Milan to bounce back

when they focus on maintaining a five-point lead atop Italy’s Serie A soccer league against lowly Bari at the San Siro.
Milan gave a much improved performance from their first leg efforts as they dominated possession, albeit far from Tottenham’s goal, at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.
Even so, they failed to breach Spurs’ stubborn rearguard as they paid for their 1-0 first leg defeat three weeks earlier.
It means Milan have only the league and Cup to concentrate on now as they have failed to reach the Champions League last eight for the fourth year in a row since triumphing in 2007 – in 2009 they did not even qualify for the competition.
Milan will be expecting to see their five-point lead shaved as Inter are due to travel to second-from-bottom Brescia on Friday night.
And the players recognise they must quickly overcome their European disappointment.
“We went there (to Spurs) to qualify but it didn’t happen. We’re all a bit sad, we gave a lot but we couldn’t find a goal,” said French midfielder Mathieu Flamini.
“Now we have to look forward and go and win the title. The Champions League was one of our objectives but it went badly.
“We have another big aim and that’s to win the title, our number one priority.”
Milan are in great shape in that respect having beaten rivals Napoli two weeks ago, all but knocking them out of contention for the league title before earning a hard-fought 1-0 success at fellow giants Juventus last week.
That loss hit Juve’s Champions League hopes hard, leaving them in seventh but 10 points off fourth-placed Lazio with just 10 games to play.
Juve have lost their last three games and seven of the last 11, virtually ruling them out of contention for Champions League football next season.
They face a trip to Cesena tonight with their hosts looking to keep their heads above water as they sit only goal difference above the drop zone.
In Juve’s absence, the fight for a top four spot will be played out at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico as Roma host Lazio in the capital derby.
Having recovered a little of late, in the league at least, following four straight defeats Roma managed three games on the trot without loss before their Champions League capitulation at Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Fixtures (4pm unless stated)
Today: Cesena v Juventus (9:45pm).
Tomorrow: AC Milan v Bari (1:30pm), Cagliari v Udinese, Catania v Sampdoria, Chievo v Fiorentina, Genoa v Palermo, Lecce v Bologna, Roma v Lazio, Parma v Napoli (9:45pm).
Italian Serie A table
PWDLFAPts
AC Milan281873502061
Inter Milan281756543156
Napoli 281657412553
Lazio281567352351
Udinese281558503050
Roma281378433946
Juventus281189413541
Palermo2812412444540
Cagliari28 11611353039
Fiorentina289109322937
Bologna281099313636
Genoa289811273235
Chievo2871110283032
Sampdoria2871011253231
Parma2861111273829
Catania287813243829
Cesena287714233828
Lecce287714315028
Brescia286715223525
Bari283718154216. – AFP.