Tuttosport: Pioli's Milan could replicate Zaccheroni's in 1998-99

AC Milan still face a long road if they are to capture the Scudetto, but there are similarities between the current side and one from the 1990s.

This morning’s edition of Tuttosport (via MilanNews) remarks how many see similarities with what happened in the 1998-99 season, when the Rossoneri – coached by Alberto Zaccheroni – won their 16th Scudetto after an unpredictable ride.

That team won seven out of seven to end the season and were able to capitalise on the calendar to build up a head of steam at the vital moment. The paper remarks how the current situation has some similarities with the ones ‘Zac’ faced, because neither squad have other commitments besides the league and the cup semi-final, while Inter remain the favourites as they were 23 years ago.

The Rossoneri will play only one match a week and will therefore be able to focus solely and exclusively on Serie A, while on a tactical level there are similarities too. Zaccheroni had an old school centre-forward in Oliver Bierhoff, today Pioli has Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

To give Milan unpredictability in 1998-99 was George Weah, while in the current team there is Rafael Leao who with his speed and his dribbling is a thorn in the side of any defence. Then there is the midfield, where Zaccheroni’s formation was built around Albertini and Ambrosini, while today it is the intensity of Bennacer and the great mobility of Tonali that helps win games.