AC Milan are taking on Sassuolo for the Coppa Italia Round of 16 this evening, hoping to clinch their third consecutive win in all competitions. With it being a cup game, though, several of the ‘deputies’ are getting the chance from start.
After beating Slovan Bratislava and Empoli, Milan have the chance to make it three consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time this season (!). Serie B leaders Sassuolo are the opponents and it should be an interesting game underneath the San Siro floodlights.
As said, Paulo Fonseca has (expectedly) decided to make some changes to the starting XI, giving the likes of Filippo Terracciano, Samuel Chukwueze and Tammy Abraham the chance from start.
You can follow the game live with our commentary below, as published on X. Unfortunately, we don’t have a watchalong for this clash – due to it being mid-week – but Lorenzo and Stefano will be back in action soon.
Live Commentary
Starting XIs
Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Sportiello; Calabria, Tomori, Pavlovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Abraham.
Bench: Torriani, Raveyre, Emerson, Gabbia, Thiaw, Jimenez, Musah, Pulisic, Okafor, Morata, Camarda.
Official Sassuolo XI (4-3-3): Satalino; Paz, Odenthal, Muharemović, Pieragnolo; Iannoni, Obiang, Caligara; Volpato, Mulattieri, Antiste.
Bench: Moldovan, A. Russo; Miranda, Missori, Toljan; Boloca, D’Andrea, Ghion, Kumi, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Laurienté, Moro, Pierini, F. Russo.
So we can sub fofana and reijnders at half time now, ya??? Let them rest, we’re 4-0 up. Bring in some youngsters to get experience
I get Milan being angry at Sassuolo but that is a demolishing. Sassuolo isn’t the team it was in years past though. Let’s put young players on now
Reijnders Fofana Leao must be benched
Okafor Musah Camarda options
Wish we had brought Liberali and more of the kids.
Maybe even Vos.
Those kids deserve to play in a game like this.
Cant you just enjoy the win… when was the last time we won big abd easy.. no drama..
Only Musah is a proper midfielder on the bench and we need to rest both Reijnders and Fofana. I wish Zeroli had been called up.
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Tijjani now has only 1 goal fewer than Puli
Season stats:
Puli 8 goals 5 assists
Reijnders 7 goals 2 assists
Rafa 5 goals 4 assists – although that’s with the strictest assist criteria; Rafa could have been credited two more based on shot + rebound to a companion becoming a goal and ball bouncing from him to a scoring companion from a build-up he did participate in (that game when Abraham tapped it in after a goalie rebound from Rafa’s shot, and today when he dribbled in and from falling down the ball bounced from him to the scorer).
Anyway regarding goal participation (counting two more assists for Rafa with the looser criteria) we’d have Puli with 12, Rafa with 11 and Tijjani with 9. Not bad! These three have been very prolific.
This dude is so hilarious when he is twerking for Leao.
Oh he could have had more assists? Really?
Don’t you think that Reijnders and Pulisic could have had more too, if leao can actually score? Even today Reijnders should have had another assist if Chuk can score. But it’s all about Leao with Luigi.
Oh a blast from the past! You return to bash Rafa, despite Rafa playing very well for the last several games which EVERYONE recognizes.
Fine, use the strict criteria; Rafa still has 9 goal participations. I did say 9, first. But that Tammy goal was pretty much gifted to him by Rafa, and today he also got half of another goal (in addition to the one he did score) so it’s fair to count it as goal participations. But again, fine. 9 is plenty.
Just go away, troll.
Oh, and the difference is, “if Chuk can score” does not count because it was NOT a score. On the other hand, the Tammy goal I mentioned and the other one I mentioned today WERE scores. Big difference.
But again, Rafa doesn’t even need these two goal participations although he DID participate decisively; because 9 barely past the one-third of the season and also considering that he played fewer goals and fewer minutes, is plenty. He’s on pace to again achieve the about 30 goal participations he has had every season for the last three seasons; will do it for the fourth consecutive time, you’ll see.
Which makes YOUR position of always bashing him, the ridiculous one.
I think you should move on, if you want to insult our players go be a Man City or a PSG fan as I told you before. Pirla
Exactly. That guy is just a troll; not a real Milan fan. All he does is to bash our players and insult those who do defend our players from his hatred. How is THAT a Milan fan???
“if Leão can actually score” – what game are you watching??? Leão DID score, at 23 minutes. In your hatred of Leão, you missed that, didn’t you? LOL. What a troll!
The one I said could arguably be a goal participation was Reijnder’s second goal, at 17 minutes, when Leão surged in, was stopped by a block tackle, but the ball did bounce from him on the ground to Reijnders who then scored.
So Rafa had like 1.5 goals today… but again, fine, you can count just the one real goal (which you apparently missed, LOL). Still, 9 (strictly considered) goal participations for the season.
Buddy, leao isn’t gonna be your friend😂you have to recognize how desperate this comment sounds
Goodness must always bear a very fruit.