There are 270 minutes left in the regular Serie C season, and every point counts. With maximum motivation, the Rossoneri are preparing for their 36th fixture of the league campaign, Milan Futuro v Ternana. It's a lunchtime kick-off – scheduled for Sunday 13 April at 12:30 CEST – with crucial stakes for Coach Oddo’s side, who are coming off wins against Campobasso and Sestri Levante. Here is our Match Preview to introduce the clash.
LATEST FROM MILAN FUTURO
It's the Rossoneri's best spell of the season, with two consecutive wins having lifted them up the table and boosted morale. The chances of direct survival are slim - the Diavolo would need to gain at least five points on Sestri Levante and Legnago over the final three matchdays - but they still exist, and picking up all three points at the Chinetti is vital. Coming away with a good result will, in any case, be important as the team aim to carry on climbing the table and finish as high as possible. Compared to last week, no one is out for disciplinary reasons, although Bartesaghi, Minotti and Quirini remain one booking away from suspension.
Francesco Camarda spoke during the week and had the following to say: "We previously hadn't managed to win two consecutive matches. We've had some difficulties from a character perspective. However, now we're more of a group, more of a team, and the results are coming. We're united and help each other out, and that makes everything easier."
LATEST FROM TERNANA
The Umbrians come into this match on the back of two consecutive defeats that first cost former Rossonero Ignazio Abate his job - he's been replaced by Fabio Liverani - and, more significantly, saw them drop away from the top spot, which is now occupied by Virtus Entella. Indeed, the Ligurians only need two points from their final three matches to secure promotion to Serie B, regardless of Ternana's results. The Rossoverdi, on the other hand, are just one step away from clinching second place (thanks to their better head-to-head record against Torres, they only need one point from their final three fixtures), which would see them directly qualify for the playoff quarter-finals. It's thus an important match for the Umbrians, who are heading to the Chinetti without two suspended players (Maestrelli and Millico), two who are one booking away from suspension (Fazzi and Tito) and three injured men, namely Loiacono, Romeo and Brignola. Corradini is also out, but Capuano and Cicerelli (the team's top scorer with 18 goals this season) are back available.
Fabio Liverani, who was once a teammate of Coach Oddo at Lazio, had the following to say ahead of the match: "The goal is not to give anything away to our opponents, trying to put in an important performance, to create a significant path to best face the Playoffs. We are in shape to play a great match, we want to secure second place".
