AC Milan will have to shift focus from the Champions League for a short while as they will take on Bologna in the league this Saturday. Given the upcoming second leg against Napoli, rotation is expected.
Pioli made five changes to the starting XI for the game against Empoli and it sort of backfired as Milan only got a 0-0 draw. On the other hand, one could argue the Rossoneri created enough chances to win the game.
According to MilanNews, it’s clear that the priority for Milan is to reach the Champions League semi-final, especially since their schedule in the league is much better than most of their rivals’ schedules. As such, rotation is expected again.
In defence, the likes of Alessandro Florenzi, Malick Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu are all keen on playing from start. Further up the pitch, Sandro Tonali is expected to get some rest after a great display, working extremely hard from start to finish.
Finally, there could be three changes in attack, with one of Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud keeping a spot in the XI. Charles De Ketelaere, Junior Messias, Divock Origi, Ante Rebic and Alexis Saelemaekers will be fighting for the three spots.
Probable Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Florenzi, Kalulu, Thiaw, Hernandez; Bennacer, Krunic; Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere, Leao; Origi.
Doesn’t this idiot realise that you rotate after you take control of a match?
Or rotate in groups during a match. For example, Theo needs a rest too, but we have 0 options off the bench. Still, maybe start Leao and have Theo on the bench, then at half-time sub Leao off and Theo on. That way our left side always has one of its two best players. I would also start my strongest lineup and play them for a half to 60 min, and then bring on my subs as opposed to the other way around, because if we’re chasing the game at minute 60 we may not ever get back into it.
Injury can happen within 5 minutes, it’s better for him to rest our best players to avoid any injury. As for now, the champions League is more important than the league.
Do not put Bennacer in the double pivot role. It has never worked and it will never work. Play him as a deep playmaker and have two CM in front of him or just push him higher up to play as a CAM.
Do not play CDK as a CAM or a winger. It has never worked and it will never work. Play him as a CF or a false 9 at most.
Please learn from past mistakes.
I have a bad feeling about this match. Bologna has been playing very well recently. I feel like the club has made the decision to go all in for the CL and I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do given how shallow we are as a squad. I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t think we have enough to win the CL, and in the mean time we’re going to keep dropping points in the league and not qualify for the CL next season. I would rather have CL football next season than a semi final or final appearance this season and no CL next season. I also think about the players that won’t renew/join if we’re not in the CL. It’s a very risky strategy we’re adopting.
Exactly! That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. And I’d add to what you said, this: it would be better to start our best eleven, knock out Bologna and THEN sub them out for some rest, rather than the other way around like we did with Empoli, with disastrous results. Like you, I think that not making the UCL next season is more damaging to the mid- and long-term project than reaching the semis now or even the final, then losing. If we could plain win the UCL, then yes, but as well as we’ve been playing in the current UCL season, we’re still a big distance from the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern, and there is just no way we’ll beat one of them in the final even if we get there. Meanwhile like you said if we don’t make the top 4 for next season it will compromise the budget and the signing and retaining of good players.
And I’d also add this: sure, a rotation is needed, we can’t risk muscle injuries, but Origi should NEVER play again for Milan! He is completely, utterly useless and it is just like playing with 10 men! I think we tied with Empoli because Pioli made the mistake of keeping Origi until the 70th minute. If he makes the same mistake again, it is the ultimate certificate that Pioli is unable to learn from his own mistakes!
I agree that the changes against Empoli should have happened 10 minutes earlier. Or you stagger the resting players. So for example Rebic and Origi started the match, only for Leao and Giroud to come in at the 70th or whenever they came in. Why not start Leao and Origi, and then sub Leao at the half for Rebic and then bring in Giroud for Origi at the 60th or 65th? That way we always have more of our starters on the field yet still getting a rest, instead of playing 5-6 bench players together and then changing them wholesale at the same time. Mix and match.
Certainly It is possible to criticize Piolli, but for someone who considers himself a Milan fan to classify him as an ‘idiot’… well, the guy needs to be himself a tremendous and irredeemable… I-D-I-O-T.
Correct. He has no home training
I think I would start our best 11 ,yes make changes after perhaps half time …I believe we will be winning at that stage ,rather than chasing a game ..
It’s a difficult decision to make granted ,and changes must be made at some point ..
We are doing well and I would love us not only to reach the semi of the champions league , even perhaps the final . SO ITS NOT EASY FOR PIOLI at all .
I still believe that we can still reach the top four in the league…..these next two games first Bologna then Napoli …such important games ..
Pioli’s best bet is to make wholesale changes to the team that played against Napoli. He has to trust his bench players more and give them the opportunity to gain match fitness, both physically and mentally. It’s important that we get all our players ready to contribute if we’re going to go deep in the CL and still fight for top 4.
Our bench is strong enough to match up against Bologna’s starting lineup but I think it’s more about our approach and the personnel on the pitch. Like in the game against Empoli, I thought Pioli missed a few tricks because he would’ve already understood that our opponents were going to sit deep and give us the ball, which is almost always a bad thing for Milan. This is mainly because we’re a counter attacking team and not a possession based one. There’s also the fact that our usual staters have very little creative nous, so I think that the refusal to start the two players in the team, who, arguably have the most vision and creativity; in CDK and Adli respectively, was a mistake.
What Pioli has to do is devise a tactical plan to make sure these two players are in their preferred positions and that they get extra protection by adding players that will ultimately compliment their styles. So for instance, if we’re sticking with a 4-2-3-1 our lineup should look something like this against Bologna; Maignan, Kalulu & Florenzi as our backs with Tomori and Thiaw in the middle of defence. Adli and Krunic as the double pivot with Pobega in the advanced midfield role. Rebic and Saelemaekers left and right, with CDK up top. There isn’t a single person who could present an argument to me that would make me think that these eleven players aren’t capable of beating Bologna.
Pioli has to replace himself