AC Milan return to Champions League motion tonight as they tackle Feyenoord at De Kuip within the first leg of their play-off spherical tie.
Each groups come into the sport in lower than ideally suited circumstances, beginning with Milan and an actual lack of midfield depth, whereas the one cause they’re even enjoying at this stage is due to final month’s defeat to Dinamo Zagreb within the remaining spherical.
Then there are Feyenoord, who presently sit fifth within the Eredivisie, misplaced their star striker Santiago Gimenez (to tonight’s opponents) on the finish of the winter window and sacked their head coach on Monday, that means a caretaker is in cost.
The 5 key battles
We merely have to begin with the competition which is essentially the most box-office: Santiago Giménez in opposition to David Hancko. Gimenez is the participant with the most effective minutes per purpose ratio within the UEFA Champions League this season (min. 4 objectives), averaging one each 59 minutes (5 objectives in 5 appearances), and he bagged twice of their 3-0 win over Bayern within the penultimate league part recreation.
Hancko in the meantime is the person who holds the Feyenoord again line collectively (or tries to) and is somebody the Mexican striker is aware of nicely. Milan additionally know him having confronted the Slovakia worldwide whereas he was with Sparta Praha, and the overall consensus is that he would be the subsequent big-money sale after Gimenez, with Juventus and Premier League sides linked.
In the meantime, on the different finish the principle risk for the house aspect is Igor Paixão. Actually, solely Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere (5) recorded extra assists throughout the UEFA Champions League league part this season than the Brazilian winger (4). Paixao has 5 purpose contributions within the competitors this season with solely Giménez (6, this season) ever having extra throughout a UCL marketing campaign for Feyenoord.
Extra Tales / The Match
Kyle Walker was the primary of 5 signings to reach for Milan within the winter window, and he has already . The Englishman’s management and composure have been proof, serving to to settle a beforehand erratic again line, and there are few gamers extra used to massive European nights than him, even when Paixao will likely be a stern check given his direct nature, velocity and trickery.
Again to Milan’s assault, Christian Pulisic scored 4 objectives throughout the Champions League league part this season, with Olivier Giroud the final participant to have extra for the membership (5 in 2022-23) in a single marketing campaign within the competitors. Within the course of, he additionally grew to become the primary USMNT participant to attain that many objectives in a UCL marketing campaign.
His two assists off the bench in opposition to Empoli on the weekend present simply how a lot the Rossoneri depend on him creatively, and will probably be as much as Gijs Smal to try to cease him. Feyenoord really signed a left-back in January in Quilindschy Hartman who was not named within the squad checklist, so the 27-year-old will look to restrict Pulisic and preserve his beginning spot past tonight.
Transferring to the midfield, Quentin Timber will possible be the person on the coronary heart of driving play for Feyenoord and the one who will look to do harm once they have the prospect in transition. He has six Eredivisie objectives already within the present marketing campaign and a few assists within the UCL, together with his tempo and physicality making him the engine.
On the opposite aspect, Youssouf Fofana will attempt to do the very same job for Milan, balancing defensive duties with making an attempt to construct on his six assists for the season. The Frenchman didn’t look too sharp in opposition to Empoli and was taken off at half-time, however in an end-to-end recreation like tonight’s may very well be you’d reasonably have Fofana than not.
There are different candidates resembling Tijjani Reijnders in opposition to Jakub Moder and Theo Hernandez versus Hadj Moussa, however we finish with what needs to be Milan’s primary risk – transition – and the hazard man in these moments: Rafael Leão. The Portugal worldwide accomplished 30 dribbles within the UEFA Champions League this season, essentially the most of any participant throughout the league part.
Since making his debut within the competitors in September 2021, solely Vinícius Júnior (134) has accomplished extra on this interval than Leão (97). His opponent is anticipated to be Givairo Learn, an 18-year-old who has lately established himself as a starter for De Stadionclub however may have not often had a harder check than this.