AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli will use today’s training session to make a final decision on the team that will face Roma tomorrow night, but he already has some ideas.
The absences are as follows: Fikayo Tomori is suspended, Pierre Kalulu is injured and Jan-Carlo Simic does not qualify for the UEFA squad list. Clinton Nsiala and Davide Bartesaghi will not be called up, and Alex Jimenez is out until the end of the season.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) this morning, Mike Maignan should be in goal with Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia and Theo Hernandez as the back four in front of him.
Ismael Bennacer and Tijjani Reijnders should be partnered in the control room of the midfield once again, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek returning to the attacking midfielder role having served a suspension on Saturday.
He should be flanked by Christian Pulisic to the right and Rafael Leao to the left with Olivier Giroud the centre-forward. The likes of Noah Okafor, Luka Jovic, Samuel Chukwueze, Yacine Adli and others can lend a hand off the bench.
What about Roma? The paper predicts a 4-3-3 for De Rossi’s men with Svilar in goal; Celik, Mancini, Smalling and Spinazzola the back four; Cristante, Paredes and Pellegrini in the midfield and a front three of Dybala-Lukaku-El Shaarawy.
Probable Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Theo; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud.
Probable Roma XI (4-3-3): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy.
The Europa League is for Pioli he will beat all to win it, Milan vrs Liverpool at the final.
That’s optimistic af dude. I’m expecting a very difficult fight in every phase and the finale is very far away. I don’t see us getting there tho. Lacking something, can’t put my finger on it tho.
Underestimating clubs just because it’s LE is what makes clubs drop out
I think we are doing well offense-wise and should score some goals on Roma; if we survive them, we might do the same to Leverkusen or West Ham. However, what I can put my finger on, is the shaky defense we have. This has the potential to doom us either against Roma or against Leverkusen/West Ham if we survive Roma. In any case, if we do survive the next two rounds, we will very likely be facing Liverpool (I don’t see anybody who can beat Liverpool on the other side of the bracket) and then, there is no way we’ll beat Liverpool. They are way better than we are and should be able to defeat us easily. I do not think we will win the Europa League, not only because with our shaky defense it will be hard to survive the next two rounds, but most definitely because Liverpool seems out of reach for us. Certainly I do hope I’m wrong, and miracles and zebras do happen in soccer, but realistically speaking, the odds that we will beat Liverpool (if we get to the final) are very slim. Impossible it is not, but it is highly unlikely.
Negativity is the problem.
I like your attitude. Believe to achieve
Milan’s Chelsea diaspora is much better than Roma’s.
Negativity is the problem.
that backline don’t convince.
I don’t see how Kjaer starts over a healthy Thiaw. Kjaer accelerates like a semi. Gabbia isn’t particulary fast either. Thiaw would be a better partner for Gabbia.
Kjaer’s BFP9 is much lower (brain farts per 90)