Salernitana’s Serie A survival hopes are hanging by a thread after their third consecutive defeat on Monday, this time at the hands of Atalanta. The club is now five points from safety with 16 games remaining, and it has only happened twice in the past that a team with so few points at this stage of the season has avoided relegation.
Coach Filippo Inzaghi has major concerns on both sides of the pitch. His attack has been underperforming, scoring just 12 goals in 16 games, while his defense has conceded in 19 consecutive Serie A matches. This is a major problem ahead of Saturday’s home game against AC Milan, a club for which Inzaghi played 300 times and won numerous trophies.
Unfortunately for the former player, his current team has only beaten Milan once in eight meetings. The Rossoneri are currently third in the table, and they will be looking to bounce back from their last away defeat, a 3-2 loss to Atalanta in the 95th minute.
The key to victory for Salernitana will be to improve their first-half performance. The club has been trailing at halftime in 10 of their 16 league games this season, a league record.
One player who could be key for Salernitana is Boulaye Dia. The Senegalese forward has scored nine of his 12 goals in Serie A after halftime, including a goal against Milan in the reverse fixture.
Another player to watch is Olivier Giroud. The French striker has scored nine goals in his last 13 Serie A appearances, and he has opened the scoring in seven of those games.
It will be a tough challenge for Salernitana, but they need to find a way to win if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
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