Liverpool take on AC Milan in first Champions League outing of the season
Liverpool return to the Champions League after a year-long hiatus from the competition. The Reds’ first fixture of the tournament’s new format comes against one of only two sides who have won the European Cup more times than them – AC Milan. Arne Slot’s men visit the San Siro on Tuesday, September 17th, at 20:00 UK.
After facing their first defeat under the Dutchman against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, the Champions League clash is the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to find a favourable result and kickstart their continental campaign. It goes without saying that they will be among the hot favourites to win the competition at the end of the season.
Milan, meanwhile, come into the fixture having won just one Serie A match in four attempts so far in 2024-25. They sit ninth in the Italian top-flight but comfortably beat Venezia 4-0 on home soil before their Champions League opener.
Team News
AC Milan
AC Milan are missing a number of crucial players for the fixture against Liverpool. Alessandro Florenzi and Ismail Bennacer are sidelined with long-term injuries until the end of the year and will be unavailable for the match. Marco Sportiello is also ruled out until the first of October and will miss the game, whereas Malick Thiaw remains doubtful due to an ankle injury.
In spite of winning just one match out of four so far on the domestic front, Milan are the joint top scorers alongside Juventus and Napoli in the Italian top-flight. Their best attacking options which include the likes of Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Tammy Abraham are expected to play against Liverpool and will be some of the biggest danger-men from Paulo Fonseca’s side,
Like for Arne Slot, it would be a maiden Champions League match for the Portuguese boss having taken over from Stefano Pioli as the manager earlier this summer.
PREDICTED MILAN XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Hernandez, Pavlovic, Tomori, Royal; Reijnders, Fofana; Leao, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic; Abraham
Liverpool
Liverpool have a fit squad to call upon for the trip to Milan with the exception of Harvey Elliott, who was injured while on international duty and is set to serve a few months on the sidelines. Federico Chiesa has still not attained match fitness and it remains to be seen whether he will be on the flight to his homeland.
The Reds have looked solid defensively despite a recent blip against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Arne Slot will once again trust his key players for the fixture against AC Milan with there unlikely to be any squad rotations, primarily due to the difficulty of the clash and what it could mean in terms of standings by the end of the league phase.
Once more, Mohamed Salah will need to be the key to unlocking Milan and will definitely start. Liverpool’s only change from their starting eleven last time around could come with the inclusion of Darwin Nunez instead of Diogo Jota. The Uruguayan has yet to start a match this season and having played just 62 minutes, he could get his turn in the Champions League.
PREDICTED LIVERPOOL XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez.
Key Stats
- AC Milan with seven European Cup wins are the only team besides Real Madrid (15) to be more successful than Liverpool in the competition. The Reds, who have six titles, will face both clubs in the competition’s league phase.
- Liverpool’s Champions League final against AC Milan in 2005, which ended up in the Reds’ favour on penalties after a 3-3 draw in regulation time, is the highest scoring final of the competition in the last 20 years.
- Liverpool have won two of their four matches against AC Milan, losing just once. That particular defeat came in the 2007 edition of the Champions League final in Athens, Greece.
Match deciding duel
Theo Hernandez vs Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is by far the most experience offensive player in the Liverpool team and will be expected to perform at an optimal level against AC Milan. A player who has turned up in so many big games for the Reds over the years will need to be the differential once more if the team is to make an auspicious start in the Champions League.
Salah will be up against a solid opponent in Theo Hernandez, however. The former Real Madrid full-back is also a formidable option going forward so the Egyptian international could even have to contribute defensively to ensure that Trent Alexander-Arnold is not shorthanded against Hernandez and Rafael Leao.
Prediction
Milan 2-2 Liverpool
Liverpool have what it takes to beat AC Milan but some of their defensive frailties were exposed against Nottingham Forest. That said, the best offensive side in Serie A is more capable of exploiting the Reds than any other Premier League side they have played so far. That’s not to say that Liverpool will struggle against Milan, however.
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It will be a very even tie regardless of the two teams making contrasting starts to their domestic leagues but a four-goal thriller should see Milan and Liverpool share the spoils.
