This evening, Milan will be in action at the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb for the final matchday of the league phase of the Champions League against Dinamo. A victory would secure a place among the top eight teams in the competition, a goal that Sergio Conceição admitted had been set by the management at the very start of the season.
The chances of achieving this, after already winning the Super Cup, are there, but everything naturally depends on Milan. To reach the Round of 16, the team will need to be carried forward by its two best players, Theo Hernández and Rafael Leão, as per Gazzetta dello Sport.
Rafael Leao:
This is Rafa's best-ever European season, even if his current form is debatable, considering his substitution on Sunday against Parma, which, according to Sergio Conceição, was pre-planned. Milan’s No. 10 has scored in three consecutive matches, against Slovan Bratislava, Red Star Belgrade, and Girona.
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport this morning, the Portuguese forward has set himself an ambitious target: to go beyond and extend this positive streak, positioning himself just behind Zlatan Ibrahimović, who scored in five consecutive games during the 2011-12 season. And what better occasion than the match at Maksimir, a stadium that brings back good memories? It was here, in October 2022, that Rafael Leão scored his first away goal in the Champions League for Milan.
What about Theo Hernandez?
While Rafael Leão thrives on European nights, Theo Hernández continues to struggle in a period of uncertainty from which he has yet to escape. In both the Champions League and Serie A, it has been the opponents making the headlines, with the latest being Cancellieri, who scored for Parma on Sunday.
It is no coincidence that the French full-back was substituted at halftime by Sergio Conceição for tactical reasons. However, there was a noticeable difference compared to the exclusions under Paulo Fonseca—this time, Theo did not appear overly discouraged or frustrated. His post-match intervention, preventing a clash between the Portuguese coach and Calabria, was further proof of that, as relayed via Milannews.it.
Tonight’s match against Dinamo is a decisive one for Theo Hernández, just as it is for Milan. The left flank has no real alternatives, meaning he could retain his role until the end of the season. However, looking ahead, contract renewal discussions with a salary adjustment seem unrealistic given his current performances. Milan, for its part, wants to protect itself and expects the player to repay the club’s trust in his own way.
