The Sunday evening fixture of Serie A Matchday 5 puts Milan at a crucial crossroads. On Sunday, 20 September, at 20:45, Rúben Amorim’s side will host Eusebio Di Francesco’s Lecce at San Siro, with the obligation to erase the 2-0 defeat suffered against Benfica in the Europa League. For the occasion, the Portuguese coach will name his sixth different starting XI in six competitive matches, but will put an end to the experiments: established stars such as Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulisic will start from the outset to support striker Gonçalo Ramos.
The new three-man defence: Mario Gila and Matteo Gabbia return in front of Maignan
The reference tactical system will remain the 3-4-2-1, but Rúben Amorim has decided to shore up the defence by changing the personnel protecting Mike Maignan. Alongside the untouchable Serbian centre-back Strahinja Pavlović, Mario Gila and Matteo Gabbia are set to return to the starting XI. The two defenders, who have been on the fringes in recent matches partly because of physical setbacks, will be tasked with restoring solidity and courage to a defensive unit that has looked too fragile and vulnerable when opponents attack in open space.
Midfield revolution: the Musah-Modrić pairing and Rabiot moving forward
The most significant changes to the likely Rossoneri line-up will concern midfield and the attacking midfielders. In the engine room, the return of the partnership between Yunus Musah’s intensity and Luka Modrić’s passing quality is expected. To avoid sacrificing Adrien Rabiot’s physicality and runs into the box, the Portuguese coach is considering moving the Frenchman further forward into the attacking midfield line, where he would partner Christian Pulisic to provide greater physical presence and attacking impetus behind the lone striker, as relayed via those at Pianeta Milan.
Wing-back battles and Gonçalo Ramos’ mission before the international break
There are doubts over the two wide positions in the four-man midfield, with Portuguese winger Diego Moreira pushing for a starting berth on the right in place of Samuel Chukwueze. On the opposite flank, the battle between Pervis Estupiñán and Davide Bartesaghi remains open, although the tactical option of deploying Alexis Saelemaekers as a right-sided wing-back to provide greater balance has not been ruled out. In that case, Moreira would operate on the other flank. Up front, the responsibility remains firmly in Gonçalo Ramos’ hands: Milan are expecting a response from the former PSG striker before he leaves for Portugal’s Nations League fixtures with the national team.
