Newcastle United have waited two decades for this moment, and it's finally here.
The Magpies are set to play in the Champions League after an arduous, lengthy absence, and while Tyneside is rife with excitement and anticipation, it is the historic ground of the San Siro that will serve as Newcastle's return to the prestigious continental tournament.
Signing four players to the first-team fold this summer, manager Eddie Howe has bolstered a cohesive outfit with some exciting talent, and while the Toon have only picked up six points from their opening five Premier League matches, the future looks bright indeed.
AC Milan will produce a tough test, despite suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat in the Derby di Milano, with Inter Milan maintaining their perfect record in Serie A.
Newcastle will be emboldened by their recent 1-0 victory over Brentford, however, but now must ensure that they produce a performance capable of silencing the Rossoneri crowd tonight. To do so, perhaps Lewis Hall could be entrusted with his first start in Geordie colours after joining from Chelsea on loan in August, with an obligation to buy for £34m.
What is Lewis Hall good at?
The talented teenager – a boyhood Magpie – impressed in his breakout year last term despite Chelsea's struggles, making 11 appearances across all competitions, having been praised for his "great" displays by Blues legend John Terry.
In the Premier League, he created five big chances, averaging 1.7 key passes per game, completed 84% of his passes, made 2.6 tackles per game and won 59% of his duels, as per Sofascore – having also been described as a "top-tier talent" with "unbelievable dribbling ability" by BBC Sports' Raj Chohan.
As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries, the top 4% for tackles and the top 8% for interceptions per 90.
Having largely featured as a full-back for Chelsea, but also proving component during his formative days as a midfielder, Howe might be inclined to utilise the 19-year-old in a new central role against the forthcoming Italian opposition, pumping in some youthful exuberance to outfox Milan.
Who should Lewis Hall replace?
Sean Longstaff received his first start of the season against Thomas Frank's Bees, and while he suffered an uninspiring first half, he did grow into the game and started to exhibit his fitness and energy to great effect in the closing stages.
Because of this, perhaps he would be well-suited to an introduction after the break at the San Siro; in what will undoubtedly be a fiery and competitive fixture, his skills could pay dividends in either breaking down the opposition or preserving a lead.
Longstaff has been praised as Newcastle's "unsung hero" by pundit Jamie Redknapp, and indeed carries out his work industriously, but Newcastle have been lacking an attacking threat since obliterating Aston Villa 5-1 in the opening game of the campaign, and Hall would offer creativity while also – as his FBref statistics highlight – a resilient defensive component.
Picking up Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season award in 2021/22, Hall looks like a truly remarkable prospect and will soon be ready for a starring role in Howe's side, but as he proved last season, he already boasts skills capable of seeing both himself and his teammates thrive in decisive moments.
Perhaps starting him wouldn't be the worst idea in the world; alongside the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali – who joined from AC Milan for £55m in the summer – Hall could produce a prodigious performance to kickstart his Toon career and set the club on their way in the Champions League with a galvanising result.
