Stop Kylian Mbappe and get Rafael Leao involved in the game. Sounds simple, right? That’s what La Gazzetta dello Sport believe will be the key for AC Milan against Paris Saint-Germain.
The paper (via PianetaMilan) recalls that Milan have just lost their second head-to-head match of the season as they were beaten 1-0 by Juventus on Sunday having also lost the derby 5-1 against Inter.
This is why they need to get up again immediately, because the match against PSG this evening is fundamental for qualification. In the event of defeat, Milan would potentially have to win the last three games to get 11 points and secure progress to the knockouts.
Firstly, Milan must stop Mbappe who is PSG’s number one threat. The French winger must be thwarted before he gets into dangerous positions, but whoever faces him will have to be helped by a team-mate so they can double up on him.
That’s it’s still not enough: the midfielders will have to stop passes to the striker. The harder it is to get the ball to Mbappe the more he will have to drop a bit deeper and, crucially, away from the 18-yard box.
Luis Enrique promised an attacking performance and it is possible that he will field a 4-2-4, but even if he doesn’t then PSG will still attack with four men.
At the other end the Rossoneri are relying on Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao. The latter hasn’t scored for over a month (23 September, Milan 1-0 Verona) and he must aim to get into shooting positions more.
The challenge with Mbappé can ignite his pride and make him grow. They are both 24 years old, but Kylian has already scored four goals in two World Cup finals, and he already has nine games this season.
3. Keep Krunic on the bench