Will Conceicao unleash his four beasts at the same time?

As part of tonight's Champions League playoff program, Italian Milan will face Dutch Feyenoord (23.00). The fashion capital's club did not meet expectations in the first phase of the competition. The Rossoneri finished the group stage in 13th place, just one point behind the team that directly qualified for the round of 16. As a result, Sergio Conceicao’s team will have to fight hard for their spot among the top 16 teams in Europe.

Portuguese strategist is seriously considering fielding a highly offensive lineup for Milan’s match against Feyenoord in Rotterdam. The idea of having Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, and Santiago Gimenez play together is very tempting. However, for this to be feasible, Pulisic and Leao would need to take on the added responsibility of contributing more defensively when Milan is out of possession.

Additionally, Theo Hernandez and Kyle Walker would have to be nearly flawless, Youssouf Fofana would need to play with the energy of two players, and Fikayo Tomori and Strahinja Pavlovic would have to operate with a very small margin for error. This is why it’s possible that Conceicao may opt for a more cautious starting setup with Filippo Terracciano in midfield (as Yunus Musah is suspended due to yellow cards) and a 4-3-3 formation.

In Italian media, Milan's attacking potential, made up of an American, two Portuguese players, and a Mexican, has already been dubbed the “Fantastic 4.” Of course, tonight it’s expected that the unwritten rule will be proven true: attackers against their former clubs typically find the back of the net. It’s been less than a month since Feyenoord’s last big triumph this season (a win over Bayern) with Gimenez’s brace.

The 50-year-old coach is still haunted by the loss in Zagreb, which complicated Milan's path and forced them to play two extra games in the Champions League. It seems the Portuguese coach is determined to settle the issue of qualifying for the round of 16 tonight at “Het Tignaan” (the stadium where he achieved a hat trick for Portugal against Germany in Euro 2000), one of the biggest satisfactions in his playing career.

The Dutch team is currently in crisis, far from the top of the Eredivisie table, having changed their coach again, and sold their best player, Santiago Gimenez. The only bright moment in 2025 so far was their surprise 3-0 victory over Bayern in the Champions League.

So, everything seems to be falling into place for the Rossoneri.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - PLAYOFFS

Tuesday

Brest - PSG 0-3 (0-2)

/Vitinha 21(p), Dembele 45,66/

Juventus - PSV 2-1 (1-0)

/McKennie 34, Mbangula 82 - Perisic 56/

Man.City - Real Madrid 2-2 (1-0)

/Haaland 19, 80 - Mbappe 60, Diaz 86/

Sporting - Dortmund 0-3 (0-0)

/Guirassy 60, Gross 68, Adeyemi 82/

Wednesday

20.45: (3.60) Club Brugge (3.40) Atalanta (2.10)

23.00: (7.75) Celtic (4.80) Bayern (1.40)

23.00: (2.95) Feyenoord (3.45) Milan (2.35)

23.00: (2.35) Monaco (3.45) Benfica (2.95)

***odds are subject to change***