AC Milan could field a much-changed starting XI for the first game of next season compared to the team that became Stefano Pioli’s first choice in the last campaign.
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Today’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport asks the question of which team is stronger between the one that Pioli relied upon for big games last season versus what could be fielded last season.
Starting with the 2022-23 edition, there was a back four of Davide Calabria, Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez in front of Mike Maignan.
For big games such as the ones against Napoli and Inter, Rade Krunic and Sandro Tonali were the double pivot and Ismael Bennacer (before his injury) more advanced.
Brahim Diaz was shifted to the right with Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud then completing the attacking department.
How could Milan look next season? Well, the paper believes the back five players will be the same barring Kalulu, with Malick Thiaw now expected to be a starting centre-back.
Then, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders should form two-thirds of a three-man midfield, with the heavily-linked Yunus Musah being the other player after Tonali’s sale.
Another new signing in Christian Pulisic is down as the right winger, with Giroud and Leao again completing the forward line.
