WOMEN, SAMPDORIA v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW

Lunchtime in the league for AC Milan, who go away to Sampdoria to close out the first half of the second phase of the Women's Serie A season. One chance, away in Liguria, to keep up the good run of form that kicked off against the very same Blucerchiate two months ago. Let's get into the game with our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM PUMA HOUSE OF FOOTBALL
From 14 February to 13 April, from Sampdoria to Napoli. Corti's girls are back on the pitch where the first of five consecutive wins in the league began, the run that has showed the best of a growing side in terms of determination and consistent output. Goals and good performances for a collective that repeated the recent weeks, even in the hard-fought win over the Partenopee. No news in terms of discipline - Bergamaschi and Piga on yellow cards - whilst Kosovare Asllani is back in the side, already scoring against Sampdoria this season.

Here is the Rossonere squad list: Babb, Copetti, Giuliani; Bergamaschi, Fusetti, Guagni, Mesjasz, Piga, Soffia, Swaby; Cernoia, Dubcová, Mascarello, Rubio Ávila, Vigilucci; Arrigoni, Asllani, Dompig, Ijeh, Laurent, Marinelli.

LATEST FROM SAMPDORIA
Two wins - 5-0 away to Pomigliano and 1-0 over Como Women - and a defeat (0-2 in Cercola against Napoli) in the Relegation Round for the Blucerchiate, who come off the back of a weekend off. The star of the second part of the season so far has been Tori Dellaperuta, scoring five goals in the round, and to be watched carefully by the Rossonere backline. Like AC Milan, Sampdoria usually field a 4-3-3 formation and have been relatively unchanged at the back and in midfield in the last three games. Other than the aforementioned Italian-American, other big parts of the team are the goalkeeper Tampieri and the midfield formed of Schatzer, Benoît - only player on a booking for Coach Gian Loris Rossi, in his first official match after coming in for Salvatore Mango - and Giordano.

PRE-MATCH STATS

• The Rossonere are unbeaten in the six previous meetings in Serie A between the sides, with a record of five wins (including the last game on 14 February) and a draw (on 18 November 2023 in Milan). AC Milan have scored in every one of the six games against Sampdoria who have only lost one of the last five games at home, against Corti's side.
• AC Milan come off the back of five consecutive wins and, in total, six of the ten games played in the league in 2024. The Rossonere have scored at least three goals in the last three league games and could make it a run of four for the first time in the Women's Serie A.
• The game sees two of the top three sides for aerial duels won this season face each other (248 for Sampdoria and 236 for AC Milan). The Blucerchiate are the side with the lowest possession rate in the Women's Serie A at 38%, compared to the Rossonere in fourth at 53.5%.
• Capitan Valentina Bergamaschi is one goal away from equalling Piemonte and Sabatino in the second spot of AC Milan top goalscorers in the Women's Serie A on 17 goals. The Rossonere number 7 is one of three players to have won the most tackles in this campaign (39), in second sits Oliviero for the Doriane.

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, Sampdoria v AC Milan will be broadcast live on DAZN at 12:30 CEST. Don't miss coverage on acmilan.com, the Rossonere's Instagram account and on the AC Milan Official App, where the full game will be available the following day.

LATEST FROM WOMEN'S SERIE A
Sampdoria v AC Milan will be officiated by Edoardo Manedo Mazzoni. His assistants will be Tagliaferri and Sbardella, with Moncalvo as fourth official.

Matchday 5 in the Women's Serie A relegation round, the last game of the first half of the campaign. Both matched will be played on Sunday 21 April with Sampdoria v AC Milan at 12:30 CEST and the Campania Derby between Napoli and Pomigliano at 15:00 CEST. Como Women have a bye round.

The table: AC Milan 30; Como Women* 25; Sampdoria 24; Napoli 10; Pomigliano 6. (* = one game more played)

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