AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund can swap places in the UEFA Champions League Group F when they lock horns at San Siro on Tuesday.
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League resumes this week with Matchday 5 of the group stage. Tuesday will feature many eye-catching fixtures, with Group F against coming under the spotlight, as AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund lock horns at San Siro.
AC Milan seemed like heading out of the UEFA Champions League at the midway stage of the competition. The Serie A giants were yet to score a goal, let alone grab a win. But a shock 2-1 victory against Paris Saint-Germain on Matchday 4 has thrown Group F wide open, with just three points separating the four teams.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund climbed to the top of the Group F standings after back-to-back wins over Newcastle United in the last two rounds of fixtures. The Black and Yellows have blown hot and cold in the Bundesliga. But they have given themselves a good chance to reach the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League.
The reverse fixture ended in a goalless draw, with Borussia Dortmund dominating the proceedings but failing to get past Mike Maignan. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Stefano Pioli has a plethora of roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, the AC Milan manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players.
Marco Sportiello (calf), Marco Pellegrino (heel), Mattia Caldara (ankle), Pierre Kalulu (knee), Rafael Leao (thigh), and Noah Okafor (thigh) remain in the treatment room. In addition, Yunus Musah will be unavailable to represent AC Milan against Borussia Dortmund due to a suspension.
But there is some good news, as Olivier Giroud will return to the starting eleven after missing the game against Lecce this past weekend due to a suspension. The French international will lead the line for AC Milan against Borussia Dortmund.
But the Rossoneri might dearly feel Leao’s absence, considering the Portuguese international is atop Milan’s Champions League rankings for chances created from open play (eight) and dribbles completed (15). So, the onus will be on Christian Pulisic and Samuel Chukwueze to deliver the goods from the flanks.
Meanwhile, Musah’s absence means Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rade Krunic, and Tijjani Reijnders are automatic picks in the middle of the park. The midfield trifecta will protect the defensive quartet of Davide Calabria, Malick Thiaw, Fikayo Tomori, and Theo Hernandez. Finally, Mike Maignan will take his spot between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Krunic, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Giroud, Pulisic
Borussia Dortmund
Unlike his counterpart in the AC Milan dugout, Edin Terzic does not have many fitness concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to San Siro. The Borussia Dortmund manager might only be without four first-team players on Tuesday.
Julien Duranville (hamstring) and Felix Nmecha (hip) are the only injury-enforced absentees. But Terzic is sweating over the availability of Karim Adeyemi and Sebastien Haller, with the duo recovering from their respective bouts of illness.
But neither player’s absence affects Terzic’s choice for the starting eleven, considering Niclas Fullkrug is the first-choice striker. Marco Reus, Donyell Malen, and the in-form Julian Brandt should support the German striker in the final third.
Meanwhile, Emre Can and Marcel Sabitzer will form a dynamic double pivot in the middle of the park. Can will look to keep things tight in front of the defensive unit of Niklas Sule, Mats Hummels, Nico Schlotterbech, and Julian Ryerson. Meanwhile, Sabitzer will be the workhorse in the centre of the pitch. Finally, Gregor Kobel should take his place in the goal for Borussia Dortmund against AC Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Sule, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson; Can, Sabitzer; Reus, Brandt, Malen; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- AC Milan will host Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since suffering a 1-0 defeat in the second group stage in 2002/03. The Rossoneri had won the previous two home games against the Black and Yellows.
- Borussia Dortmund have lost four of their last five away matches against Italian opponents in European clashes (D1). Their last victory came over Udinese (2-0) in a UEFA Cup game.
- AC Milan have lost only one of their last 16 home games in Europe against German clubs (W11 D4), although that one defeat came against Borussia Dortmund in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League.
- After conceding just two goals across four games, Borussia Dortmund have the joint-best defence in this season’s UEFA Champions League, along with Inter Milan and Barcelona.
- AC Milan have only scored twice in the Champions League this season, with only Benfica (one) netting fewer goals over the first four matchdays in the competition.
Player to Watch
Christian Pulisic
A strong start to the season paved the way for lofted expectations heading into the UEFA Champions League. But Christian Pulisic has yet to stamp his authority in the competition, with Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud scoring AC Milan’s first goals in Europe this term.
Pulisic made 127 competitive appearances for Borussia Dortmund, registering 19 goals and 26 assists. He now comes up against his former club this midweek, with AC Milan desperate for a win to remain alive in the UEFA Champions League. Netting his first strike against the Black and Yellows will go a long way in earning a ticket in the Round of 16, and Pulisic will be raring to go.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
The margin of error in the UEFA Champions League Group F is slim to none. So, a strategic battle will unfold when AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund meet at San Siro on Tuesday. Neither manager will be ready to give an inch, although one goal will set the alarm bells ringing.
The hosts have finally stitched together a mini-unbeaten run ahead of their crucial European tie against Borussia Dortmund. And they should continue building the momentum by eking out a narrow 2-1 win at home, with the result taking them to the top of Group F depending on the result in the game between Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United.
