This afternoon, at 6:45 PM CET, Milan will take to the field at the Eden Arena in Prague to face Slavia in the second leg of the round of 16, defending the two-goal advantage gained after the 4-2 victory a week ago at San Siro.
A crucial match for the Rossoneri who, aside from the league title, Champions League, and Coppa Italia, and with their position in the league (fairly) solidified between second and third place, have the Europa League as the most concrete objective of the season.
It's no coincidence that this morning Gazzetta dello Sport, in presenting today's match in the Czech Republic, speaks of a game that "is worth a season." Progressing in the European competition would first and foremost keep the fans' interest alive and make the upcoming month of the season exciting.
Moreover, even more importantly, Milan believes they can vie for this trophy and bring it to the club's history for the first time. At the same time, a good performance this afternoon could also help build unity at a not-so-easy moment for the club, due to the investigations involving Furlani, Gazidis, and the change of ownership.
Additionally, it can be reiterated how Stefano Pioli is playing for his future at Milan: with a victory, he could cast doubt on the Rossoneri management's decision for what will come starting from next season.
For all these reasons, today Stefano Pioli will field the big players in Prague. Starting from the attacking formation. The goal-scoring duo remains the same, Leao-Giroud, who have already made Milan dream in European nights, even this season against PSG, for example. Alongside them will be Christian Pulisic, who is becoming an increasingly strong candidate for the role of Devil's Player of the Season.
And then there's Loftus-Cheek, who has stepped up since January. In front of Maignan, Pioli will deploy the strongest defense possible: there's Calabria and Theo but above all, there will be Tomori, now fully recovered, who will be paired with Gabbia. In midfield, there might be the biggest "surprises": Adli confirmed, but alongside him neither Bennacer nor Reijnders, with Yunus Musah ready for a starting chance.
and Yunus Musah chat during a training session at Milanello on August 06, 2023 in Cairate, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images)
