AC Milan vs Liverpool

Stadio San Siro sets the stage for a mouth-watering UEFA Champions League encounter between familiar foes AC Milan and Liverpool.

Since beating Liverpool in the 2007 final in Athens, Milan have become marginal figures in the Champions League. Perhaps the new format could help the seven-time European champions restore glory days at San Siro, where they dispatched Venezia 4-0 at the weekend to halt a dismal three-game winless Serie A start under new manager Paulo Fonseca (D2, L1). However, ‘I Rossoneri’ haven’t encountered much luck against English opponents since that triumphant night in the Greek capital, picking up just three wins in their 21 subsequent clashes against Premier League clubs (D6, L12). As if that’s not concerning enough, the Italians have won less than 50% of their last 18 Champions League outings on home turf (W7, D3, L8), casting further doubt on their ambition to avenge a brace of group-stage H2H defeats in the 2021/22 UCL season.

Unlike his Milan counterpart, new Liverpool boss Arne Slot couldn’t have hoped for a better way to kick off his Anfield tenure as he won his opening three Premier League games in charge without conceding. However, the Reds didn’t have the preparation for this fixture they wanted as minnows Nottingham Forest triumphed 1-0 on Merseyside at the weekend. Liverpool competed in the Europa League last season and slumped to a 3-1 aggregate loss to Milan’s domestic rivals Atalanta in the quarter-finals despite winning the away leg 1-0. That victory at least solidified their recent record in Italy, making it four wins from their last five visits to the country (L1). The Reds will be confident of adding to that tally after emerging victorious from eight of their last ten Champions League away matches (L2).