AC Milan vs Club Brugge Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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Paulo Fonseca has already been under a fair bit of pressure this season as the new AC Milan boss but they did get a much-needed victory at San Siro at the weekend as they now welcome Belgian champions Club Brugge to Milan this week.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 22nd October, 2024 - UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
AC MILAN PREVIEW: PRESSURE ON THE ROSSONERI
Stefano Pioli, who helped AC Milan win the 2021/22 Serie A title, departed the club in the summer and was replaced by former Shakhtar Donetsk, Roma and Lille boss Paulo Fonseca. The Rossoneri have put in some awful performances with a bit of infighting also causing pressure to grow on the manager but they have slightly improved in the last month or so.
In their most recent outing, AC Milan welcomed Udinese to the Giuseppe Meazza and managed to defeat the Friulians by a goal to nil. Samu Chukwueze scored an early winner before Tijjani Reijnders was sent off in the 29th minute. That victory followed on from losing to both Fiorentina and Bayer Leverkusen before the October international break.
CLUB BRUGGE PREVIEW: CLUB BRUGGE’S INCONSISTENCY
Last season, for the vast majority of the campaign, Club Brugge struggled but eventually came through to win the Belgian Jupiler Pro League title by pipping Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in the end of season championship round. They are, though, still quite guilty of a bit of inconsistency in both their results and performances.
The visitors defeated Westerlo by two goals to one at the weekend in the Jupiler Pro League after a three-match winless run of form in Belgium’s top-flight. They have won one and lost one of their opening couple of games in the UEFA Champions League, most recently winning in Austria by a goal to nil against Sturm Graz.
AC MILAN TEAM NEWS: KEY ABSENTEES
AC Milan are dealing with a few issues for this week’s visit of Club Brugge as Davide Calabria remains sidelined alongside both Alessandro Florenzi and Ismael Bennacer.
It is quite a confusing AC Milan squad chock full of genuinely exciting talent with several forwards but nobody yet, bar Christian Pulisic, to stamp their name on the best eleven.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson Royal, Thiaw, Pavlovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata
UNAVAILABLE: Calabria (Injured), Florenzi (Injured), Bennacer (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
CLUB BRUGGE TEAM NEWS: KEY INJURIES
Club Brugge have developed some excellent talent in recent years but they are missing a couple of members of their squad that have more pedigree than that ahead of this week.
Defender Gustaf Nilsson is sidelined alongside key forward Andreas Skov Olsen. As well as those two, Bjorn Meijer is a doubt for the trip to San Siro this week.
PREDICTED XI (4-1-4-1): Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onyedika; Vetlesen, Jashari, Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla
UNAVAILABLE: Nilsson (Injured), Skov Olsen (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Meijer (Injured)
KEY STATS
- AC Milan and Club Brugge are meeting in a UEFA competition for the first time since the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League group stage. Both fixtures finished 1-0 to the away team. Club Brugge’s 1-0 victory in Milan was on 22 October 2003.
- AC Milan have lost only one of their last 12 UEFA competition matches against Belgian teams (W6 D5) and have won four and drawn one of the five most recent encounters.
- AC Milan have lost their last four UEFA competition matches.
- AC Milan have won only two of their last 11 matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper (D3 L6).
- Club Brugge are without a win in their last 13 UEFA competition matches against Italian teams (D5 L8). Since a 1-0 victory away from home against AC Milan on 22 October 2003 in the UEFA Champions League group stage
- Club Brugge have lost only three of their last 18 UEFA competition matches (W12 D3).
- Club Brugge are unbeaten in their last four UEFA Champions League group/league phase matches away from home (W2 D2).
- Club Brugge have only failed to score in one of their last 18 UEFA competition matches.
- Club Brugge have not conceded a goal in their last four UEFA Champions League group/league phase matches away from home.
AC MILAN VS CLUB BRUGGE PREDICTION
Paulo Fonseca’s AC Milan have started their 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign with back-to-back defeats but they have had tough matches against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen. Club Brugge will go to Milan and get on the front foot with an attacking style of football and Milan can be unconvincing. Milan will be firm favourites for this one with both teams scoring looking a good value bet, too.
AC MILAN VS CLUB BRUGGE TIP: AC MILAN TO WIN & BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
