Why Quagliarella vs. Romagnoli Will Be Key Sampdoria vs. AC Milan Battle

Sunday's game between Sampdoria and AC Milan is going to be interesting to say the least.

After antagonizing him for what seemed like the entire season, Silvio Berlusconi has finally fired Sinisa Mihajlovic and replaced him as manager with primavera coach Christian Brocchi with only six games left in the season, plus the Coppa Italia final against Juventus.

Sunday's match was already going to be fraught with tension for Milan.  The Rossoneri haven't won a game in five tries, losing three and drawing two over that span and allowing Sassuolo—a team that has only been in Serie A for three years—to get within one point of them for sixth place.

That position in the table is incredibly important to Milan.  Due to a rule change this year, if the Coppa Italia winner is already qualified for Europe through the league, Serie A's last spot in the UEFA Europa League will not go to the runner-up, as has been the case, but to the team in sixth.

Given the difficulty of beating the four-time defending champions (with a fifth well on the way), defending sixth has to be Milan's top priority.

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Brocchi will have had less than a week to get any semblance of a system across to his new charges.  He told his introductory press conference (h/t Football Italia) that he intends to use either a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2, which will be a change from the pragmatic 4-4-2 that Mihajlovic used for the majority of the season, so it wouldn't be surprising if Milan look a little tentative going forward when they visit the Marassi.

Because of that, the defense will have to be as airtight as possible.  That will put a lot of the spotlight on center back Alessio Romagnoli as he duels with Fabio Quagliarella.

Quagliarella arrived at Samp during the winter transfer window after a falling out with Torino fans earlier this season.  A classy player who has always shown respect to old clubs if he scores against them, his clapping gesture toward Napoli's fans after scoring a penalty was interpreted by some as an apology for the goal.  The striker claimed he was simply trying to diffuse anger being directed at him by his old supporters.

Whatever the reason for his action, it soured his relationship with the Granata faithful, and his fate was sealed when Tornio reacquired Ciro Immobile.

Between Torino and Samp, Quagliarella has had a typical workmanlike season, scoring eight times in 26 appearances.  He's not a flashy dribbler, but between his incredible eye for long shots and his penchant for bicycle kicks, he has produced some spectacular goals over the course of his career.  He's a wily veteran who can never be left alone, and he can make a young defender like Romagnoli, who for all his talent is still developing, look silly if given the opportunity.

Romagnoli, on the other hand, has developed a lot in his first season at Milan.  Unlike his Italy under-21 teammate Daniele Rugani, whose playing time has been sparse at Juventus while he learns behind the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, Romagnoli has been thrown into the fire, playing in all but four games.

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Not unlike some of the legends of Milan defenses past, Romagnoli is not a hard-nosed tackler in the mold of Claudio Gentile, Ciro Ferrara or Chiellini.  He can certainly make an intervention when required, but he's more at home reading passing lanes and preventing the ball from getting to the strikers in the first place.

His statistics bear that out.  According to WhoScored.com, he averages 1.3 tackles per game as opposed to 2.4 interceptions.  He by no means shies away from the physical battles—he wins 2.3 aerial duels a match—but it's not the first arrow he'll reach for.

He'll need to be at his best to stifle Quagliarella.  Romagnoli can shepherd him into a position where he thinks he won't pose a danger, but the veteran's capacity for the spectacular can see him pull a goal out of nowhere, especially with his distance shooting.

If the youngster can keep Quagliarella at bay, Milan will have a chance to sneak a goal or two at the other end and get a critical win.  If Quagliarella manages to get away from him, though, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma could end up being called into action more than he would like—and Brocchi could have a less than stellar debut as Milan's top man.