AC Milan's next match in the Champions League is against German club Borussia Dortmund. Stefano Pioli, in order to beat Marco Reus and his teammates, will have to rely on the services of two key players in midfield and attack: Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud.
AC Milan Without Loftus...
The Rossoneri's performances varies with and without Loftus-Cheek.
The numbers speak for themselves: without the former Chelsea player, the Rossoneri are an entirely different team. For instance, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the average points drop from 2.4 to 1.3.
There's also a drastic decrease in goals per game, from an average of 2 to 0.8, with a 19% decrease in shots on target towards the opponent's goal.
"It's easy to conclude that Loftus is the multiplier of the offensive phase: he brings physical impact, aerial solutions, assists. He doesn't score much, but you can't have everything in life," states the newspaper.
AC Milan's Olivier Giroud is a boost for Pioli's plans...
The difference between Giroud and his teammates always stands out because he's a winner.
No one at Milan performs as well as him in crucial games, and few have the impact he does on the result. Since his arrival in the summer of 2021, the Rossoneri squad has won 58% of the matches with him, a percentage that drops to 44% without the French centre-forward.
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