FULL TIME
1-3
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
AC Milan: possible starting lineup: Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao
Liverpool: possible starting lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez
Match Preview
Liverpool and AC Milan clash at the San Siro in their opening game of the new Champions League league phase, both under fresh management. Arne Slot and Paulo Fonseca lead their respective teams into this high-stakes encounter, with Liverpool looking to recover from a Premier League setback and Milan hoping to build on a recent Serie A victory.
For Liverpool, new signing Federico Chiesa is nearing his debut after joining the club, but manager Slot is being cautious with the Italian’s fitness. Chiesa missed Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest over the weekend, and while he’s in the squad for the trip to Italy, he won’t start. Slot may use him as a substitute to ease him back to match fitness. Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott is sidelined with a foot fracture, leaving Liverpool short of attacking options.
Cody Gakpo and Darwin Núñez, who both came off the bench against Forest without much impact, are in line for potential starts in Milan. With just 72 hours between the Forest defeat and this Champions League fixture, Slot is expected to rotate his squad to keep key players fresh for the intense schedule ahead.
As for Milan, Fonseca’s team also has several injury concerns. Ismaël Bennacer (ankle), Alessandro Florenzi (ACL), and Marco Sportiello (ligament) are all unavailable, although Maignan’s place in goal is secure despite Sportiello’s injury. German defender Malick Thiaw is still recovering from an ankle sprain and is doubtful, but captain Davide Calabria has recovered from a minor leg issue and should be available.
After finally securing their first league win of the season with a 4-0 demolition of Venezia, Fonseca is likely to stick with a similar starting lineup. Tammy Abraham, who led the line impressively over the weekend, is set to keep his spot over summer signing Álvaro Morata. Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, both familiar with English football from their time at Chelsea, are expected to retain their places in the starting XI, while Rafael Leão will look to continue his strong form on the left wing.
With both teams boasting impressive attacking talent but also dealing with absences, the game promises to be an intriguing battle, especially considering Liverpool’s solid record against Italian clubs in Europe.