AC Milan face Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park tonight, hoping to get their first win of the 2023-24 Champions League group stages.
According to what is being reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) this morning, head coach Stefano Pioli will field Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez as the back four in front of Mike Maignan.
The midfield doubts have been resolved with Yunus Musah on the right of the three and Tommaso Pobega as the other box-to-box player, leaving Tijjani Reijnders in front of the back four as the ‘director’.
What is now the first choice front three of Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao should be chosen again, with the former returning to the club that he spent four years at from 2015 to 2019.
Probable Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Musah, Reijnders, Pobega; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
Probable Dortmund XI (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ozcan, Nmecha; Malen, Reus, Brandt; Füllkrug.
Giroud and Pogega are to be replaced by Okafur and Adli
This is a very weak looking midfield. Mostly down to the fact we don’t have a proper DM.
We are going to have to start giving some playing time to the likes of Eletu from the Primavera, so when we are in emergency mode like now, we have some options.
Plenty of big clubs like Liverpool have their young guys ready to come in and do a job if necessary
The midfield is definitely our weakness. The goal was to strengthen last year’s midfield not just replace them. Losing Diaz and CDK was expected but we didn’t sign a replacement. We needed a new “Kessie” in addition to the Tonali and Bennacer. We didn’t sign one and lost Bennacer to injury and Tonali to Newcastle. So, instead of strengthening, we just signed replacements and changed formation to cover the holes
Stop crying 😭 on Kessie he was gone a long ago, we have new good players that will outperform Kessie or Tonalli, or don’t you remember the first season of Tonalli or the three first one of Kessie, pitty on them.
IMO all the new player are doing so good to be their first season in Italy and Milan
Lol outperform Kessie?? 😂😂😂No buddy. There’s no one who we have bought or was already in the team that did what Kessie used to do. He has not been replaced yet. Bro made a good point. We simply have a new midfield and formation so it’s always hard to judge against the old team but we’re still leaky in the midfield.
Stop with the nonsense. Our midfield has been much improved over last season. RLC, Rijnders and Musah have all played well. Tonali was overrated as Newcastle have found out, he has pretty much lost his starting spot there already. Yes, Pobega starting is not great but that’s only because of injuries.
Bro @S Milan don’t worry. You’re spot on. That’s a great point. We basically have a new midfield. And haven’t replaced Kessie or what he brings. It’s glaring. Musah and RLC both have some qualities but it’s not the same. We still have holes just like we had holes last year. Granted this midfield offers different things like more offense, it’s still leaky.
I think it is more important game against Genoa than Dortmund.
This year we got more difficult group because last year 4th position, that’s why this season we must grab the top possible position in serie a.
Champions League this year should be learning and adaptation process for this new young team.
We are Milan!!!! Champions is our DNA, the league will be in our pockets this season, our only rival is Inter.
I’m keen on having same level as last year in champions
Acmilan should line up the 4-2-3-1 Acmilan must not give Reus a chance at all
I’ll wait for the official lineups to comment. It deoton who he actually starts. Very interesting to see