New Delhi: AC Milan and Liverpool will revive their rivalry as they face each other in match day one of the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 in San Siro, Milan. The two former champions of the continent will take the field with new managers at the helm. Both sides have had a decent start to their season but have a few errors that need to be addressed.
Liverpool’s previous manager, Jurgen Klopp, left the club after nine years at the helm and won the trophy in 2019, qualifying for the tournament with third-place standings in the Premier League. As Arne Slott takes over, the six-time European champions have quite a few top clubs they will face under the tournament’s new format. This includes the reigning champions Real Madrid and Bayern Leverkusen.
Liverpool will have a few sides, which will give them tough competition throughout the season, with Bologna, Girona, RB Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven looking strong coming into the competition. The Reds will go into the competition with four wins from their previous five away matches against an Italian outfit. However, their last encounter saw them crash out of the Europa League in the quarters against Atlanta BC.
Liverpool have conceded only once this season, but that saw them lose their first game in the Premier League this season as Nottingham Forest pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season so far. Still, the team performed well during the season.
On the other hand, AC Milan are coming into the competition with great confidence as they finally won a game this season. It was the manner in which Paul Fonseca’s team won that stands for the team. With two draws from their first three games, Fonseca didn’t have the most ideal start to his Serie A showdown and collected just two points.
With rumours about an early termination from the club, the international break almost revitalised the group. At the weekend, they took a 4-0 win over Venezia. If it is a preview of what is to come, Milan are going to be one of the toughest outfits this season. The side scored all four goals within the first 29 minutes of the game.
The hosts now have their season’s biggest challenge as they start their Champions League campaign. There is little doubt that the two old-time rivals will see Milan try to cut early in the game and avenge their 2021 double losses in the Champions League itself.
Team News
Federico Chiesa’s fitness has been given one of the utmost priority as the attacker has yet to debut in Liverpool. Despite taking part in a few training sessions, Chiesa wasn’t part of the squad that lost to Forest. However, he could be playing his maiden game for Liverpool in his homeland, though Slot has mentioned that he won’t be starting the game. Harvey Elliott is out of the fixture due to a foot fracture.
Both Cody Gapko and Darwin Nunez made little difference coming off the bench on Saturday, but the Liverpool manager could be tempted to introduce the duo to the starting XI to freshen up his starting XI.
Fonseca’s side will miss the services of Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro FLorenzi and Marco Sportiello in the Champions League season opener owing to injuries. Mike Maignan, though, was never going to be replaced between the goalpost, and Sportiello’s absence makes little difference to the side.
Malick Thiaw is still recovering from an ankle sprain; however, Davide Calabria is likely to be fit to play in the game. Fonseca is likely to stay with the same starting XI that handed him his first win this season, which means their new signings, Alvaro Morata and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, are unlikely to join the XI.
Predicted lineups
AC Milan: Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nune
When, where, and how to watch the AC Milan vs Liverpool match in India?
The AC Milan vs Liverpool UEFA Champions League 2024/25 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Fans can tune into the Sony Sports Ten 5 at 12:30 am to catch the action. Live streaming of the Champions League 2024/25 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.
Match Predictions
Neither side is weak, and they could be playing a stalemate, given that Liverpool has been dangerous this season while having a good away record against Italian clubs. It is AC Milan’s home game, and they are going to be confident coming into the game and could play 1-1.
Liverpool come into the draw with a loss in their last game despite being on strong roll in the season. They face an AC Milan that has just found their winning combination in the season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
