GdS: ‘The last Euro-train’ – the doubts and certainties for must-win Fiorentina game

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·5 April 2025

GdS: ‘The last Euro-train’ – the doubts and certainties for must-win Fiorentina game

AC Milan host Fiorentina at San Siro tonight, knowing that nothing but a win will do if they are to keep alive their slim hopes of getting a European spot.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning that in addition to being on the bench, Sergio Conceiçao is on the platform too, where the last train for Europe will pass through tonight. Ninth-placed Milan host Fiorentina, who are just one point behind Roma and Lazio.

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For the Rossoneri, however, qualifying for the Cups through the Serie A standings is terribly complicated. La Viola have four more points, the Roman duo five: it can be deduced that for Milan not winning today would probably put an end to their hopes of a comeback.

However, the Coppa Italia anchor would remain to cling to, but in addition to Inter in the semi-final (1-1 in the first leg, the return on April 23), they would then have to defeat the winner between Bologna (clear favourite after the 3-0 in the first act) and Empoli.

In short, when Tammy Abraham used the usual rhetoric of the eight finals after Wednesday’s derby, he wasn’t far from the truth: Milan must always win if they want to have a credible objective in the short term.

The big doubt

There was no pre-match press conference for Conceiçao, whose last-minute problem is called Tijjani Reijnders. The Dutch midfielder had to leave training early on Friday because he felt ill.

He was struck by a virus similar to the one that knocked out Yunus Musah before the match against Inter. Only today will we know whether Reijnders is fit or not but pessimism is filtering through.

If that is the case, the number one suspect to replace him is Warren Bondo, favoured over Musah. It seems that Christian Pulisic – who scored in the reverse game in Florence – will be used again as a central attacking midfielder.

The rest of the team

With Alex Jimenez suspended, then, who will operate on the right wing? Samu Chukwueze is warming up his engines. The Nigerian has not started under Conceiçao and his last start dates back to last year: Milan-Roma 1-1, December 29, the evening of Paulo Fonseca’s dismissal.

The next day, Conceiçao landed at Milanello. He gave Fikayo Tomori confidence in defence. The Englishman, who in January seemed on the verge of leaving, in the end stayed. But since his red card in Empoli he has barely played half an hour in the return leg of the Champions League play-off.

He has practically disappeared and yet Conceiçao seems seriously intent on relaunching him tonight vs. Fiorentina. The very opponent against whom Tomori was the protagonist in a negative way twice in the first leg, giving a penalty to his friend Abraham then missing a header for La Viola’s winner.

Protagonists

This time there is no risk that Pulisic will see his penalty ‘stolen’ by anyone. After Santiago Gimenez’s mistake in Naples (Alex Meret saved his spot kick), the American will want to avoid gifts to teammates in difficulty.

Playing Fiorentina will also remind him of the episodes at the Franchi in the first leg (first Theo, then Abraham showed up to the penalty spot in his place, being thwarted by David De Gea).

By the way, the Mexican striker seems destined for his third consecutive benching, now overtaken in the hierarchies by Abraham. The Englishman did not shine at the Maradona, but he made up for it with the goal in the derby and is fired up.

In this final part of the season, Tammy will have to try to convince Milan to give him another chance, negotiating with Roma his permanent stay. A complicated scenario due to the cost of the transfer fee and salary, but never say never.