DINAMO ZAGREB v AC MILAN: MATCH PREVIEW
Champions League
The fifth matchday in Group E of the Champions League could very well be decisive. AC Milan need points to maintain their qualification hopes, and they will have to collect them in Zagreb, where neither Chelsea nor Salzburg were able to win. Dinamo, the only team the Rossoneri have beaten so far in their European journey, are equal on points with Coach Pioli's men: while it is not a straight knockout game, it is close to being one. We present in detail the upcoming showdown at the Stadion Maksimir, with the teams set to take to the pitch at 21.00 CEST:
LATEST FROM MILANELLO
AC Milan are back in European action after a positive weekend in Serie A: the Rossoneri recorded their eighth league win of the season by beating Monza 4-1 and now sit alone in second place. However, following the match at San Siro, Díaz, one of the Rossoneri's most in-form players, isn't fully fit, while Dest is unavailable. With Tomori suspended and Maignan out injured, Coach Pioli doesn't have many options in defence. Having not started in the league, Leão (who still came on and scored) and Giroud are expected to start. Krunić is vying for a place in the team, while Rebić and Messias are battling it out to get the nod.
A lot is certainly at stake: in order to be in with a chance of qualifying when the final matchday comes around, we need to pick up a positive result," said Coach Pioli. "It's a very important game and we've prepared for it with this in mind. We need to approach the match well and with continuity. We'll have to be focused and composed and occupy the spaces well."
LATEST FROM DINAMO ZAGREB
The Croatians sit top of the Hrvatska Nogometna Liga on 35 points. Their draw against second-place Hajduk Split - only the second time they've played out a stalemate this season - saw them maintain their eight-point lead in the league. Čačić's side initially fell behind in the top-of-the-table clash (a goal from Livaja), but they were able to draw level thanks to Petković's penalty in the second half. Livaković was in goal, while Šutalo led from the back. Moharammi and Ljubičić were selected down the flanks, captain Ademi looked to control proceedings in the middle of the park, with Oršić providing the main threat in attack.
"Bravery is the key word, and we need to show this when we have the ball in particular. I'll ask the team to be a bit more direct and stay focused for 90 minutes because AC Milan's squad is full of champions; they're ambitious and want to qualify," said Coach Čačić. "We're not starting off already beaten, and we want to bring great joy to our fans. There is a difference in quality, but the gap isn't too big. In order to contain a talented player like Leão, we'll need to do everything to limit the space he can operate in so he can't use his pace."
LATEST FROM THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
It's matchday five in the Champions League. This is the schedule in Group E:
Current standings: Chelsea 7, FC Salzburg 5, AC Milan and Dinamo Zagreb 4.
REFEREE
Polish official Szymon Marciniak will take charge of tonight's game. He has only refereed one Rossoneri match before: Liverpool 3-2 AC Milan, the Rossoneri's opening Champions League fixture last season. Sokolnicki and Listkiewicz will be the linesmen, while Musial will perform the role of fourth official. Kwiatkowski (supported by Frankowski) will oversee VAR.
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