AC Milan vs Liverpool Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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With 13 UEFA Champions Leagues/European Cups between them, it is perhaps the first evidence of what the new UEFA Champions League format aims to do as two heavyweights clash on the first match day of the season at San Siro.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 17th September, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Amazon Prime / US – Paramount+, ViX
AC MILAN PREVIEW: SLOW START
Seven-time European champions AC Milan changed their manager over the summer with 2021/22 Serie A winner Stefano Pioli sacked and replaced by former Lille, Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma boss Paulo Fonseca but the Portuguese manager had a tricky opening few weeks to his time in charge of the Rossoneri.
With arguments going on about the dropping of key players Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao, AC Milan went into the September international break having collected just two points from their opening three matches. They did manage a morale boosting 4-0 win against Venezia at the weekend in a game in which they were 4-0 up inside half an hour.
LIVERPOOL PREVIEW: STRONG START SLOWED FOR SLOT
Jurgen Klopp departed Anfield this summer and he carried on the legacy and tradition of Liverpool enjoying famous European nights or going deep into this competition with one trophy and two other final appearance. Arne Slot must buy into that, too, but must also be quick to correct issues from the weekend.
After an excellent start to the campaign in which the Reds enjoyed three wins out of three without conceding against Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United; Liverpool then suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest with a second-half winner scored by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
AC MILAN TEAM NEWS: BENNACER FRUSTRATION
Frustratingly for Paulo Fonseca, AC Milan and the player himself, Ismael Bennacer; the former Arsenal midfielder and Algeria international is set for another spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury over the international break.
Malick Thiaw remains a doubt and isn’t expected to play against Liverpool this week with experienced goalkeeper Marco Sportiello also sidelined for the hosts alongside former Roma utility man Alessandro Florenzi.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Pavlovic, Tomori, Hernandez; Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Alvaro Morata
UNAVAILABLE: Sportiello (Injured), Florenzi (Injured), Bennacer (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Thiaw (Injured)
LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS: CHIESA FITNESS ISSUES
Arne Slot has had to leave Harvey Elliott out of his UEFA Champions League squad due to injury so the England U21 international is the only confirmed first-team absentee for this opening game.
There are doubts over the fitness level of new summer signing Federico Chiesa with the Italy international once again not even on the bench at the weekend in that aforementioned loss to Nottingham Forest.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz; Diogo Jota
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
KEY STATS
- AC Milan have lost on Matchday 1 in only three of their previous 20 UEFA Champions League campaigns (W11 D6).
- AC Milan have won nine and drawn two of their previous 12 home fixtures on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League (W9 D2 L1). Their only defeat at home on Matchday 1 was in September 1996 against Porto (L 3-2).
- AC Milan are unbeaten in their last four UEFA competition matches against English teams (W2 D2). However, going back further they have won only three of their last 21 such fixtures (D6 12).
- No USA player has appeared in more matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper than Christian Pulišić – this could be his 55th appearance.
- The most recent meetings between these two teams were in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League group stage, Liverpool won both fixtures (3-2 at home and 2-1 away).
- Liverpool have won four of their last five UEFA competition matches away from home against Italian clubs (L1).
- Liverpool have won seven of their last ten UEFA competition matches (L3).
- Liverpool won 11 of their last 12 matches in the UEFA Champions League group stage (L1).
- Liverpool have lost on Matchday 1 in only three of their previous 15 UEFA Champions League campaigns (W8 D4).
- Liverpool have won their previous two competitive matches away from home this season without conceding a goal.
- Mohamed Salah is the joint-top African scorer in the UEFA Champions League competition proper alongside Didier Drogba with 44 goals.
- Virgil van Dijk is set to make his 50th appearance in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
AC MILAN VS LIVERPOOL PREDICTION
These two have faced each other in two UEFA Champions League finals within the last 20 years. AC Milan are not what they were and, to an extent, nor are Liverpool but both have new managers looking to reclaim their seat at the very top table of European football. Both managers will have concerns, to very differing degrees, over the respective starts to the season and, in all fairness, it would actually be quite difficult to see this current version of Milan turning Liverpool over, even at San Siro.
AC MILAN VS LIVERPOOL TIP: DOUBLE CHANCE – LIVERPOOL TO WIN OR DRAW
