The night of the turning point. Whether in a positive sense or not will only be understood at the end of the match against PSG, but for sure Milan is played a lot of his journey in the Champions League, therefore of a good part of the season. In the eye of the storm there is above all Stefano Pioli, contested by the fans but defended by the club, at least until today: the result at San Siro, most likely, will not decide anything about his immediate future, but will have effects on his medium-long term one. Important evening also for Lazio, expected from the home match against Feyenoord: a success would put them back on the right path to qualification, any other result would complicate the process a lot, all just a few days away from a derby as hot as ever.
Milan – PSG (21pm, Canale 5, Sky, Now TV and Infinity+)
Thrilling evening at San Siro, with Milan's back against the wall and forced to find themselves to avoid being knocked out. The match against Mbappé's PSG is a tough one, perhaps even prohibitive considering the gap in the first leg, but it is clear that the Devil has at least the duty to try, It's worth leaving the European stage without even fighting. In reality, a defeat would not mean elimination from the Champions League, but hopes would remain linked solely and exclusively to a combination of other people's results, transforming the round of XNUMX into something very similar to a mirage.
We need a very different Milan from the one we saw on Saturday against Udinese, both in terms of men (and here, as we will see shortly, the infirmary comes to help) and in terms ofattitude, real Achilles heel of the team, as confirmed by captain Calabria right after the defeat in the first leg. The spotlight will be focused above all on Pioli and Leao, the two "accused" main players in the process that is affecting the Rossoneri. The coach will have to demonstrate that he has understood the lesson of Paris, when he decided to face Mbappé and his teammates with a very unscrupulous tactic, ending up being overwhelmed by it, the Portuguese instead will be called upon to make a difference on the pitch, something he has not been able to do since 23 September last, the day of his last goal against Verona: since then eight games and no goals scored, all peppered with below average performances.
In addition to the owner Cardinale, the match will be observed with a particularly interested eye Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose entry into the company seems increasingly imminent: yesterday's meeting with RedBird's number one confirms the advanced state of the negotiation, even if the parties, given the very delicate moment, maintain absolute confidentiality.
Pioli does not hide: "We have disappointed everyone, this must be the turning point match"
"Against Udinese we disappointed everyone, first of all ourselves – confirmed Pioli bluntly -. We have to do the opposite of what we did in the last few games, but we have to do it on the field: the team is attentive, willing and with quality. It could be the turning point match, my Milan wants redemption and quality to play a great match, but attention will be needed for the entire ninety minutes. We will have to be good at exploiting our opportunities, PSG is a team that can hit you at any moment, but can also give you something. What if I talked to someone at the company? In these moments it is not words that make the difference, but rather behaviour. The club is making everything available to me to work at my best, negative results are my responsibility."
Milan – PSG, the lineups: Pioli finds Pulisic, Theo Hernandez and Chukwueze
The good news for Pioli comes from the infirmary, which gives him back Pulisic, Theo Hernandez and Chukwueze. If we add to this that Loftus Cheek, already "cut" against Udinese, is ready to start, a decidedly less gloomy picture emerges, even if PSG remains a complicated opponent regardless. The Rossoneri coach will thus be able to return to 4-3-3 with Maignan in goal, Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori and Theo Hernandez in defense, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders and Musah (ballot with Krunic) in midfield, Pulisic, Giroud and Leao in attack. Same game system also for Luis Enrique, who will respond with Donnarumma between the posts (a tough challenge from San Siro is expected), Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar and Lucas Hernandez in the defensive department, Zaire-Emery, Ugarte and Vitinha in the midfield , Dembelé, Kolo Muani and Mbappé in the offensive trident.
Lazio – Feyenoord (21pm, Sky, Now and Infinity +)
The other challenge that concerns us closely is that of Lazio, playing at the Olimpico against the Dutch champions Feyenoord. We are not at the levels of Milan, but the stakes are very high here too: if the Biancocelesti don't win, in fact, they risk moving too far away from both the Dutch and Atletico Madrid, making their lives very difficult in terms of qualification. Sarri hoped to have found his team again, but instead Bologna reiterated the difference in performance compared to last year, when consistency was the key to finishing in second place. Feyenoord already did badly in the first leg, proving himself to be a top-level opponent, furthermore this is the week leading up to the derby and getting there with a misstep would only increase an already high pressure.
We need a loose and vigorous Lazio, in the hope that the Olimpico will do its part: the expected spectators, at the time of writing, are only 30 thousand, confirming that the Biancoceleste people struggle to warm up for this team. Sarri has the task of finding the key to beating the Dutch and reawakening enthusiasm, otherwise he will have a negative impact on his already complicated season.
Sarri: “I want to end my career here! We play to win, you just look at the result."
"I want to end my career at Lazio – confirmed the Biancoceleste coach -. They're telling me that there are rumors that I want to leave, but if these count more than my words, I'm a little upset given that I've always said the opposite. The Dutch? We always look for victory, we always want to play the game, but you only see the result. In Bologna we had a great race for 75 minutes, without managing to materialize the amount of work. Last year at this point of the season our attackers had a total of 16 goals, this year 5-6: I don't understand why this is happening, we play the same way. I expect the Olimpico to be hell, whoever doesn't go to the Champions League next season is in trouble."
Lazio – Feyenoord, the lineups: Sarri relies on Immobile
The importance of the match requires Sarri to play with the best possible formation, despite the derby around the corner. Compared to Bologna there will be some changes, but the key men will play from the start in a 4-3-3 with Provedel in goal, Lazzari, Patric, Romagnoli and Hysaj in defense, Kamada (ballot with Rovella), Vecino and Luis Alberto in midfield, Felipe Anderson, Immobile and Zaccagni in attack. Mirror game system also for Slot, who will respond with Bijlow in goal, Nieuwkoop, Geertruida, Hancko and Hartman in the defensive department, Wieffer, Stengs and Timber in midfield, Jahanbakhsh, Gimenez and Paixao in the offensive trident.
