Two of the most storied clubs in the UEFA Champions League clash this week as Real Madrid welcome AC Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu with crucial three points up for grabs.
Both teams are the two most successful outfits in the competition’s history, with 22 titles between themselves, and they have played out some memorable clashes. They will be looking to add another epic match-up to the history books.
This tie is expected to deliver a classic so fans should take advantage of unbelievable prices on Seatsnet.com to secure their Champions League tickets for this Clash of the Titans.
Los Blancos come into the game still reeling from their 4-0 embarrassment at the hands of local rivals Barcelona at home, with their clash against Valencia postponed due to the flood ravishing Spain.
Madrid will have a chip on their shoulders following an underwhelming start to the 2024/25 season. They were the league and Champions League winners and bolstered their roster with Kylian Mbappe.
Despite adding one of the world’s best players, the attack has looked less fluid while lacking dynamism.
Many could have seen the positional struggles coming from a mile away. But the thought of having a frontline of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Mbappe was too tempting for Madrid president Florentino Perez to pass up.
The forward trio have failed to gel into a unit, while Jude Bellingham, behind them, has struggled to reach the heights of last season in the goals and assists department.
Their poor start in the league leaves them in second place, and Barcelona’s win over Espanyol means the Catalans have pulled nine points clear of the champions, who have a game in hand.
In the Champions League, Los Blancos find themselves in 12th place on the table after a frustrating start to their search for a 16th title.
They opened their UCL campaign with an unconvincing 3-1 win over Stuttgart. Despite securing the win, the heavyweights spent large portions of the game against the rope as the Bundesliga side carved them open.
They snuck a win against Die Schwaben, but Lille proved too stubborn on the second matchday, holding on for a famous 1-0 victory.
Madrid bounced back with a win over Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling encounter. Der BVB held a 2-0 lead but produced the mother of all capitulations as they conceded five in the second half.
Madrid will be desperate for three points against the Rossoneri on Tuesday as they look to push into the upper echelons of the UCL standings.
Meanwhile, Milan parted ways with coach Stefano Pioli, and the board surprisingly hired Paulo Fonseca. He was never a popular choice with the fans, and his uninspiring brand of football has not won them over.
The Rossoneri claimed an unconvincing win over Monza in their previous league clatch, but it was another glimpse into the lack of progress under the Portuguese tactician.
Milan continue to look as blunt as they did in the final Pioli days. The new coach has not settled on his favoured central defensive pairing, while his ongoing spat with influential pair Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez only frustrates his efforts.
The 19-time Serie A champions sit in seventh place on the league log, but their position on the UCL table somehow looks even worse for a team that reached the semi-final two seasons ago.
Milan are languishing down in 25th with only one win after three matchdays – a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in the last round.
Their campaign opened with a mouthwatering tie against Liverpool. They started well but faded considerably against Arne Slot’s men as the Merseysiders won 3-1. Next, the seven-time UCL winners travelled to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen but succumbed to a 1-0 defeat.
Milan need a morale-boosting win to kickstart this Fonseca tenure, and it would be something if it came against Real Madrid, but they would need to play out of their skin to get a result against Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Head to Head
Madrid and Milan unsurprisingly share a rich history in European competition. They have faced off 15 times, with both sides taking six wins (D3).
However, they have not locked horns since the group stage of the 2010/2011 UCL campaign when Madrid came out on top in Spain thanks to goals from Mesut Ozil and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Milan were so close to sneaking a win in Italy after Filippo Inzaghi’s stellar brace overpowered a Gonzalo Higuain opener. But Pedro Leon bagged a 90+4 minute equaliser to force a stalemate.
The year before, Milan had won the battle for supremacy. An ageing Milan squad demolished an expensively assembled Galactico team in Spain. It remains their only win over Madrid at the Bernabeu. They drew 1-1 in Italy.
Team News
Real Madrid will be without Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo, and David Alaba for the match. However, Antonio Rudiger is expected to recover from a recent knee issue and be fit for selection.
The team has not played since El Clasico, and Ancelotti can field a strong line-up without surprises. Vinicius and Mbappe will lead the line, while Luka Modric may be preferred over the off-form Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield.
On the other hand, Milan will miss super substitute Luka Jovic, influential defender Matteo Gabbia, midfield maestro Ismael Bennacer, and Alessandro Florenzi due to injuries.
However, Tammy Abraham has returned to the squad after facing Monza and will be available for selection.
Leao started on the bench against Monza and has struggled to find form this season but is expected to return to the starting XI.
Emerson Royal could reclaim the right-back starting berth from Filippo Terracciano and will have a tough job silencing a livid Vinicius. Former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is set to take the centre-forward role.
Real Madrid Predicted Starting Line-up:
(4-3-1-2): Andriy Lunin; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy; Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric; Jude Bellingham; Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe.
AC Milan Predicted Starting Line-up:
(4-3-3): Mike Maignan; Emerson Royal, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Yunus Musah, Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders; Christian Pulisic, Alvaro Morata, Rafael Leao.
Prediction
With the Madrid squad eager to redeem themselves after recent stumbles, expect the La Liga side to come out with intensity and purpose.
Milan will likely put up a resilient fight, but Madrid’s attacking quality — spearheaded by Vinicius and Mbappe — could be too much for the Rossoneri to handle.
A revitalised Madrid could seize control and capitalise on Milan’s defensive instability, ending the night with a 3-1 victory and much-needed momentum in their Champions League campaign.
Prediction: Madrid 3-1 Milan
