AC Milan will have to be at their intelligent best in order to secure a positive result at Old Trafford against Manchester United tonight.
The Rossoneri qualified for the last 16 of the competition thanks to a victory over Red Star on away goals after a 3-3 draw on aggregate. A 2-2 result in Belgrade was followed up by a nervy 1-1 at San Siro in the second leg, so Stefano Pioli’s men will have to produce a better showing against the Premier League’s second-placed team.
Pioli has named just a 19-man squad for the first leg of the tie against the Red Devils as an injury crisis has gripped the team again. Theo Hernandez, Ismael Bennacer, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ante Rebic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mario Mandzukic not available for the game.
Speaking on Sky Italia, Pellegatti spoke about the match against United and urged the Rossoneri to play an ‘intelligent game’ in order to give themselves a chance of a positive result.
“Milan have a great need for leaders. The great regret is not being able to field the starting line-up and with the great players. With that Milan, seen in Napoli or Rome, I am not afraid of anyone. If they manage to overcome the obstacle of tonight and that of Naples, in April we could have fun. Tonight we will have to play an intelligent game,” he said (via MilanNews).
Pellegatti went on to discuss some of the threat that the home side will pose to Milan, including the speed of their right-back Aaron Wan Bissaka and the creativity of Bruno Fernandes.
“A player that I really like from United is Wan Bissaka. Tomori has been included precisely to try to stop the speed of this player and that of Fernandes. Kjaer has been spared with Verona and will have to be very careful about raids by attackers ”
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