AC Milan were defeated 3-1 at San Siro by Borussia Dortmund and are now one step away from being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League group stage. Despite a promising start, the Rossoneri had a disappointing night in Milan. In the opening minutes of the game, Olivier Giroud missed a penalty, and Marco Reus scored from the opposing penalty spot moments later. The Rossoneri responded by equalizing through Samuel Chukwueze, who scored his first goal for the Italian club.
Everything seemed to be going well for the home team until Malick Thiaw’s injury changed the plans of coach Stefano Pioli, who had to deal with his 20th muscular injury since the season began. The Italian manager was forced to replace the German center back with Rade Krunic, a midfielder, but AC Milan’s defense couldn’t hold out for long. Bynoe Gittens and Karim Adeyemi’s goals sealed the game and qualified Dortmund for the knockout stage, while PSG and Newcastle played to a dramatic late draw.
AC Milan can still qualify for the knockout stage of the competition, but they must win their final game away against Newcastle and hope that PSG loses in Dortmund. An unlikely scenario that casts serious doubt on the Italian club’s future. Pioli’s job is definitely in jeopardy, but it’s unclear what the Rossoneri will do in the coming weeks, especially if they fail to advance to the next round of the Champions League. The pressure is mounting on the coach, but it’s not hard to imagine that the club would prefer to wait until the end of the season for a change on the bench.
Similarly, while exiting the group stage may benefit AC Milan in the race for the Serie A title, where Pioli’s team is now six points behind Inter, it may also have a negative impact on the environment and the dressing room itself.
AC Milan is suffering greatly as a result of the injuries. Thiaw’s goal on Tuesday was his 20th of the season, and Pioli is currently without Rafael Leao, Ismael Bennacer, Mattia Caldara, Marco Sportiello, Pierre Kalulu, Marco Pellegrino, Noah Okafor, and Simon Kjaer.
The list of players is long enough that it’s worth asking the technical staff if there is a problem within the team, because this cannot be dismissed as a coincidence, and a solution must be found in the coming months. Pioli was forced to replace Thiaw with Krunic, a midfielder, as a center back against Dortmund. Regardless of the tactical issues, that moment in the game had a significant impact on the minds of some players, who appeared surprised and dejected after another run of bad luck.
The disappointing results, two wins in the last eight in all competitions, and the media pressure are now raising doubts about Pioli’s future, who needs a response in the next games to save his job. If he fails, it is unlikely that the board will appoint a long-term manager right away, preferring to wait until the summer. Regardless of what happens between now and June, the end of the Pioli era at the club appears to be a matter of time.
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