An out-of-sorts AC Milan welcome Paris Saint-Germain to San Siro in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Stefano Pioli’s upcoming hosts are winless in four matches across all competitions following a limp 1-0 reverse at home to Udinese. Last season’s Champions League semi-finalists sit bottom of Group F on two points and have not won a game since striker Olivier Giroud was forced in goal.
PSG top the Champions League standings, with Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United sandwiched between, thanks in no small part to a convincing 3-0 victory over Milan in Paris two weeks ago. Luis Enrique’s side skipp into Tuesday’s reverse fixture riding high from five consecutive wins.
Here’s everything you need to know about a clash between two clubs enduring and enjoying different runs of form.
AC Milan vs PSG H2H Record (Last Five Games)
Current form (Last Five Games)
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Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
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United Kingdom |
discovery+, TNT Sports 3, discovery+ App |
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United States |
Univision, TUDN.com, Univision NOW, TUDN App, Paramount+, TUDN USA, ViX |
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Canada |
DAZN |
To compound Pioli’s woes, Milan have been hit by a glut of injuries. Pierre Kalulu (tendon) and Ismael Bennacer (knee) will not feature for the remainder of 2023 while Mattia Caldara (ankle) and the young defender Marco Pellegrino (heel) are out until December.
Rade Krunic is not expected to make it back from a muscular problem he sustained against Udinese in time for Tuesday’s clash. Simon Kjaer didn’t train with the team on Sunday, putting his availability in serious doubt.
In more positive news – which Milan fans have had to scrounge around for of late – Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic could make a return from the fitness room after getting out on the training pitch ahead of PSG’s visit.
AC Milan predicted lineup vs PSG (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Reijnders, Krunic, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
PSG may have an extra day of rest compared to Milan – Enrique’s side thrashed Montpellier on Friday night – but the French champions have some injury issues of their own to manage.
While Presnel Kimpembe is eased back from an Achilles tendon problem, Nuno Mendes and Danilo Pereira are currently sidelined with hamstring injuries. Two of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s understudies – Keylor Navas and Sergio Rico – are also out of action.
Marco Asensio is also nursing a foot problem that he picked up while on international duty with Spain in September.
PSG predicted lineup vs AC Milan (4-2-4): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe, Lee.
There’s no secret behind Milan’s struggles in recent weeks. The Italian giants come into Tuesday’s contest on the back of the club’s first set of consecutive home defeats with scoring since 2012.
Milan are one of only two clubs yet to register a single goal in this season’s Champions League (along with Benfica). Pioli’s side are letting rip – only four teams have taken more shots in the competition – but from poor locations.
PSG, by contrast, have scored three goals in each of their previous five fixtures, including Milan’s visit to the French capital a fortnight ago. While Enrique’s visitors may not rack up another treble this Tuesday, they are the favourites against their wasteful hosts.
Prediction: AC Milan 0-2 Newcastle
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