San Siro will play host to the first-ever meeting between AC Milan and Slavia Prague, with the two sides aiming to take an advantage into the second leg.
AC Milan did not survive this season’s ‘Group of Death’ in the UEFA Champions League and now switch their attention towards doing well in the Europa League, with Slavia Prague up next. For any team coming here from the top-tier European competition, it is always a difficult task in the second-string tournament. They will have to overpower most sides and make themselves one of the favourites.
Stefano Pioli will certainly sense an opportunity to go deep into the competition, and some may say AC Milan have a favourable Round of 16 clash with Slavia Prague. San Siro will play host to the first-ever game between the two European sides, with Milan aiming to leave their mark and take advantage of Prague in the second leg.
Milan are not in the best of forms despite winning last weekend against Lazio, with their overall run of games being utterly inconsistent. For instance, they had to dig deep in the second leg of their playoffs with Rennes, with the Ligue 1 outfit recording a victory in the second leg, although Milan had a big 3-0 lead from the first one, which ended in a 5-3 aggregate score.
Their opponents, Slavia Prague, will look at some of Milan’s recent performances and sense a chance to get something out of the San Siro clash. Coming to Italy, the Prague-based side have a conflicting record, having never won in Italy. But they have lost only once in their last ten first-leg European knockout games.
Beating AC Milan at San Siro is a tough challenge, and Slavia Plague have already played against Roma in Italy this season, losing that game 2-0. In any case, the idea for the visitors will be to maintain their composure and get something out of the game to take something back to Prague.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Stefano Pioli will look to replicate their first leg against Rennes, which gave AC Milan an unprecedented 3-0 lead heading for the return leg in France. Hence, the manager will pick the most potent possible lineup for this clash at San Siro.
After enduring one of the most challenging seasons with injury issues, as things stand, Milan only have Tommaso Pobega out of contention. While not all players are completely fit and ready to start, the return of most of those stars will have pleased Pioli.
In defence, Pioli might prefer Matteo Gabbia and Malick Thiaw as his preferred centre-back pairing, with Alessandro Florenzi and Theo Hernandez best placed for the full-back roles. He might even think about Davide Calabria in the right-back role but might stick with Florenzi for his fitness and sharpness.
Tijjani Reijnders and Ismael Bennacer are the first-choice midfielders, while Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic will attack from the wide zones. Olivier Giroud will continue to lead the line, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek remains the undisputed choice to play in the attacking midfield role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Florenzi, Gabbia, Thiaw, Hernandez; Bennacer, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
Slavia Prague
There are not many injury-related issues with the Slavia Prague squad, with only David Pech and Christos Zefeiris out of this contest. Jindrich Stanek has boosted the team by making a return after being injured for a considerable period. He started the Prague Derby and is in line to play at San Siro.
Stanek will have the cover of a back three in front, with Tomas Vlcek, Tomas Holes, and David Zima pencilled in to start in those defensive positions. David Doudera and Jan Boril are well-placed to reprise the wing-back roles on either flank, while Matej Jurasek and Lukas Masopust are the likelier choices for the central midfield berths.
Slavia Prague will rely on the striking prowess of Mojmir Chytil to lead the line for Slavia Prague against AC Milan. Oscar Dorley and Ivan Schranz have the option to play either in wide roles or sit more compactly behind the central striker.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Stanek; Vlcek, Holes, Zima; Doudera, Jurasek, Masopust, Boril; Dorley, Schranz; Chytil
Key Stats
- This is the first time AC MIlan and Slavia Prague meet each other in a competitive game.
- AC Milan have scored in 23 games in a row across all competitions.
- AC Milan have two victories in their last five games acorss all competitions.
- Slavia Prague have lost only once in their last ten European knockout first-leg encounters.
- Slavia Prague have never won in Italy despite their eight attempts so far.
Player to Watch
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Loftus-Cheek has garnered a reputation as a player who can match up to the occasion and perform at the highest stage. While he has gone quiet since his brace against Rennes at San Siro, those goals have been of significant importance in Milan’s season so far.
He will be seen as an inspiration ahead of the crucial clash with Slavia Prague, as fans will want to see him score again at their home ground. Loftus-Cheek will undoubtedly be up for it by all means, but he must deliver an outstanding display to give Milan a commanding first-leg lead.
Prediction
AC Milan 3-1 Slavia Prague
The visitors come into this clash at San Siro at the back of their two-legged affair in the Prague Derby with rivals Sparta Prague, who also play on Thursday. In any case, the away side have added motivation to get something from this game in Italy. But their task is a difficult one against Milan.
Stefano Pioli will want his players to deliver a similar performance to the Rennes ameg at this venue and will demand a commanding lead to take the first leg by storm. Overall, AC Milan are primed as favourites to get a win in this clash, although they might end up conceding an odd goal at some stage.
