Official: AC Milan vs. Newcastle starting XIs – Pioli makes three changes

By Oliver Fisher -

AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli has indeed made three changes to his starting line-up for the game against Newcastle United compared to the team that played Inter.

It was reported in the build-up to the game that there would be three changes to the side that lost 5-1 in the derby on Saturday evening, and that is the case with one alteration being made in each department.

Mike Maignan will be in goal with Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw and Theo Hernandez starting in the back four and Fikayo Tomori returning from suspension to take the spot of Malick Thiaw.

In midfield Rade Krunic will be at the base of the three, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the right side and Tommaso Pobega coming in for Tijjani Reijnders on the left side.

Samuel Chukwueze gets his first start since joining in the summer with Christian Pulisic having a rest. Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud complete the attacking trident.

Official Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Theo Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Pobega; Chukwueze, Giroud, Leao.

Bench: Sportiello, Mirante, Kjaer, Florenzi, Musah, Reijnders, Adli, Pulisic, Jovic, Okafor.

Official Newcastle XI (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

Bench: Karius, Harris, Dummett, Lascelles, Wilson, Targett, Barnes, Hall, Livramento, Almiron, Anderson, Miley.

Tags AC Milan Milan Newcastle

47 Comments

  1. Okafor for Giroud, Musah for either Reinjders or Krunic 🤦‍♂️. Chuku is fine. Puli needed a rest. Hope they put in a non-Florenzi full back from the youth ranks of we’re up late in the game.

  2. Well I’d be a little concerned about Pobega starting his first game in the CL, very strange, especially given how important Reijnders has been.

    I think the player who really needs rest is Giroud!
    Okafor would be a good energetic option upfront

  3. The match can go either way as all this cl groups matches can di but hopefully we can get a win after this recent weekends debacle.

    On the other hand im quite curious to see if curva sud will have made some art works taking a jibe on newcastle upon tyne as miners and maybe throwing in some margaret thatcher insults towards them as she wasnt exactly very well liked around there 😀

    Anyways very excited but a bit nervous as well.

    1. Very tense now. I hope we can rattle them, they have no experience in CL, like us 2 years ago.
      Saying that we have a terrible habit of letting EPL teams walk all over us!
      And how I do hate to hear the English gloating

      1. Oh you are there SJF, wish i was there and wish you a great evening there.
        Yeah the english fans are freaking notoriously iritating and has been so for a long time, hopefuly we will shut their mouths.

  4. We spent a lot on depth this summer, and this is the time to use it. Hopefully Pobega can step up, as well as everyone else, and maybe we can have something to smile about after the horror show on the weekend.

  5. This is unbelievable. We spent all this money to upgrade our midfield and here we are in the Champions League starting Krunic and Pobega!!! It’s inexplicable. There is no defense for Pioli anymore. He is galactically stupid.

    1. He is not dumb coach.

      When you buy new, especially and essentially YOUNG player, that doesn’t mean he knows all tactics and he is going to play massive football.

      Milan made huge risk to sell Tonali and lose midfield, just to strength right wing, and haad some deepness on right and left wing, and some options in the midfield.

  6. Alright boys time to shine..we can do this!!!!
    Forget the weekend, now it’s Milan’s wheelhouse..the UCL. Use that anger to beat Newcastle. I’m looking for a very strong reaction

  7. It is hard to expect much when your midfield is made up of Krunic and Pobega, but, alright, I shall say no more until the end of the match. Let’s go lads!

  8. I get reports on danish tv that there has been reports of some violence between some fans and even a knife stabbing, whether its correct i obviously have no chance to verify as im not in milano.

    1. True. A father with his son was attacked by several masked idiots, then stabbed and hospitalized. Gladly everybody’s fine, physically speaking.

      1. Hooliganismn where both parts willingly participates is one thing but attacking a father and his kid is freaking despicable behavior and regardless who they supports pretty much deserves to get beaten up and afterwards incarcerated for a long time-
        Good they are physical fine but as you imply there might be some psychologic issues for them nevertheless.
        Thanks for the update Bartholomeo.

          1. Had to look prego up but no problemo 😀

            I assumed it was football hooligans harrassing a man and his child as there previously has been stabbings between italians and english football sipporters but attacking a father with his kid is absolutely a no go regardless.

  9. Good first half. Defensive line, Krunic and RLC doing a great job. Our offensive lime is also pretty good, with Chukweze having a decent debut to the starting lineup. Only player who is really off is Leao TBH.

    Keep it up, and let’s win this.

  10. Man pobega is just down right bad
    Never looked comfortable with the ball
    Most of the time he killed milan’s momentum because of it
    Should have never started in the first place
    Bring reijnders ASAP!

  11. What’s all with the stylish play from Leao when you need a goal? He already did all the hard part right only for him to waste it with a back heel instead of him to put it normally in the net. He has been off all game. He should be more direct second half

  12. seriously i head out and smoke a a thrid of a cigarette and now maignan is injured and loftus seems to have been injured right before, i like sportiello but come one we should have been leading 3-0 or something by now and now we gotta deal with this bs.

  13. Let’s face it, Leao is terrible tonight. Loses the ball too easily and just casually strolls on the pitch. Isn’t interested at all.

  14. Sooo many back passes to Maignan… It’s just embarrassing. Leao should have taken that chance seriously instead of giving circus show.
    Just wasted soo many chances in first half

    1. Leao will never become a world class with his attitude, he too lazy today. Hope we can go through to last 16, otherwise Pioli need to be out

        1. Dumb coach. Pobega sucks and he should have subbed off Giroud at some point. Also, stop passing the ball backwards and killing the play.

          1. im not especially a fan of playing backwards either but come one if anyoine is to blame today its players squandering their chances as we could have won fairy big and that is deffently not piolis fault that they doesnt know when to strike or that the players plays primadonnas in front of goal.

  15. Stefano Pioli you can see go back to our old formation 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 is useless to us use musah or Pulisic at attacking midfield use Okafor in the no 9 use chukwueze on right wing or Romero with rejnider and krunic stop this drama is not Good this formation isn’t working at all we can all see it.

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