Milan, Champions League group: opponents and match schedule

It starts from the draw in Istanbul and, in short, in the history of the Rossoneri Champions there are more friendly cities. But that was a final and, by Pioli’s logical admission, Milan are not equipped to get to the last act right now. And so? So there is a minimum objective, however: that is to overcome that group stage in which a year ago the Devil was stranded, between noble opponents – he had been called the “group of death” – and arbitrage let’s say unfortunate. This time, however, the Rossoneri started from the first band, an undoubted advantage. Here then are the opponents of this group stage. Group E: Chelsea, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb. The knockout stage is objectively within reach.

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The 2021 champions have not yet finished the restyling after the forced change of ownership from Abramovich to Boehly, despite a market with already 210 million euros spent which saw Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly land at Stamford Bridge, among others. Chelsea spared no expense, as they proved by taking Spanish winger Cucurella for 70 million from Brighton. And how could he demonstrate by doing to Milan, with whom he ended up in the group, that indispensable offer for Leao. In fact, something is still missing to be hyper-competitive, especially in attack, but the Blues expect to arrive polished at the beginning of the group stage.

The star: Sterling

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After 7 years at the City, with four Premier Leagues on the board, the striker decided it was time for a change of scenery. And he chose Chelsea, where he hopes to take that step forward in terms of leadership and importance in the team that at Guardiola’s court he was no longer able to make. In the Premier League he hasn’t scored yet, but his calling card says 24 goals in 7 Champions League seasons with City.

The technician: Tuchel

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At the helm of Chelsea since January 2021, the 49-year-old German added the Champions League from two seasons ago to the Blues showcase. After the failure of the Lukaku experiment, he returned to play the team with three mobile forwards, although Mount often placed himself behind the other two in the first few games. With the new ownership he has a more active role in the market.

How it plays

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(3-4-1-2): Mendy; James, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly; Loftus-Cheek, Kante, Jorginho, Cucurella; Mount; Havertz, Sterling.

There are 9 championships won in a row, but it is above all in the international field that Salzburg is now proving to be a top-level team. Like every summer there are many talents sold (Aaronson, Adeyemi, Camara and Kristensen above all), but there are also many newcomers (Gourna-Douath, Pavlovic, Fernando and Konaté). At the moment the balance of the transfer campaign marks a +63 million, but nobody believes that the team has actually weakened. With the physiological growth of some talents (Okafor and Sesko in attack, Sucic in midfield) and the inclusion of newcomers, the quality is still very high. The average age of the squad is 22, keeping up with them athletically is not easy.

The star: Okafor

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He took the Swiss national team on his shoulders in the decisive matches for qualifying for the World Cup, serving as the decisive assist in the penultimate match of the group against Italy and scoring for Bulgaria on the last day. He has just turned 22, but he is already mature. Strong physically and technically, he is fast, especially in the open field.

The technician: Jaissle

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He ended his playing career at just 24 years old due to a bad injury, rolling up his sleeves and studying to become a manager right away. In his first season as head coach of Salzburg he won the league and cup, overcoming a complicated Champions League group with Lille, Sevilla and Wolfsburg. He is only 34 years old, but he already has a lot of experience (even in different leagues). And it’s bloody ambitious.

How it plays

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(4-3-1-2): Kohn; Dedic, Solet, Pavlovic, Wober; Kjaergaard, Seiwald, Capaldo; Sucic; Fernando, Okafor.

The record of league titles won in Croatia is all theirs: 23 in the last 29 years. Champions like Modric, Kovacic, Lovren, Brozovic, Mandzukic and more recently Dani Olmo and Rrahmani have grown up in the ranks of the club. This year, Ante Cacic’s squad boasts an average age of 25.4 years. After the successes against Shkupi and Ludogorets, the Croatians snatched a ticket for the group stage by eliminating Bodoe Glimt in extra time. In the league, the domination continues uninterrupted: Dinamo have won 16 points in the first 6 games. In defense there are Ristovski and Sutalo, old acquaintances of Serie A, while the attack is the pride of the team: in addition to Orsic, Drmic and the former Bologna Petkovic are dangerous.

The star: Orsic

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Fast winger and good at jumping the man, he knows how to assert himself even in the penalty area: this year, for him, 7 goals and 4 assists in 12 appearances. In 2013-2014 he added a brief experience in Italy to his curriculum: Spezia noticed his qualities, but Mislav was unable to break through. Just 217 minutes and 2 assists in the league, plus a goal in the only appearance with the Primavera team: the Ligurians won against Cesena U19, thanks to the rides on the left by Orsic and Simone Bastoni.

The technician: Cacic

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Born in 1953, he started coaching in 1986. Six years ago he reached the highest point of his career, leading the national team of captain Modric to the 2016 European Championship. First place in the group, then the defeat in the round of 16 against Portugal , who would eventually become champion. He has won titles in Croatia and Slovenia, but has only 5 appearances in the Champions League. And as many defeats …

How it plays

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(4-3-3): Livakovic; Ristovski, Sutalo, Peric, Ljubicic; Ivanusec, Ademi, Baturina; Spikic, Petkovic, Orsic.