GdS: ‘Backs against the wall’ – why more than three points is at stake for Milan vs. Bologna

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·27 de fevereiro de 2025

GdS: ‘Backs against the wall’ – why more than three points is at stake for Milan vs. Bologna

AC Milan still believe that they can get into the top four and therefore qualify for the Champions League, but they are running out of games.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning how Milan boarded the ‘last train to the Champions League’ which left in the late afternoon yesterday from Milano Centrale Station, heading for Bologna. It is a fundamental stop to try cultivate belief that a UCL spot is possibe.

Vídeos OneFootball

Tonight at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, the Rossoneri absolutely must win to get back to within five points of Juventus in fourth place and keep the flame of Champions League hope alive. Sergio Conceiçao is facing a more complicated situation than he thought, but there are no exuses.

Confidence and evidence

Despite the elimination at the hands of Feyenoord and the damaging defeat against Torino, the club reiterated to Conceiçao their confidence, at least in the present. But confidence is also the key word for the coach towards the team.

Sergio wanted to confirm his esteem in private conversations with some of the players who are performing less well. Mike Maignan, for example. The Frenchman will start at the Dall’Ara, ready to make up for the many mistakes of the last few weeks.

There is great doubt about the rest of the line-up: will the four forwards all start together or not? Yesterday morning at Milanello, Conceiçao mixed things up a lot, starting first with the ‘Fantastic Four’, then removing Joao Felix, then Leao, and putting the former Chelsea player back in.

Pulisic was tested first on the right and then on the left, Yunus Musah as a midfielder and then high up on the right, without completely discarding Riccardo Sottil, who got an assist against Torino. The feeling is that the final decision will only be made today.

Fluctuating forwards

Whether he starts from the first minute or enters during the match, it is above all from Leao that Conceiçao expects the change of pace. Against Torino, the coach replaced his compatriot after just one half.

Rafa had done little, apart from earning the penalty awarded for a handball by Pedersen. And, above all, he had not satisfied Conceiçao in the non-possession phase. Leao must be more decisive in attack and collaborative in defece, as Fonseca also wanted in the first part of the season.

From one coach to another, requests and problems have remained the same. Even if Conceicao has slightly increased the pace in the league (1.75 points per game against the 1.59 of his predecessor), that is not enough to reach the goal, which remains entry into the Champions League.

Santiago Gimenez is scoring as expected, Kyle Walker is out injured, Sottil has played too little and Warren Bondo has yet to make his debut. The one who would have the talent to drag is Joao Felix, but the Portuguese has slowed down after his dazzling debut with Roma.

It is no coincidence that – despite being a protégé of Conceiçao himself – the former Chelsea man is not sure he will start against Bologna. Whether he or Leao starts on the bench – unless they continue with four-forward Milan – the expectation is that impact substitutes will be used.

Fofana returns

The one who should take back his place in midfield is Youssouf Fofana, after two consecutive games on the bench against Feyenoord and Torino (at least from minute one, he would come on in both).

The Frenchman has had a clear decline, probably due to the fatigue accumulated in 30 consecutive games as a starter. Now is the time to push again and show that he can be the balancer.

After all, there is no more time to catch one’s breath, the Rossoneri season is at a crossroads: either get back up to try to hit what was the minimum objective in the summer or, officially declare 2024-25 a failure.

That would have inevitable consequences, starting with Conceiçao’s position as the head coach. In short, a lot more than just three points is on the line in Bologna tonight.