Slovan Bratislava vs AC Milan

Tehelné pole sets the stage for a lopsided UEFA Champions League encounter between Slovan Bratislava and AC Milan.

Nailed to the bottom of the 34-team table as one of only five teams in this season’s Champions League yet to pick up a single point, Slovan’s maiden appearance in the competition’s main draw has been an awful experience. Vladimir Weiss’ fragile backline has been a great source of concern, with the Slovak giants conceding a competition second-high 15 goals! That’s not to mention they’ve capitulated four times in both previous Champions League home outings against Dinamo Zagreb and Manchester City, replying only once. Slovan’s rough start forms part of a disastrous seven-game losing run in major European competitions, accounting for their worst continental patch since 2014! On the bright side, Weiss’ men haven’t lost any of their last seven domestic league fixtures (W7, D2), though translating that form to the continental stage has proved impossible.

In the meantime, Milan’s Champions League journey is back on track after a two-game losing start to the newly formatted league phase. Paulo Fonseca’s men got off the mark with a 3-1 home win against Club Brugge before that same scoreline saw them pull off a stunning triumph at Real Madrid in the previous round. However, ‘I Rossoneri ‘have since drawn back-to-back Serie A matches against Cagliari and Juventus, losing a potentially crucial ground on table-topping Napoli. With Fonseca’s future at Stadio San Siro still in the balance, the Italians head to Bratislava seeking a third consecutive Champions League win by a multiple-goal margin for the first time since April 2005.