After contrasting fortunes in their opening league-phase fixtures, Bayer Leverkusen receive AC Milan to the BayArena on Tuesday evening in the Champions League, with both teams desperate for three precious points. The two teams have never met in European competition and their first-ever competitive meeting after the German champions strolled to victory on the opening match day, while AC Milan was convincingly seen off in the San Siro.
Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan: Preview
Bayer Leverkusen comes into this match highly confident from a dominant opening day win away, 4-0, against Feyenoord in the Champions League. The German side powerfully led in attack by the electric Florian Wirtz, pulled their Dutch opponents apart. Wirtz, the first German to score twice on his Champions League debut, showed just how important the young man is becoming to the side. It is also Leverkusen’s biggest away win to date in the competition.
Meanwhile, the form of Leverkusen in the Bundesliga has not been bad either. Nine unbeaten home games in UEFA competition and a tally of two losses from 21 European matches are respectable stats. Those defeats did come against Italian teams – Roma and Atalanta. They are pretty poor in rear guard, having leaked 10 goals in the first five Bundesliga games. Coach Xabi Alonso will look to straighten up his backline ahead of this important game.
AC Milan come into this game on the back of an insipid 3-1 home defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League opener, while the Rossoneri have won just nine of their last 32 games at the elite level. Sure, the question of inconsistency doesn’t look like it’s going to leave AC Milan anytime soon, and they’d like to change that fate in Germany. That has not been the case with their domestic form, though.
AC Milan only edged out rivals Inter Milan 2-1 not so long ago to snap a six-game losing streak in the Derby della Madonnina. They then hammered Lecce 3-0 in Serie A, through Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez, and Christian Pulisic. AC Milan hopes for a continuation of such a trend into the Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan: Match Details
Match: AC Milan vs Bayer Leverkusen
Date & Time: September 30, 2024, at 8 pm UK
Stadium: BayArena
Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan: Team News & Head-To-Head
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen rang in several changes for their Bundesliga clash with Bayern Munich, and Xabi Alonso is likely to revert to his strongest lineup for this Champions League showdown. Skipper Granit Xhaka anchors the midfield, with the chief contributions in attack coming from Florian Wirtz, having contributed directly to 24 goals from his last 26 European starts. Wirtz had scored in three successive games before being held goalless against Bayern.
Even though still shaking a little, the Bayer Leverkusen defense was solidified with some bright names: Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapié are the backs where responsibility will fall to keep the dangerous forwards of AC Milan.
AC Milan
Christian Pulisic also keeps his sparkling form going, having scored in all the last four. Up front, he is paired with Rafael Leão, Alvaro Morata, and Tammy Abraham as AC Milan goes all-out in attack. The treatment room remains a concern for coach Paulo Fonseca, with Marco Sportiello out because of his hand problems, Ismael Bennacer due to his ankle problem, and Alessandro Florenzi because of his ACL problems. His captain Davide Calabria is also doubted with a muscle-related problem.
Midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek might be thrown into the mix to bring stability into the middle of the park, with support from Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders. AC Milan must ensure solidity at the back if they are to challenge Leverkusen’s high-flying attack.
Possible Starting Lineup
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Terrier, Wirtz; Boniface
AC Milan: Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Gabbia, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Abraham
Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan: Prediction
Both teams go into the match with some plus and minus points to aid or deter the result. The Bayer Leverkusen attack, spearheaded by the irrepressible Florian Wirtz and ably supported by Jeremy Frimpong and Granit Xhaka, has been one of the most consistent dangers this season. But Leverkusen’s headache has been their defense, the way goals have been given away so easily even in recent matches.
AC Milan, with attackers like Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão, can immediately pounce on those mistakes. Particularly, Pulisic, who looks in sensational form, could have a huge role to play. The flair of attack and home form, however, nods in favor of Bayer Leverkusen, but AC Milan’s firepower means this will be a closely run thing.
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