Juventus travel to San Siro this weekend to face AC Milan, and Paulo Fonseca is beginning to trial his team to test which solution is required.
As a standalone game, Milan-Juventus is a big enough occasion. However, there is the context that makes this fixture pivotal to the club’s season. At present, there are six points between the two sides, a gap which needs shortening, but this is a task in itself.
So far this season, the Old Lady are yet to lose, being the only team in the top flight yet to do so, and anything but a win for the Rossoneri is effectively a loss in the current situation. With an understanding of the importance of the game, Fonseca is heading back to the drawing board.
As Sky (via Milan News) reports, the Portuguese is beginning ‘rehearsals’ for the game, and there is a solution waiting to be found: who will start behind Alvaro Morata?
The three options are simple: Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah; Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze or Rafael Leao, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic.
Each option offers its own benefits, the first combo is more defensive, and ‘binds’ the two phases, and the second is much more aggressive, whereas the third is a mix of both, and can be helpful in both areas.
Trials are ongoing, and Fonseca must find the right combination to offset Thiago Motta’s side.
Choose 433
Calabria, Gabbia, Pav, Theo
Tj, Fof, Mush
Puli, Mor, Leo
compleaty agree with azurri but i would prefer thiaw over pav
100% agree with azurri but i would prefer thiaw over pav
I thought they were going to try a 433 per the latest report I read, no more? 433 against the bigger sides makes more sense, especially if Juve plays for a draw, we’ll most certainly give up 1-2 goals on the counter if we stay 4231 no matter what combo of 3 we have. the 3 up front isn’t the problem, and it’s a waste of time to debate that b/c we still lose with any of those combos if our midfield and defense don’t show up. 433 with Puli and Leao being the obvious two wingers and you can debate Musah or RLC being the 3rd midfielder. Unless Fonseca has some specific tactical idea on morphing the 4231 against Juve, I have to believe 433 gives us the best chance to get all 3 points, which we desperately need.
No way the same 4-3-3 we played against Juventus last season under Stefano Pioli and we lost 1-0 it won’t work let’s humbly go to our 4-2-3-1. We use 4-2-3-1 to trash Juventus last two seasons 3-1 and 1-0 so Acmilan have greater chances of winning with our 4-2-3-1 no doubt.
No Loftus cheek and Acmilan should play the 4-2-3-1 then play Reijnder as attacking midfield with chukwueze and leao from wing then play Morata as number 9
So, you suggest Milan leave Pulisic on the bench? I am just curious why you would bench the leading offensive producer.
no not chuk pulisic should play
What happened to the plan to try 433 in this game with RLC, Fofana, Rjeinders across midfield?
4-3-3 is a good choice of protecting the defence and besides it plays more to the strength of the current crop of midfielders we have: we have more natural mezzalas than actual attacking midfirlders or defensive midfielders. loftus cheek can play as a mezzala easily same as musah or TJ with fofana bossing the middle. with 4-2-3-1, its easy to stifle these players and make themunable to play their game, loftus-cheek comes to mind easily. as for the attack, something explosive is needed leao-morata-pulisic (he is mopre dangerous from the wings) and then chukwueze comes in second half to create more dynamism in the attack. please pavlovic should sit this one out the CB rotation should be between tomori-thiaw and gabbia.