Date: Tuesday 11th
October 2022
Venue: San Siro Stadium
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Barely time to get the kit washed and the boots clean and tonight, it’s
a trip to the San Siro for the return-leg against AC Milan in the Champions
League.
We’re joint second in the group, level on points with Milan, with
Salzburg top and Dinamo Zagreb in fourth although
realistically, there’s only a couple of points separating top from bottom it’s
that tight.
AC Milan opened
their Group E campaign with a draw against Salzburg before beating Dinamo
Zagreb, whilst we had a poorer start to the competition with defeat to Dinamo
Zagreb and a draw against Salzburg before the win against Milan in our home
tie.
The Rossoneri
had a win over Juventus in Serie A at the weekend, whilst we beat Wolves 3-0 at
Stamford Bridge, so we should both come into tonight’s game ready to push on. Last time out it was an unexpectedly comfortable win
against Milan but I can’t see them being quite as easily beat tonight.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli, says “In London we did not express ourselves as usual. We
must not be influenced too much by that match, but we must learn from certain
situations to do better. Chelsea are very strong, they have spent a lot
to strengthen themselves. They have quality, organisation, speed and intensity.
We will have to be the best possible.”
Chelsea manager Graham Potter, meanwhile, says “It is an incredible place here, and it will be a
completely different game. AC Milan will try to use the home advantage as we
did last week. It is two good teams, two evenly-matched teams. So it will be a
fantastic game, and I’m looking forward to it.
The fact we could rotate a few has probably helped
us in terms of availability for this game and, hopefully, a bit of freshness.
We’re going to need that because it’s going to be a physically demanding game.”
SQUAD NEWS
For AC Milan, Mike Maignan, Alessandro
Florenzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Junior Messias, Simon Kjaer, Davide Calabria and
Alexis Saelemaekers are all out but Theo Hernandez returns.
For Chelsea, Wesley Fofana (knee), N’Golo
Kante (hamstring) and Hakim Ziyech (illness) all miss out.
TEAMS
AC MILAN (Possible line-up): Tatarusanu; Dest, Kalulu, Tomori, Hernandez; Bennacer, Tonali; Krunic,
Diaz, Leao; Giroud
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Kepa; Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly, James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Chilwell,
Sterling, Aubameyang, Mount
LAST MEETING
Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan (5th
October 2022)
CURRENT FORM (ALL)
AC MILAN: WWLWLW
CHELSEA: WLDWWW
OTHER STUFF
- AC Milan are the second most successful team in
the Champions League, winning the competition seven times.
- Chelsea have won five of their last six games
against AC Milan in all competitions.
- AC Milan have lost four of the last five games when hosting an
English team in the UEFA Champions League
- Chelsea are without a win in their last seven away trips to face
Italian teams in the competition
- AC Milan have not progressed to the UEFA
Champions League knockout stages since the 2013/14 season.
- Chelsea have scored at least two goals in five
of their last six games against AC Milan in all competitions.
- AC Milan could win consecutive home matches in a single season in
the competition for the first time since 2011-12
- Chelsea have won their last three games in a row
in all competitions.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: AC Milan 1-1 Chelsea
