AC Milan face Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia tonight knowing they must win their last two Champions League group stage games to be guaranteed of a place in the last 16.
Antonio Vitiello writes in his column for MilanNews that qualification is still within reach but tonight it will be necessary to win given that the Rossoneri currently in third place with Red Bull Salzburg and Chelsea – who play each other tonight – currently ahead.
Everyone expects a difficult match in a tough environment, but it is time for the squad to show that they have matured mentally just as they keep demonstrating in Serie A, because in Europe there is a need to raise the bar even further.
The match in Zagreb is worth a lot from a sporting point of view, but it must be noted that there is money resting on it too. Participation in the Champions League groups brings the club €15.64m, while qualification for the round of 16 brings another €9m, with €6m in potential bonuses.
Then, there is an additional €2.8m given out per win and €930k per draw, so there are also many economic reasons to win and get past the group stage.
