Former Cagliari coach Massimo Rastelli believes that AC Milan could have a boost in their hopes of keeping up with Inter in the Scudetto race due to their lack of Champions League football.
Speaking to Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Rastelli emphasized that without the distraction of Champions League football, the Rossoneri can quickly gain momentum in Serie A.
Inter managed to progress from their Champions League group with a game to spare, while their city rivals finished bottom of a tough group containing Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, and Porto.
While the Nerazzurri must prepare for the knockout rounds of Europe’s top competition, the Rossoneri are freed up of the obligation to play even Europa League ties.
Rastelli believes that this could be a factor in the two teams’ energy levels across the second half of the campaign, and that without the extra commitments, Milan could catch up to Inter at the top.
“Inter and Milan are the teams with the most momentum,” he he stated, “the Nerazzurri in particular are very strong and difficult to beat.”
“The Rossoneri have now recovered points and their position,” he added, “and I believe that without European football Milan will be able to compete for the Scudetto against Inter and possibly Napoli.”
