Milanese aces flying high again

Drought over
At some stage in their careers, all strikers will endure a lean spell; and it is often the case that when the wait is finally over, the goals, like London buses, all come at once. The metaphor certainly applies to two of Serie A's big-name forwards: Adriano of Inter and Milan's Gilardino, neither of whom has looked back since ending their respective droughts.

Nine-month wait
Adriano scored for the first time in nine months in the leaders' victory against Atalanta BC in their last game of 2006, and the Brazilian struck again in his subsequent two appearances against Empoli FC, in the Coppa Italia, and Torino FC. Gilardino, meanwhile, waited until November to open his seasonal account and has now found the net six times in his last five starts.

Unlucky 13?
Adriano faces former club Fiorentina on Sunday as the Nerazzurri continue their seemingly relentless march towards the Scudetto. Inter are looking to increase their nine-point advantage over AS Roma, who visit AS Livorno Calcio, and having surpassed the league record of 12 straight victories last weekend, they are hoping that match No13 will not prove unlucky. Inter remain unbeaten at the campaign's halfway stage, having won 16 of their 19 games to amass 51 points.

Vote of confidence
With Adriano on song again, Roberto Mancini's men appear unstoppable. "He is very important for us," said fellow forward Zlatan Ibrahimović. "He has got back to scoring on a regular basis and I hope he will continue to do so for a long time. I'm very happy for him. He is one of the best strikers in the world and I'm glad I am playing alongside him."

Milan ambition
City rivals Milan may not have title ambitions this term but Sunday's assignment at Lazio is key to their bid to finish in the top four and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Rossoneri are ninth in Serie A on 23 points, three less than Lazio who occupy fourth spot.

Ancelotti faith
The rekindling of Gilardino's scoring touch is good news for coach Carlo Ancelotti, who maintains that he never lost faith in the Italian international. "We never worried when he was not scoring because we knew he is a great striker and that sooner or later the goals would come," said Ancelotti. "The game against Lazio is very important for us. I hope we will continue to improve as we have done in recent weeks."