As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's print edition, AC Milan's head coach Stefano Pioli has set a new goal to relaunch the team: the Europa League.
The third position in the league seems secure for now with a 12-point advantage over the fifth. The Rossoneri will now focus on the other tournament, trying to advance as much as possible. Another reason: AC Milan has not won the Europa League. It would be their first success.
Important challenges, however, await the Rossoneri. Teams like West Ham, De Zerbi's Brighton, Rangers, Atalanta, Liverpool, Villarreal, Sparta Prague, and Leverkusen are in the competition. If Milan surpasses Rennes, they will find out on February 24th where the draw for the round of 16 will take them.
The territoriality criterion applies, meaning teams from the same country cannot face each other (potentially Roma and Atalanta). No restrictions from the quarter-finals onwards. Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, and Bayer Leverkusen, currently leading the Bundesliga, are the most formidable opponents. No rotation.
The best players will be on the field. If they eliminate Rennes, Milan will have to wait another two weeks, with the first leg on March 7th and the return on March 14th, to enter the quarter-finals. A long enough time to reintegrate the typical Milan lineup: rebuilding the defensive wall with Thiaw and Tomori, Kalulu becoming an option again, Bennacer finally reaching full fitness, and it's not ruled out that the transfer market may add more reinforcements.
In the Europa League, it will be different: there is still room for dreams, and Milan will rely on their best players to try to turn those dreams into reality. The Europa League becomes the season's objective.
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