After an incredible derby day victory yesterday, we now must turn our attention to another huge game on Thursday in the Europa League. What should United look out for against AC Milan as the match draws closer?
After a brilliant first leg in Turin seeing United capture the win over Real Sociedad with four great goals to nil, the team are off to Italy in the round-of-16 to take on Italian giants AC Milan.
The two sides have produced some fantastic footballing displays against one another in the past and every fan is looking forward to this clash. The first leg is due to be played at Old Trafford on March 11th with the away-leg being played the following week. Therefore, what should United look out for against AC Milan as the match draws closer?
At the time of writing, AC Milan are sitting in second place in Serie A, only three points behind the team they share the San Siro with, Internazionale. In terms of domestic performances, they have accumulated just four wins from the last ten games, losing to Inter Milan twice and Atalanta and Spezia once. As it seems, the side appears to be struggling domestically after what could have been labelled a prominent start to their season.
Looking into the performances they have produced in Europe; Milan are seemingly the top side coming out of the group stages for the Europa League. After topping a difficult group which included Lille, Celtic and Sparta Prague, they faced off with the Serbian league-leaders, Red Star Belgrade in the round-of-32. In the end, Milan edged their way into the next round with a 3-3 result on aggregate, the Italy side winning via two away goals.
The round-of-16 will bring a familiar face back to Manchester, Diogo Dalot, who is currently on a loan away from Old Trafford, after moving to Milan in the summer transfer window. UEFA has no restrictions about loan players playing against parent clubs, therefore Dalot is available to play against the Reds.
Unfortunately for the young Portuguese full back, he has struggled for form in Italy, have made only 10 league appearances, despite scoring an incredible goal at the weekend against Verona. However, it has been said that AC Milan are looking to make his loan permanent and it has recently been revealed that his loan included a €25 million option to buy clause.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic would also be returning to Old Trafford but the 39-year-old is out for both games through a recurring injury.
Some key players to look out for in the fixture include Hakan Calhanoglu and Theo Hernandez, who could create a substantial threat to United, but the former may miss the two legs due to injury.
Regarding Hakan Calhanoglu, he is a player that United has been linked with an unhealthy number of times. It is unlikely he is ever to join the club, but this could be his audition. The Turkish international has been a prolific playmaker for Milan, with eight assists in twenty-one league appearances.
It is not uncommon for Stefano Pioli to line his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two defensive midfielders and two wide midfielders, similar to how United set out on the field for most games.
Moving onto the young French full back, Theo Hernandez, he has begun to create a name for himself in Italy. The Frenchman is capable of performing in every third of the pitch. In the attacking third especially, he can both score and assist, with four goals and assists in the league.
Back in the defensive third, he is a tough opponent to get past, with a 66 percent successful tackle rate. He has an eye for the ball with 22 interceptions in the league so far as well. Hernandez is on track to become a top full back, but how will he perform against the likes of Marcus Rashford, Daniel James or Mason Greenwood?
The two sides have not met in a competitive fixture for an extensive period of time. The last time they battled out on the pitch was in a pre-season friendly in the summer of 2019 with United winning on penalties.
However, the last game between the two sides in a competitive match was in the Champions League in the 2009/2010 season. This two-legged fixture was won fairly comfortably by United. It concluded 7-2 on aggregate and Ji Sung Park famously man-marked Andrea Pirlo out of the fixture.
When looking at injuries ahead of the clash, which team are struggling at the moment? AC Milan are missing Ismael Bennacer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Mandzukic, and potentially Calhanoglu as of now but there are still a few days until the teams meet.
United, however, are struggling with a significant amount of injuries too. The majority of them should be fit ahead of the game, although Paul Pogba and Juan Mata may be doubtful with their injuries being a bit stressful. The pair may not be back in action until mid-March, meaning there is a slight chance they make an appearance in the second leg.
As we eagerly await such a massive game in the round of 16 of the Europa League, do you think Manchester United will be able to capitalise on AC Milan’s recent run of inconsistent form?
Originally published for The United Stand.
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