocking Palermo, Genoa and Spezia out of the Coppa Italia.
The Rossoneri have been similarly difficult to beat, with just two defeats in 14 Serie A games, though six of those have been draws, including the most recent, 2-2 with Empoli, on Saturday.
The two clubs have an element of shared history, and met each other regularly during the early days of Serie A, a run that ended in 1960 with the Grigi’s relegation. The previous meetings between the two were even, with both sides winning nine to along with eight draws, though this will be the first Coppa Italia tie between the two.
The last match of that period saw a 3-1 victory for the Milan, in which Gianni Rivera scored Alessandria’s only goal. He was, of course, to switch sides the following summer and write his name into Milan’s history books.
Angelo Gregucci will have a full squad to pick from, and is likely to select the same side as defeated Spezia. Riccardo Bocalon, a regular starter in Lega Pro, scored two goals in the quarter-final to demonstrate his importance to the side and may well retain his place at the expense of Michele Marconi.
Diavolo coach Sinisa Mihajlovic has a lengthy injury list with Diego Lopez, Philippe Mexes and Jeremy Menez notable absentees, though the Serb has had to cope without all for some time and is likely to field a full strength side for the first leg.
Form Guide
Alessandria (D-D-L-W-W), Milan (L-D-W-W-D)
Expecting Starting XIs
Alessandria: Vannucchi; Sosa, Celjak, Sperotto, Sirri; Loviso, Nicco, Branca; Bocalon, Fischnaller, Marras.
Milan: Donnarumma; Alex, Abate, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Montolivo, Bonaventura, Bertolacci, Honda; Bacca, Niang.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com