AC Milan v Real Madrid is set to take place on Sunday evening at the Wörthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt, Austria. It’s one of the Rossoneri‘s last pre-season games of the summer, but clearly a big one. Real Madrid are always a major foe to take on, and this presents a match between the two clubs with the most Champions League trophies in Europe.
AC Milan v Real Madrid: What to Look for
The Performance of Mike Maignan
Mike Maignan will be looked at under a magnifying glass all season. This, of course, is due to him replacing Italian starlet Gianluigi Donnarumma, who left Milan for Paris Saint-Germain.
Maignan was the top goalkeeper in Ligue 1 last season, leading Lille to a domestic title as well as being a part of France’s top defence. He’s wise beyond his years and has spider-like reflexes, able to stop the toughest of shots. The Frenchman, however, will always have a tough task of living up to Donnarumma’s previous reputation and outstanding performances in Milan’s goal.
He’s played in Milan’s previous friendlies and did well. That’s all well and good. The difference in this match, however, is playing against football’s top talent. At the end of the day, the match is still a friendly, but Maignan will be put to the test against various Champions League winners in the game of AC Milan v Real Madrid.
Simon Kjaer Set for Return in AC Milan v Real Madrid
Simon Kjaer is back in Milan after the Euro 2020 competition and the break he took afterwards. The Danish international put in incredible performances at Euro 2020, and had hero-like displays on the first matchday. There have been rumblings about him becoming Milan’s new captain.
Kjaer has basically assured a starting spot. Besides being a leader, he remains a strong defender. Milan fans have desperately awaited his return. His partner in defence is Fikayo Tomori. The duo are likely to start against Real Madrid. This will be an interesting match-up for them, facing the likes Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr., Luka Modric, and others.
The duo played against strong attacks last season in Inter Milan and Juventus, and this match-up will have them ready for the start of Serie A and the Champions League.
Rafael Leão in Attack
Rafael Leão remains an enigma at Milan. At times, his star potential is at full display. At other times, he looks lost on the pitch. The Portuguese international is still just 22-years-old, so there’s plenty of time for him to live up to his potential.
In Milan’s last friendly earlier this week, versus Valencia, Leão put in a fantastic performance and had a wonderful goal disallowed. All eyes will be on him in the Real Madrid match, to see how well he performs against an even better defence.
As of now, on Milan’s depth chart, there are two main strikers. They are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud. The duo is experienced and still good enough, but there’s no true third striker. Leão must prove that he can play this role when needed, and a goal in this match may do the trick.
Main Photo
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