AC Milan are struggling… that is the PERFECT time for Tottenham to play them

There isn’t any higher time for Tottenham to tackle AC Milan. Stefano Pioli’s crew goes by means of a really troublesome second and this Friday’s painful 1-0 victory in opposition to Torino completely captured the psychological limits of a crew that appears to be very missing in confidence.

The defeats in opposition to Sassuolo, Lazio and Inter Milan within the derby have been a heavy blow for the crew and, above all, they compromised Pioli’s place.

The Milan coach seems alone on the touchline, left to his personal gadgets and with out concepts within the eyes of the followers, regardless of transferring away from his most well-liked 4-2-3-1 system to play a 3-4-2-1 .

Milan’s issues arose in the summertime and exploded like a time bomb within the autumn. The switch market final summer time didn’t permit for a technical enchancment for the crew, whereas the engine room on the aspect has turn into an issue after the departure of Franck Kessie to Barcelona.

Pioli is now reorganizing the crew, particularly in protection, as a result of he doesn’t belief his protection to handle the video games. The four-man protection hasn’t labored out within the first few weeks of 2023, prompting a swap to a three-man protection.

Can Pioli outwit Conte?

Tottenham might worry Milan’s historical past at decisive moments, because the Rossoneri have a behavior of triumphing in Europe even when the chances are stacked in opposition to them.

The spherical of 16 tie guarantees to be a recreation of chess during which Antonio Conte’s chaotic administration fashion may very well be outpaced by Pioli’s calmness, with the Milan coach a grasp at controlling matches together with his intelligence.

The absence of Rodrigo Bentancur is a colossal blow for Spurs, and their issues within the midfield are underneath the magnifying glass of a Milan that wishes to impose its soccer in the course of the sector.

How will Milan strategy the match?

Regardless of their difficulties, Milan stay a troublesome crew to face resulting from their profitable DNA – solely Actual Madrid have extra European Cups – and Spurs must be very cautious.

Captain Davide Calabria ought to return to the beginning eleven on Tuesday after being left on the bench in opposition to Torino: a manner of guaranteeing the remainder of the younger winger so that he’s 100% prepared for the European conflict.

Sando Tonali can have an important function to play in central midfield, with Ismael Bennacer not but match sufficient to return to motion. whereas Theo Hernández confirmed a greater efficiency in opposition to Torino and will signify a menace on the left flank.

Ismael Bennacer (pictured) will miss the primary leg as he continues to recuperate from harm.

Pioli might look to problem Tottenham by matching Antonio Conte’s 3-4-2-1 formation

Milan might then match Tottenham tactically by enjoying the 3-4-2-1 formation that Conte usually deploys, with Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leao supporting the evergreen Olivier Giroud.

Italian soccer remains to be closely reliant on the notion of techniques, and Pioli might use this to his benefit in opposition to Conte’s crew. Through the use of the identical system and shutting the gaps on the pitch, this could result in fewer defensive dangers, giving Milan their finest likelihood to get previous their Premier League opponents.

What occurred to Origi and Tomori?

Each Divock Origi and Fikayo Tomori haven’t lived as much as expectations this season and have suffered terribly throughout essentially the most troublesome interval of the marketing campaign for Milan, because the membership fell out of the title race and entered a battle to be within the prime 4.

Origi’s comeback from two targets in 15 Serie A video games is poor, and he hasn’t contributed almost sufficient for a participant who was anticipated to surpass Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic within the pecking order.

Origi is at the moment a backup choice that’s too costly and has little affect on the sector.

Milan followers dreamed of discovering the inheritor to Jon Dahl Tomasson, the striker who helped the crew to home and European glory within the early 2000s. As a substitute, they’ve needed to accept a Javi Moreno clone. , whose transient stint at Milan was a catastrophe and led him to get replaced by Tomasson.

Divock Origi (proper) has scored simply twice since becoming a member of Milan on a free switch final summer time, whereas Fikayo Tomori was top-of-the-line defenders in Serie A final season however not this season.

In the meantime, Tomori was very important to Milan’s title triumph final yr, however has dropped significantly this time period.

He suffered a hip harm final month that has saved him out of the squad in latest weeks, and it’s onerous to think about him being 100 per cent match to face Tottenham on Tuesday.

Matteo Gabbia and Simon Kjaer have wasted alternatives given to them by Pioli in Tomori’s absence, and this might lead the Italian supervisor to go along with an inexperienced defender in Pierre Kalulu, Malick Thiaw and Tomori’s return for one of many largest video games within the recreation. Milan this season. season.

Giroud will play his declare for an additional yr in Milan

Giroud is an idol of the Milan followers and can signal a 12-month contract extension on the finish of March.

He has turn into the figurehead of the crew, and can proceed on this function when Zlatan Ibrahimovic ends his profession on the finish of the season, though the Swede is anticipated to stay on the membership in some capability, in accordance with Gazzetta dello Sport.

There are nonetheless a number of minor particulars to iron out earlier than Giroud indicators on the dotted line.

However a deal is prone to be reached, and this may very well be aided by the bonuses the Frenchman will acquire if Milan beat Tottenham and advance to the Champions League quarter-finals, Corriere della Sera stories.

Olivier Giroud will keep in Milan for an additional yr and has been certainly one of their finest gamers.

Tottenham should take a look at Tatarusanu

If Spurs need to get a optimistic end result away from residence in opposition to Milan, they must deal with the crew’s weak level: goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu.

The Romanian goalkeeper has placed on his gloves on the San Siro by means of an unimaginable sequence of unlucky conditions, with Mike Maignan out since September with a calf downside, Antonio Mirante with bodily issues and the membership awaiting new signing Devis Vásquez.

In a short interview with DAZN, Milan supervisor Paolo Maldini up to date Maignan’s harm, revealing: “Mike must be out there in 10 days. A goalkeeper who hasn’t performed for therefore lengthy has to maintain his distance. Having had two relapses, you need to watch out.

Maignan’s lengthy layoff has made the protection much less safe, and the again line is clearly not as assured in Tatarusanu.

If Tottenham usually checks the previous Fiorentina goalkeeper, they may have a very good likelihood of forcing an error and taking the lead within the tie.

Milan have sorely missed Mike Maignan, who has missed a lot of the season with a calf harm.

Milan doesn’t run sufficient and lacks depth

Milan had a bodily downside within the second section of the season, as confirmed by Opta’s dismal numbers.

Captain Calabria leads a pitch-weary crew at the moment 14th in Serie A for distance lined in video games, however it’s their lack of depth that has turn into a significant concern.

Kalulu and Tomori not paved the way by way of particular person stats, whereas Gabbia and Kjaer don’t appear to have the bodily situation wanted for a crew that needed to problem for the title as soon as once more.

The again line isn’t the one downside, because the midfielders appear to play in gradual movement and miss many alternatives so as to add much-needed tempo to the crew’s assaults.

Switching formations mid-season has additionally been troublesome for among the extra established gamers who’ve struggled to seek out their finest kind because the flip of the yr.

Tonali and Hernández unable to encourage Milan

Tonali flourished as a participant in Milan’s title-winning crew final season, however has been unable to copy that efficiency up to now six months.

Sandro Tonali (pictured) has failed to achieve the heights he did final season for Milan.

The sensation is that the crew doesn’t have the power to guard the protection, and this has been attributable to the bodily and psychological deterioration of its essential gamers.

Even Hernández is unrecognizable, maybe as a result of stress of the World Cup and the frustration of dropping the ultimate to Argentina.

The whole crew struggles to play with depth, however these two gamers have upset followers essentially the most with their drop in efficiency.

Milan are beneath their bitter rivals Inter within the desk, and that could be a reflection of Pioli’s poor administration of the squad.

The crew is struggling bodily, and it’s Pioli and his teaching employees who must take accountability for Milan’s unfavourable begin to 2023.