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Official: AC Milan vs. Liverpool starting XIs – three changes from Venezia

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has named the starting line-up that will take to the field against Liverpool in tonight’s Champions League opener.

The injury problems for Milan were known coming into the game with Malick Thiaw out due to a sprained ankle, Ismael Bennacer out following surgery on a torn calf, Alessandro Florenzi absent with a knee issue and Marco Sportiello sidelined with a hand problem.

Mike Maignan has kept his place in goal but there are two changes to the defence from the Venezia game, with Davide Calabria and Fikayo Tomori coming back in alongside Strahinja Pavlovic and Theo Hernandez.

The midfield three will again be Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tijjani Reijnders, but what remains to be seen is who players further forward out of the latter two, with the Dutchman expected to at present.

The wingers were always almost certain to be Christian Pulisic on the right and Rafael Leao on the left. Alvaro Morata will lead the line after fully recovering from injury with Abraham dropping to the bench.

Official Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Fofana; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata.

Bench: Nava, Torriani, Okafor, Zeroli, Chukwueze, Emerson Royal, Bartesaghi, Terracciano, Gabbia, Musah, Abraham.

Official Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, MacAllister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diogo Jota.

Bench: Jaros, Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertsonn, Quansah, Morton, Bradley.

Tags AC Milan Milan Liverpool

57 Comments

    1. Calabria is actually starting. I think Fonseca is being conservative. Calabria (who we criticize a lot) is much more disciplined defensively. If you ask him to just defend, like last year against Napoli, he does well. Hope for the best.

      1. I never had any glaring issues with Calabria and the same goes for Abate who also got a lot of unreasonable gruff from the supporters so personally I have no issues with him starting let alone renewing his contract.
        If he is fit enough I’d start him ahead of Royal so I’m fine with that choice.

    3. never check official lineups here. they are just not able to copy from the original source. its already the 3rd time this season. check Milan homepage, or Uefa homepage in this case instead.

      1. Well to be fair everyone who releases an article should proofread their work 😀 I generally even do it with my own posts even if less significant.

  3. Doesn’t matter who plays RB. Will need Puli to help double team Dias.

    Counting on Morata’s experience and leadership in this game.

    Fonseca better play defensively and counter. None of that disjointed high press.

    1. Diaz is not playing, but Gakpo will also be a tough opponent.

      I’m honestly surprised Abraham is not starting given he has been integrated more.

  4. Milan 2-1 Liverpool.
    We’ll see though what team that turns up today but I’m at least much more hopeful than before the weekend but lets see how we perform against some big boys.

      1. I don’t let myself get fooled and I definitely agree we still have a lot of work ahead of us but I will nevertheless rather take a hopeful and positive position ahead of the match compared to the opposite. When that is said we can also run into a heavy defeat but if Nottingham Forrest can beat them then we should at least have a fair chance as well regardless of them being the favorites.

  7. Lol, their bench is a starting 11 that would challenge for the scudetto if it played in Serie A. Meanwhile, our backup LB is 18, our back RB is 21, our two backup CMs are 19 and 21, and our two backup GKs are 19 and 20.

  10. I pray for a good performance, whatever about the result.
    This is Milan, we should always play with passion, pride and the belief of winning!

  14. Well 22 mins in and instead of building momentum on an early goal we had 2 players Theo/Mike fane injury and the game is stopped for 4 mins.
    Now Liverpool are dominating and as I write have scored.

    What a waste

    p. s Gabbia would have done better than Tomori on that goal, poor

  17. Milan literally don’t know what to do against this team that’s pressing them. At least Pioli showed some passion on the touch line. This model is just standing there with his hand on his chin. Leao is overrated to be honest. Everytime he meets a speedy rb, he just shrink. Lol I don’t know anymore. 🇺🇸

  18. Take Leao off, he has either fallen over, miscontrolled, given ball away.
    Theo not much better

    And another easy header for Liverpool.

    Disgraceful performance on every level

  19. Dreadful display by Milan so far – got lucky to score early and since then it’s been all Liverpool. Horrifying defensive display by Milan.

  22. Thought they might show something after the speedy goal but they just shrunk back and nothing..
    Liverpool is controlling the game with 4 players. Supremacy mate

    1. And when we have the ball nobody is moving, nobody is trying to find space to receive the ball and they just look at the cb, he looks at them and then turns back and passes to Mike…
      Wtf, man?

      3. Honestly it is a cowardly display.
        Liverpool were playing a high line and we had a good quick goal, with them really open and there for the taking, instead the players shrank (in their own stadium).

        This team has no leaders and no guts

        Also if Mike is in pain every time he has to make a save just get another keeper, it’s just a farce

        1. They really do look like they’re afraid to get the ball because they’re afraid they’ll screw up.
          When they get the ball they can’t pass backwards fast enough..
          Used to play pass to leao, now is pass to Mike 🤣

    2. Got 4 tall Bois. 2 of them jump the other two are are not covering the tall Liverpool players, oh no. They’re covering space and they suck at it.
      Reijnders covering Virgil? Who had that brainfarted idea?

  23. What is this defending on set pieces?? Why is reijnders covering van dijk when Morata or pavlovic should be on him. Even on the konate goal nobody is marking him. Our build up is 20 minutes of holding the ball between the cb’s because nobody is open. Unbelievable

    1. I hate to see so many Milan players trying to win free kicks and penalties by diving and instead of getting back to defend they sit on the ground protesting, are they professional or children?

    2. Pavlovic was brought in for his aerial ability and yet 2 goals scored by opposition from set pieces by their centre halves. Embarrassing for any centre back

    3. Hes also 100% responsible for the 3rd goal.
      Who knew the Austrian league was not cL level.
      Gabbia is still our best defender and we better hope Thiaw finds form soon

  28. Don’t worry, all the headlines and content generation tonight will be about the American player/s who played mesmerisingly well and put on a valiant effort, outshining all other players and trying on his own to drag his team against illustrious opponents.
    Not picking on Pulisic, btw. It is just, we don’t have a team (and more importantly – no midfield), that’s all.
    Putting 3 bang average B2Bs in the midfield every match (oh and the ones on bench are B2Bs as well).

  29. Anyone really surprised by the scoreline? Same problems. Same terrible defending. Same problems in transition.

    Fonseca baby fixed anything so far. Unfortunately it will be rinse and repeat against Inter too.

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