ac Milan vs Liverpool: predictions and mental readiness of each team

Updated: 17 Sept, 2024 • 0 • min read

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AC Milan Vs Liverpool: A Test for the Rossoneri

AC Milan started the season with a sluggish pace. Now Liverpool come to visit, giving an important test after yesterday's first win.

Milan needed four matches to get their first win of the season. Last weekend, Paulo Fonseca's troops crushed Venezia 4-0 after drawing against Torino and Lazio, and losing to Parma.

Now a tougher opponent awaits. Liverpool will be present at the San Siro, Wednesday (18/9/2024) early morning WIB, on Matchday 1 of the Champions League.

This match is called Fonseca as an opportunity to confirm the team's progress. Liverpool, despite just starting the era with Arne Slot, performed quite well and managed to string together three wins, before being stopped by Nottingham Forest last weekend.

"This is a good team (Liverpool), one of the best in Europe at the moment. They have a solid positional game and strong players that we all know," said Fonseca as quoted by Football Italia.

"We have to be perfect defensively to win. We can't afford to make mistakes against these teams. If we make mistakes, they'll score. We have to be complete in attack and defense."

"I see the match as an opportunity for the team to prove that we are improving. Facing Liverpool is a great opportunity and it brings something different from what we usually face in Serie A," he added.

AC Milan vs Liverpool: A Tough Duel Between Alisson and Maignan

AC Milan vs Liverpool will present a tough duel between Alisson Becker and Mike Maignan. Both are among the elite goalkeepers in European competition.

Liverpool will visit Milan's headquarters, San Siro on the first Matchday of the Champions League, Wednesday (18/9/2024) early morning WIB. This match will present a duel between the two best goalkeepers from different leagues.

Alisson with Liverpool will compete for toughness with Maignan who is under the Milan crossbar. Both have been the mainstays for their respective teams for several seasons.

Both have also won the title of best goalkeeper. Alisson won the Premier League Golden Glove in 2018/2019 and 2021/2022. Meanwhile, Maignan became the best goalkeeper in Serie A in 2021/2022.

Alisson and Maignan previously met when Liverpool met Milan in the 2021/2022 Champions League group stage. Alisson was able to outperform Maignan by twice leading The Reds to a 3-2 victory at the San Siro and 2-1 at Anfield. Although both failed to get a clean sheet.

The match will be Alisson's third meeting with Maignan. The Brazilian goalkeeper praised Maignan as a great goalkeeper. This is because Maignan was able to perform consistently not only with Milan but also when wearing the French national team uniform.

"He is a great goalkeeper. He has played very well for three, four, five years. Since he came to Milan, he has always played very well, and with the French national team, he has replaced a great goalkeeper [Lloris]. He is a very physical player; fast, and tactical," Alisson was quoted as saying on the UEFA website.

AC Milan Vs Liverpool: The Reds Bring a Mission to Rise

Ahead of appearing in the Champions League, Liverpool actually lost to Nottingham Forest. Liverpool are determined to make up for it in the match against AC Milan.

Liverpool suffered a 0-1 defeat when they hosted Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend. The defeat stopped the Reds' perfect start in the league.

Next, Mohamed Salah et al. are awaited by AC Milan in the first match of the 2024/2025 Champions League. The Milan vs Liverpool duel will be held at the San Siro, Wednesday (18/9/2024) early morning WIB.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker called this match an opportunity for his team to return to winning ways. Liverpool want to make up for the disappointment from the match against Forest.

"Yes, tomorrow is a big opportunity for us to prove again and get back to the good start we had this season," Alisson told a pre-match press conference, as reported by the club's official website.

"Unfortunately our last game was far from what we can do on the pitch, considering the other games we played. And we know that."

"But football is fast and we have to be really focused on tomorrow night. It will be a very tough opponent and we have to be ready," Alisson said.

AC Milan vs Liverpool in the Champions League: Score Predictions and Lineups

AC Milan will start the first matchday of the 2024-25 Champions League phase by hosting Liverpool.

The Milan vs Liverpool duel will take place at the San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy, on Wednesday (18/9/2024) starting at 02.00 WIB.

This will be the fifth meeting between Milan and Liverpool in European competition. Half of the previous meetings occurred in the 2004-05 season final and the 2006-07 edition final.

Judging from the team's performance, Liverpool is predicted to be able to make it difficult for the hosts. The Reds have only lost one of their last five matches.

Meanwhile, AC Milan has only managed to win one of the first 4 weeks of the 2024-25 Italian Serie A League.

In addition, the Rossoneri lost many players due to injury. Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Sportiello, and Malick Thiaw will be absent from the match against Liverpool because they have not recovered from injuries.

However, AC Milan has a good trend when facing English teams in the Champions League. From the last four occasions, the Rossoneri have never lost to English representatives (2 wins, 2 draws).

"Liverpool is one of the best teams in Europe, they have great positional play and individuals. We have to defend perfectly to win the match," said AC Milan coach, Paulo Fonseca, quoted from the club's official website.

Predicted AC Milan vs Liverpool Lineups

AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Pavlovic, Tomori, T. Hernandez; Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Rafael Leao; Morata.

Coach: Paulo Fonseca.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson Becker; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; MacAllister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz; Diogo Jota.