Residents of planet football have a hectic week ahead, with followers barely able to catch their breath following the weekend’s results before being thrust back into the fast lane. Matches from the UEFA Champions League will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Europa League, and Europa Conference League takes over on Thursday. We’re right back into the thick of the domestic action on Friday evening, but which teams will make headlines this week?
There’s plenty to get through with some exciting matches on the schedule, including a battle of Britain at Anfield as Liverpool hosts Rangers on Tuesday. We preview that match and the best of the other action from UEFA’s flagship tournament, but here we focus on the match in London where Chelsea host AC Milan at Stamford Bridge.
These sides rank among the best in the business, and it would be no surprise to see the blues and Milan clash in the final of this competition. Both teams are good enough to go all the way and carve their name into the history books, but neither can afford to get ahead of themselves. There are three vital Champions League group points up for grabs, and our team of football experts offer their views. We bring readers up to speed on the stats, head-to-head results and the form. You’ll also find our predictions on how the game should play out.
There’s nothing in it
With two major teams from European football involved in this fixture, it comes as no surprise that there’s a history between the pair. Chelsea and AC Milan meet for what will be the sixth time on Wednesday, with the head-to-head stats showing there has been nothing between the sides in the past. Chelsea has one win with AC Milan also boasting a win and the other three games ending in a draw. The last meeting was played in October 1999 when the sides played out a nail-biting 1-1 draw in Italy. The goals in that game were scored by Oliver Bierhoff and Dennis Wise, two legends.
Sticking with the stats, we note each of the last three meetings has finished level, with two of those three games producing 1-1 draws. Are we in for more of the same here, or will Chelsea use the home field advantage to bag an overdue three points, launching themselves back into contention for the group win following a less than impressive start? The Blues can be found stuck to the bottom of the pool and are now up against the group leaders. Top plays bottom, will the result match the form or will Chelsea blow the group apart?
The locals have taken just one of the first six points that have been available to them so far in this competition, starting with an opening day defeat to Dinamo Zagreb – one of the biggest shocks of the round – before steadying the ship with a draw last time against Red Bull Salzburg. Those were two matches Chelsea are hot favourites to win, but one point from six means they are up against it. If Chelsea is to progress, they must start making home advantage count, winning games in London. Victory on Wednesday shoves them back into the running.
Milan leads the way
AC Milan head to London with confidence, following a strong start to their Champions League bid. The Italian Serie A side sits on top of the pool with four points collected after two games. They opened their account with a draw against Red Bull Salzburg before picking up that all-important first win at the second time of asking. AC Milan beat Dinamo Zagreb on matchday two, as was expected of them, and they now lead the way with four points. Zagreb is second on three points, Salzburg third following a pair of draws and Chelsea bottom with a point.
AC Milan started with a hard-fought draw in Salzburg, despite starting that match as the favourites for victory. The Italians did have chances to score the three points, but, at the end of the play, a share of the spoils was a fair result, with neither side deserving to come out of that match empty-handed. Milan followed that draw with a narrow 2-1 away win over Sampdoria before blasting Zagreb 3-1 when last in Group E action. The game remained in the balance until just before half-time when Milan took the lead, and they kicked on from there thanks to goals from Giroud, Saelemaekers and Pobega.
AC Milan did lose 2-1 at home to Napoli in Serie A before responding to get back on track with a weekend win over Empoli. They sealed the points with a 3-1 victory, although the match was much closer than the bare result suggests. It was locked at 1-0 before the beaten team fired themselves level on 92 minutes. Two goals in extra time saw Milan pull clear, staging a late smash and grab on the points. A better showing from the defence is required if they are to leave London with the win and take control of the group.
Chelsea v AC Milan prediction
All the pressure is on Chelsea ahead of this match. They are playing at home, and the crowd will be on their back, expecting to see a few goals scored and an overdue win—the fact they are bottom of the pool ramps up the pressure on the players.
AC Milan knows they have a big job on their hands if they are to secure victory in London, but they arrive without pressure. Chelsea has their problems, but that’s no concern of Milan’s, and if they win this match, they will put one foot in the next round.
Champions League odds
The pre-match betting odds available to 22bet registered players has Chelsea at 1.66 for victory, or you can back AC Milan at 4.96. Fancy yet another draw between these sides. The level finish would suit Milan more than Chelsea, and that’s 4.
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