Roma vs. Milan - match preview (EN)

Roma: (probable) Antonioli, Zebina, Samuel, Panucci, Cafu, Assuncao, Emerson, Lima, Candela, Totti, Delvecchio

AC Milan: (probable) Abbiati, Helveg, Chamot, Laursen, Maldini, Gattuso, Alberini, Rui Costa, Umit, Simone, Shevchenko



Fabio Capello faces his old side AC Milan on Sunday as Roma look to stretch a run of ten games unbeaten in Serie A.

But he has never won a game against a side coached by his counterpart Carlo Ancelotti who enjoyed a glittering spell at the Stadio Olimpico between 1979 and 1987.

"Olimpico is a special stadium for me," Ancelotti admitted. "And the fans still love me."

The links between the clubs run deep. As a coach, Capello is synonymous with Milan's success in the nineties as the Rossoneri picked up four Serie A titles and the European Cup, while as a player Ancelotti is fondly remembered for his time at the Stadio Olimpico.

Having begun his career with Parma, Ancelotti moved to Roma in 1979, and won a Coppa Italia title in his first full season with the club. But it was in the 1982-83 season that he really showed his worth.

As Falcao and Graziani twinkled and dashed in the attacking third, Ancelotti did the leg-work, and there are few who would doubt that he was instrumental in I Lupi's Scudetto, their first since the hotly-disputed title of 1942.

It was Capello who masterminded Roma's next Scudetto, last season, and his side are well placed to repeat the feat, going in*****nday's showdown tucked in behind early pace setters Internazionale and Chievo.

Ancelotti was full of praise for Capello, whose side pipped Ancelotti's Juventus to the title last season.

"I met him many and many times on the pitch and I think he has done very well to win here because Roma is not a simple place to win in football. They deserved to win the Scudetto last year, but then so did my Juve. Both teams had a wonderful season."

"He has won everything and I have never won anything in my coaching career. I think it's time to start."

Capello, of course, has other ideas, but admits to holding a deep affection for his old club.

"I remember with tenderness all the people at the club," he said. "I even coached Carlo Ancelotti, who was really a great player. I spent 20 years of my life with Milan, but now I'm Roma coach and I have to think only of the yellow and red."

As well as Capello, Roma keeper Francesco Antonioli, Diego Fuser and Christian Panucci have all played for Milan.

Panucci, for one, is looking forward to facing his old club again after spells abroad at Real Madrid, Chelsea and Monaco.

"I have a lot of good memories from my four years in Milan, where I won a lot of trophies," he said. "I've no regrets, just gratitude for the club. Today Milan is a different team. They have a different coach and different players, but our coach Fabio Capello knows exactly how to overcome them.

"Marco Simone and Alessandro Costacurta are more than former team-mates they are the only friends that I have in the football world. [Milan president] Silvio Berlusconi is great and he and [Milan vice-president] Adriano Galliani are the keys to Milan's success. They are people that love that team.

"Now Roma are playing like that great Milan side. Capello has brought Roma his experience of working in the Milan organisation and the ability to stay calm at key moments. He's always the same and always focused on winning.

"We're playing very aggressively, stealing a lot of balls in the midfield, just as Capello's Milan did in the past. I don't want to make any comparisons between Milan, Real Madrid and Roma. I just dream of things continuing as they are playing in the team and hopefully winning something important."

Ancelotti has added steal to the Milan back line since his return to the San Siro.

Wins over Perugia, Parma and Chievo have kept the Rossoneri within touching distance of the leaders and three wins in six away games this season will ensure that his side travel to Roma with confidence.

Capello's side, however, have made the Stadio Olimpico a fortress. It is now 19 months since Roma last lost at home in Serie A 2-0 against Reggina on 16 March 2000.

Milan by contrast, have struggled at the San Siro and a terrible penalty decision cost his side victory over Juventus last week, so Ancelotti will be looking to put that right against Roma.

He has every reason to be optimistic. Up against Capello, Ancelotti invariably gets the tactics right. In the six games the pair have gone head-to-head, Capello has never won, with Ancelotti registering three wins and three draws.

The one player Ancelotti will fear above all, however, is Francesco Totti. "He is the Roma's best weapon because he thinks more quickly than the other players," Ancelotti said.

"Capello's Roma are strong team, quick on the break and difficult to get the better of in midfield. But this will be our objective aim on Sunday night.

"My team is in good shape and this will make it more difficult for me as I have so many alternatives."

Milan have been boosted by the return from injury of midfielder Massimo Ambrosini who scored in a training match on Friday, his first game back since suffering an horrific knee injury that has kept him out for the past ten months and at one stage threatened to end his career.

"I was moved training with my team-mates for the first time after so long," he said. "I'm ok now and I can tell you that I didn't expect to be out for ten months when I injured myself in January. I played two weeks with youth team just trying to find the right rhythm."

Ambrosini's life was turned upside down by the injury as his girlfriend walked out on him soon after. But the Italy international returns to the game with renewed determination and a wider perspective on life.

"After this accident I'm a different person, but I won't go into why. When you're not able to walk, everything is put into perspective."

Ambrosini is expected to start on the bench while Alessandro Costacurta misses out through suspension.

"I still have to choose Costacurta's replacement in the centre of defence," Ancelotti confessed. "It could be Martin Laursen or Roque Junior, but I think I will opt for the former.

"I have to choice between Umit Davara and Christian Brocchi for the left side of midfield and I also have to decide between Marco Simone, Jose Mari and Javi Morenom *****pport Andriy Shevchenko up front."



il Milan è il più
To know you is to love you, you're everywhere i go and everybody know
To love you is to be part of you, i've paid for you with tears and swallowed all my pride

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