All in or nothing, AC Milan wants to prove themselves at the European stage by playing for their chances until the end against Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid. Stefano Pioli wants to conquer the Spaniards and confirm the qualities that his boys displayed over the current season.
The Rossoneri have only 1 point in this group stage after 4 games which is a poor and disappointing result, obviously. Despite showing some skills and positive signs in the Champions League, it was not enough to get more points.
Tonight, at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, Il Diavolo team will take the field with much motivation and determination as they still believe in their mathematical chances in surviving the group and going towards the next stage. In this context, a win is absolutely needed.
AC Milan will not have their key players Mike Maignan and Fikayo Tomori in the starting lineup due to to injuries. In addition, Ante Rebic and Davide Calabria are also out.
But, Pioli will have his team ready to play the occasion as he will rely on Pierre Kalulu or even Alessandro Florenzi to replace the Italian full-back who is 24 years old. The French young defender has always showed courage and strength whenever he was called upon. He is hoping that he can prove himself tonight against such a tough and experienced squad of Atlético Madrid.
In midfield, Franck Kessié will have to be very much focused and try to avoid his mistake in the first fixture at the San Siro as he then was shown a red card. Next to him is Sandro Tonali who is displaying more maturity and composure on and off the ball. These two midfielders together must be on top of their form in order to cripple the dynamism of Atlético Madrid and their quick counter-attacks. Ismael Bennacer, on the other hand, could be ready to enter the field if needed as he offers much quality and different characteristics than the two mentioned above.
Brahim Diaz is also another player to rely on for Pioli. He likes to play between the lines and that method has proved very useful in Pioli's system. The Spaniard is hoping to enter the field with his full powers and focus as this game is a special one for him: being a former Real Madrid player, he wants to win this 'derby' of his own.
Rafael Leao is a very important player for AC Milan, but it remains to be seen if he should be playing as a starter or not. As reported already, he is not feeling in the best form going into this match due to playing too many games. Fatigue has perhaps caught up to him. Ante Rebic's injuries obviously forced the Italian tactician to stick with his Portuguese star.
In case Leao does not start, it will be up to Rade Krunic to replace him with Brahim Diaz drifting to the right, thus acting as a left-winger who cuts inside and trying to attack between the lines as he prefers while the Bosnian midfielder plays behind the striker and tries to give support and pick out important passes into space for his teammates.
Alexis Saelemaekers has not been performing to the highest level he showed before, but many fans are now relying on him to turn things around. The right side must be able to be as active and dangerous as the left side which often enjoyed the talent of Leao and also the contribution of French full-back Theo Hernandez who is hoping to redeem himself after a grave error committed in the final minutes of the match against La Viola last Saturday, an error which Dusan Vlahovic capitalised on easily.
But, watch out for Alessandro Florenzi who recently returned from injury and could even replace the Alexis Saelemaekers.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a fantastic performance against Fiorentina, in the second half. The 40-year-old played the full 90 minutes but he is eager to even start again and help his teammates. He wants to score and bring home a win. But, Olivier Giroud is also equally ready and eager. The French striker is very good in the air and can be of important threat to the defensive department of Atlético Madrid in case good crosses are sent in the box.
Stefano Pioli will definitely try to start the match in the same way when his team faced Atlético Madrid in the first fixture before. It will be difficult away from home and with all the pressure and quality of the Spanish heavyweights, but everything is possible with the right attitude and concentration.
Diego Simeone's men have much skills to showcase tonight, starting from the goalkeeping position as Jan Oblak is an excellent stopper with big physique and great reflexes. Their midfield is strong too, Koke and Rodrigo De Paul will also be the main players to watch out for. The Argentine is tipped to start and AC Milan are familiar with him because he was playing for many years in Serie A with Udinese. He is fast, intelligent and with very good vision, he can definitely hurt the Milan defense also with his powerful shots and dribbling techniques.
In addition, one must not forget about the excellent striker, 34-year-old Uruguayan veteran striker, Luis Suarez. He knows how to position himself in the box in order to score goals. Physically, he is strong and can get into tough contacts with defenders. Alessio Romagnoli and Simon Kjaer must keep an eye on him without forgetting Antoine Griezmann who managed to put the ball past Mike Maignan's net in the first leg in the final minutes of that game which ended 1-2 for the Spaniards.
Atlético Madrid could start the match tonight against the Rossoneri with this lineup, keeping in mind that they will suffer the absences of Felipe, Joao Felix, and Kieran Trippier.
3-5-2: Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Lemar, Carrasco; Suarez, Griezmann
As for Stefano Pioli's AC Milan, here are the probable choices:
