San Siro warms up for the most significant European fixture in almost a decade, as Milan welcome familiar foes Liverpool in a must-win UEFA Champions League fixture. The resurgent Serie A powerhouse have a Herculean task on their hands as they look to progress into the competition’s knock-out stages in the most dramatic fashion.
Milan’s chances of making it out of Group B looked doomed ahead of the previous round. However, Junior Messias’ 87th-minute winner at Atletico Madrid gives the Rossoneri everything to play for going into their meeting with one of Europe’s most in-form sides in their own backyard.
After back-to-back Serie A defeats in the post-November international break period, Stefano Pioli’s men eased past Salernitana at the weekend, cruising to a landslide 2-0 home victory. But beating the current Premier League runners-up will require something special.
Liverpool have claimed their place in the Champions League knock-out phase with two games to spare, courtesy of a 100% win ratio in Group B. Indeed, the Reds have found what many dubbed ‘Group of Death’ a stroll, making light work of their five group stage fixtures so far.
Milan vs Liverpool Head-to-Head
Milan and Liverpool produced a spectacle in the reverse fixture at Anfield, with the Premier League supreme force coming out on top of a five-game thriller. A topsy-turvy encounter in England saw the Reds take on an early lead through Fikayo Tomori’s own goal but end up trailing 2-1 at half-time.
However, Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson made sure to cancel out Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz’s first-half heroics and hand Liverpool a 3-2 win. It was a payback for a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the 2006/07 Champions League grand final.
Milan’s Champions League record against Liverpool is perfectly balanced. Both sides have won one match apiece across their previous three H2Hs in the competition, barring an enthralling 3-3 draw in the famous ‘Istanbul final’ back in 2005. Unfortunately for the Italians, the Reds went on to lift the trophy that time via penalties.
Milan Form Preview
Milan opened their Champions League Group B campaign with three defeats on the bounce despite boasting a half-time lead twice in that spread of matches. When Porto held the Rossoneri to a 1-1 draw at San Siro on Matchday 5, it looked like the Serie A side had been sent packing with two games to spare.
However, a heroic 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid last time out brought Pioli’s team back in contention for a runner-up finish. Sadly, Milan’s qualification prospects are out of their hands. Only a win here, if coupled with Porto’s slump at the Dragao in the other Group B clash, would be sufficient to squeeze the Italians into the knock-outs.
It’s been a while since Milan last won a European meeting with an English opponent. Since a 4-0 demolition of Arsenal in the 2011/12 Champions League last-16, the Rossoneri have gone winless in their subsequent six European showdowns against Premier League adversaries (D1, L5), including the abovementioned heartache at Anfield.
Liverpool Form Preview
Alongside Dutch juggernauts Ajax and perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, Liverpool are one of only three sides to have won all five Champions League group matches this season. A potential victory in Lombardia would see the Reds become the first English side to complete the Champions League group stage campaign with a 100% record.
With a piece of history well within their grasps, Jurgen Klopp’s high-flyers are likely to take no prisoners at San Siro. Virtually unplayable in the Champions League thus far, they have scored 15 goals in five group games to date, three more than the other three Group B participants combined.
Liverpool have hit a purple patch since club football returned to action in mid-November, winning all five matches in the post-November international break period by an aggregate score of 15-2.
Before eking out a narrow 1-0 win at Wolverhampton over the weekend, the Merseyside outfit had netted 2+ goals in 18 consecutive fixtures across all competitions. That alone should serve as an invitation for Milan to bring their A-game to the table.
Milan vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori, Alessio Romagnoli, Theo Hernandez; Franck Kessie, Sandro Tonali; Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz, Rade Krunic; Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Neco Williams, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas; Tyler Morton, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain; Mohamed Salah, Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino.