Important and Delicate. AC Milan hosts Club Brugge at San Siro for Matchday 3 of the Champions League, aiming to secure their first European victory of the season. For the Rossoneri, it’s a match they cannot afford to get wrong, while for the Belgians, it’s an opportunity to achieve a historic upset. Kick-off is at 18:45 CEST. Let’s delve into all the details and topics leading up to the match.
LATEST FROM MILANELLO
Victory restored in the league, the Rossoneri are now seeking their first win in the Champions League. Following defeats to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge presents an opportunity to turn things around in Europe. The 1-0 win against Udinese after the break has boosted confidence. Now it’s time for Fonseca’s side to find consistency on the pitch. Barring any last-minute surprises, there will be no doubts about the lineup, as the Rossoneri coach announced the starting eleven in the press conference. Maignan, Emerson Royal, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernández, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Reijnders, Leão, Pulisic, and Morata. There are five changes compared to the Serie A match, with Theo, Rafa, Tomori, Gabbia, and Loftus-Cheek returning to the starting lineup. Abraham and Calabria are absent.
“The Champions League is a different competition,” Fonseca commented on the eve of the match. “We want to keep growing and progressing in this competition, and to do that, we need to win tomorrow. It’s not a decisive match, but it is important. Club Brugge plays very well and has great quality- We will need to be focused”.
LATEST FROM CLUB BRUGGE
A strong start in the Champions League has helped the team overcome a fluctuating phase in the league as well. Recently, Club Brugge has developed a knack for away victories, from their win against Sturm Graz in Europe (a 1-0 triumph courtesy of Tzolis) to a more recent victory against Westerlo, which ended a streak of three games without a win in the league. After being defeated 3-0 by Dortmund in their opener, the Belgians are eager to secure a result against a top team, building on their already impressive performance against the Germans, and they dream of achieving this at San Siro. Mignolet and Vanaken are the experienced players to watch, while De Cuyper, Onyedika, Tzolīs, and Skov Olsen are the ones to keep an eye on. Meijer is the only confirmed absentee.
The words of coach Nicky Hayen in the press conference: “AC Milan has great quality, and we expect significant pressure from their attack. They are improving, so we need to be focused and patient. We must play our game as we did against Borussia Dortmund and continue on our path”.
PRE-MATCH NUMBERS
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AC Milan and Club Brugge faced each other in the group stage of the Champions League 2003/04: two victories for 1-0, both for the away team.
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Club Brugge has kept a clean sheet in each of their last two European away games in Milan: a 0-0 draw in the European Cup in October 1990 and a 1-0 victory in the Champions League in October 2003.
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All of AC Milan’s last 23 goals scored in home Champions League matches have come from within the penalty area; the last player from the club to score from outside the box was Robinho in February 2012 against Arsenal.
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In the most recent match against Bayer Leverkusen, Youssouf Fofana was the AC Milan player who created the most chances for teammates (3), completed the most dribbles (5), and won the most duels (10). The last player from the Rossoneri to replicate these numbers in a single Champions League match was Kaká in October 2007 against Shakhtar Donetsk.
WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v CLUB BRUGGE
In Italy, the match will be broadcast by Sky and NOW. To watch AC Milan v Liverpool in another country, you can check the “Where to Watch Milan on TV” section under “Abroad.” On the Rossoneri channels, the Matchday show will air on Milan TV: live coverage starts at 17:45 PM leading up to kick-off, followed by interviews and Coach Fonseca’s press conference. Don’t miss the coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App, official social media, and WhatsApp.
LATEST FROM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The match at San Siro will be officiated by the German referee Felix Zwayer. Robert Kempter and Christian Dietz will serve as assistant referees, while Florian Badstübner will be the fourth official. In the VAR room, Christian Dingert will be assisted by Sören Storks.
An intense two days are lined up for Matchday 3 of the Champions League. On Tuesday, 22 October, AC Milan will face Club Brugge and Monaco will play against Crvena Zvezda at 18:45 CEST, followed by Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk, Aston Villa v Bologna, Girona v Slovan Bratislava, Juventus v Stuttgart, PSG v PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund, and Sturm Graz v Sporting Lisbon, all at 21:00 CEST.
On Wednesday, 23 October, Atalanta will take on Celtic and Brest will host Bayer Leverkusen at 18:45 CEST, followed by Atlético Madrid v Lille, Barcelona v Bayern Munich, Benfica v Feyenoord, Manchester City v Sparta Prague, Leipzig v Liverpool, Red Bull Salzburg v Dinamo Zagreb, and Young Boys v Inter, all at 21:00 CEST.
The table: 6 points: Borussia Dortmund, Brest, Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Juventus. 4 points: Manchester City, Inter, Sparta Prague, Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Arsenal, Monaco. 3 points: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Lille, PSG, Celtic, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, Atlético Madrid. 1 point: PSV, Stuttgart, Bologna, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb. 0 points: Red Bull Leipzig, Girona, Sturm Graz, AC Milan, Crvena Zvezda, Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys.
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