Champions League Milan-Feyenoord: Musah replaces Pulisic in the attacking midfield

Milan, 18 February 2025 – Everything in 90' plus any extra time and penalties. After the misstep in Rotterdam, Milan will no longer be able to make mistakes and, in Playoff return match of Champions League – scheduled this evening at 18.45pm at San Siro (the match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and streamed on Sky Go and Now TV) –, will have to overturn the 1-0 by at least two goals Feyenoord's starting lineup, led by an unleashed Paixao at De Kuip, is set to continue its European journey.

A goal considered essential by the Rossoneri, both because it would bring another eleven million to the club's coffers and because it could give further impetus to the season of Conceiçao's team, which has not yet managed to find the right consistency of results and playing identity. The match was presented - given the absence of mister Conceiçao, who flew to Portugal for the funeral of the historic president of Porto Pinto da Costa - and the match was played by the Senior Advisor of Milan Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “We will have to be more focused and aggressive than in the first leg. We need to go onto the pitch thinking that it will be like a final,” Ibra explained. “The most important aspect will be the victory, although obviously there is also the desire to play well. We start with a goal to recover and we want to get a result to advance. Everyone will have to push their teammates. It will have to be something collective and everyone on the bench will have to be involved. That is how a group and a team are created.”  

Possible choices for Conceiçao and Bosschaart

The Milan coach, Sergio Conceicao will rely on the tried and tested 4-2-3-1: in the center of the Rossoneri backline, in front of goalkeeper Mike Maignan, the Pavlovic-Tomori duo should return, which in this period seems to have given a little more stability to the Rossoneri chessboard. To form the dam in front of the defense, Reijnders should be moved back from the three-quarter line again, who will flank Fofana. The main change will be in the three-quarter line, where Christian Pulisic will not be there – not in the best condition – who will be replaced by Musah (back from suspension) to flank Leao and Joao Felix behind the striker Santiago Gimenez, a former player of the evening.

On the other hand, the Dutch coach Bosschart should instead rely on 4-3-3 and on almost all the starting eleven that in the first leg for long stretches of the match sent Milan's mechanisms haywire, having long been dominated in terms of intensity: Wellenreuther will still be between the Dutch goal posts, shielded by a four-man defensive line formed by Read, Beelen, Hancko, Smal. In midfield, compared to the first leg, the new addition should be Ivanusec in place of Timber to flank Moder and Milambo, while in the attacking trident the new addition could be Carranza in place of Ueda with Moussa and De Kuip hero Paixao at the sides.  

Times and where to watch the match

The Milan-Feyenoord match, valid as the return leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off, will be broadcast on Tuesday 18 February at 18.45 live on Sky Sport Uno and Sky Sport (253) and streaming on Sky Go and Now TV.  

Probable lineups  

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Walker, Tomori, Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana; Musah, Joao Felix, Leao, Gimenez. All. Conceicao Feyenoord (4-3-3): Wellenreuther; Read, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Moder, Milambo, Ivanusec; Moussa, Carranza, Paixao. All. Bosschaart