The biggest matchup of the UEFA Champions League match week one takes place at the legendary San Siro as AC Milan host Premier League side Liverpool to begin the new league phase of the expanded UEFA competition.
The old group stage is scrapped and the competition has been rearranged as the new-look Champions League begins play. These two sides were matched up with Liverpool as a Pot 1 side and AC Milan as a Pot 2, making this one of the marquee games to follow.
AC Milan have struggled to start the season but managed to pummel newly promoted Venezia 4-0 on Saturday to snatch their first win of Serie A play. Christian Pulisic is in fine form, with two goals and two assists through four matches thus far, including one of each in the weekend win.
The old group stage is scrapped and the competition has been rearranged as the new-look Champions League begins play. These two sides were matched up with Liverpool as a Pot 1 side and AC Milan as a Pot 2, making this one of the marquee games to follow.
AC Milan have struggled to start the season but managed to pummel newly promoted Venezia 4-0 on Saturday to snatch their first win of Serie A play. Christian Pulisic is in fine form, with two goals and two assists through four matches thus far, including one of each in the weekend win.
Liverpool, meanwhile, started strong but slipped over the weekend, falling embarrassingly to Nottingham Forest at home on Saturday for the first time in over a half-century. It was the first setback for new manager Arne Slot who is still getting his feet under him at Anfield.
Liverpool might have looked explosive in their first three season-opening wins, but have been tame since. The 3-0 win over Man United felt emphatic but came on 11 shots worth 1.79 xG, including two goals on four shots worth 0.69 xG before halftime.
After over-performing in front of goal, they regressed against Nottingham Forest and held off the scoresheet with 14 shots worth 0.94 xG. That’s a concerning level of production against a poor defensive side at home, despite having a fully healthy squad.
While Milan haven’t looked strong to this point, they can score goals at a level that might force Liverpool to keep up, even if the Reds are more structured defensively under Slot than they were under Jurgen Klopp.
