AC Milan and Liverpool are set to reignite their Champions League rivalry in Tuesday’s league phase curtain-raiser at the iconic San Siro Stadium.
The two former European champions will debut the new Champions League era under new managers this season, with Arne Slot leading Liverpool and Paulo Fonseca guiding Milan.
Liverpool head into the mouth-watering showdown looking to bounce back from their domestic disappointment, while Milan welcome their European counterparts in a much better mood after their big win over the weekend.
Despite dealing with a packed schedule, both sides are expected to field strong starting line-ups, paving the way for an exciting contest at San Siro.
For fans itching to catch the action live, Champions League tickets are available on Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
Match Preview
Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the helm of Liverpool saw him deliver on his promise to return Champions League football to Anfield.
However, it came with a third-place finish in the Premier League rather than the Europa League triumph some had predicted earlier in the campaign.
Liverpool fans have much to look forward to as the Reds take on a series of high-profile opponents in the revamped Champions League format.
Between this month and January, the six-time European champions will face several blockbuster fixtures, with Anfield showdowns against reigning champions Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen promising to be highlights of the season.
These matches are part of the new-look league phase of the competition, where 36 teams are pitted against each other in a bid to finish among the top eight and secure automatic passage to the last 16.
Liverpool have been handed a relatively smooth path to the knockout rounds but they cannot afford any hint of complacency.
Teams like Bologna, RB Leipzig, Girona, Lille, and PSV Eindhoven will also be battling to qualify for the knockout stages.
For those finishing between ninth and 24th in the league phase, a play-off safety net offers another shot at advancing, while the bottom-ranked teams – those placed 25th to 36th – will be eliminated from European competition entirely.
Liverpool head to San Siro for one of their key fixtures with some confidence, having won four of their last five away games against Italian opposition in European tournaments.
However, the memory of their painful exit at the hands of Atalanta in last season’s Europa League quarter-finals will be a reminder that nothing can be taken for granted, especially after their performance over the weekend.
Despite starting their Premier League campaign in strong fashion, winning their first three games without conceding a goal, Liverpool hit a stumbling block over the weekend.
The Reds succumbed to a shocking 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest, courtesy of a stunning goal from Callum Hudson Odoi, which was enough
to punish Liverpool’s alarming profligacy in front of goal.
Liverpool must find their rhythm again to ensure they kick off their Champions League journey without a hitch, but it will be far from a cakewalk.
Milan secured their first victory of the 2024/25 Serie A season in stunning fashion last weekend, defeating newly promoted Venezia 4-0 at the San Siro.
This win came as a relief for new manager Paulo Fonseca, who had endured a difficult start to his tenure.
After two draws and a defeat in his first three matches, the international break seemed to rejuvenate the team.
The former Lille manager faced early pressure, with whispers of a potential sacking after just a few games.
However, his team’s performance against Venezia showed clear signs of progress.
By the 29th minute, Milan had already put four goals past their opponents, thanks to efforts from Theo Hernandez, Youssouf Fofana, Christian Pulisic, and Rafael Leao.
Their commanding display helped Fonseca secure his first win as Milan’s manager and eased concerns surrounding his leadership.
Fonseca will be eager for his side to build on the victory over Venezia on Tuesday as he becomes only the second Portuguese manager, after Jose Mourinho, to guide an Italian team in the Champions League.
Milan’s opponents include Spanish giants Real Madrid, Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, and newcomers Girona.
In addition, the Rossoneri will face off against Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb, Slovan Bratislava, and Red Star Belgrade, but they first have to get past Liverpool in midweek.
Memories of past encounters between the two sides still linger.
While Milan avenged their infamous loss in the 2005 Champions League final by beating Liverpool in 2007, the Reds got the better of them during the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League.
Key Stats
Liverpool holds a slight advantage over Milan in their Champions League history, winning two of their four meetings (D1, L1).
One of Liverpool’s key strengths lies in their record at San Siro.
The Reds have won all three of their Champions League matches there, with their most recent victory coming in 2021.
In that game, Liverpool defeated Milan 2-1, adding to their impressive track record in Italy.
Remarkably, Liverpool are the only team to have played multiple games at the San Siro as visitors in the Champions League and maintained a 100% win record.
Liverpool have also been strong in away games against Italian teams, winning four of their last five matches in Italy.
Meanwhile, Milan have enjoyed a good run against English teams in recent seasons.
The Italian side are unbeaten in their last four Champions League matches against English opposition, with these games all taking place over the last two seasons.
Team News & Potential Line-ups
Milan will be without key players Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, and Marco Sportiello for the upcoming showdown against Liverpool, while Malick Thiaw and Davide Calabria are still in doubt.
On Liverpool’s side, midfielder Harvey Elliott is out for about a month after suffering a fractured foot.
However, there’s some good news for the Reds, as Federico Chiesa, though yet to make his debut, has travelled with the team and could make his first appearance back in Italy.
Slot has ruled out naming the Italy international in the starting line-up, but he could get some minutes during the game if the Reds require his services.
Alexis Mac Allister only featured for an hour against Nottingham Forest but isn’t facing any injury concerns and should be available to face Milan. Strikers Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo will also be eager to get some time on the pitch, especially if Slot decides to shake things up in attack.
AC Milan potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Mike Maignan; Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Theo Hernandez; Tijani Reijnders, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek; Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, Rafael Leao.
Liverpool possible starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahim Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson; Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Darwin Nunez.
