As Tuttosport writes today, any result tonight other than qualification for Milan will absolutely be a failure.
At the moment, with a three-goal advantage, it seems absurd to even consider it, especially considering the gap in the first leg. Yet the match against Monza on Sunday evening reopened some cracks.
Despite Pioli's choices, who made a somewhat too aggressive turnover, the Rossoneri team failed tactically, conceding four goals from one of the least prolific attacks in the league after achieving two consecutive clean sheets, and technically, with several glaring errors.
Above all this, there was a wrong attitude, especially in the first half, which was completely wasted. Therefore, Milan cannot afford any more performances like that because a bad night like the one in Monza could be fatal in Europe, even with a three-goal advantage. So, it's not just about qualification but also demonstrating that Sunday was a mere hiccup.
To achieve all these goals, Stefano Pioli sends out his best players with a moderate rotation for a couple of players who have been playing a lot. These are Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud.
The former will be replaced by Tijjani Reijnders: it will be interesting to see where the Dutchman will position himself on the field, whether at the level of Yunus Musah and Ismael Bennacer or a bit more advanced, precisely in the areas that Loftus usually occupies.
The French striker, on the other hand, will be called upon to work extra hard in the league: Giroud will likely start both against Atalanta on Sunday and against Lazio the following Friday. The reason is simple: Jovic has to serve a two-match suspension. The Serb made a big mistake in Monza but here he is immediately presented with an opportunity just a few days later: this afternoon he will start and must not make us regret the absence of the number 9.
As for the rest, both Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic will return, whom Milan cannot do without at the moment.
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