AC Milan, who have clinched this title seven times, find themselves needing to rally after a 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) knockout play-off last week. Historically, the outlook isn’t promising for the Rossoneri, as they have only managed to advance in one out of six UCL encounters after losing the initial match, with their sole success occurring during the 2006/07 semi-final against Manchester United.
Returning to the San Siro brings some comfort, where they remain undefeated as hosts since late October, recording seven wins and five draws. Moreover, they have secured three consecutive victories in UCL games at this venue. Achieving a fourth would be their longest winning streak since December 2007. Their only head-to-head triumph from three past meetings was also at this ground back in the 1969/70 season.
Feyenoord are aiming to advance to the round of 16 in Europe’s top club tournament for the first time in half a century. Their triumph in the initial match was particularly notable as it occurred under an interim manager. Pascal Bosschaart is expected to lead the team once again for this encounter, with the Dutch side maintaining a clean sheet in his tenure following a scoreless draw against NAC Breda over the weekend.
Bosschaart faces the challenge of reversing a poor away record in the UEFA Champions League. Although Feyenoord have been defeated only once in four such matches this season (winning two and drawing one), they have only secured victory three times in their last 17 away fixtures in this championship (drawing three and losing 11). A visit to Italy does not promise much improvement, as Feyenoord have suffered defeats in five out of six UCL away matches in the country, including an elimination round against AC Milan.
Key players to watch: All attention is directed towards Milan’s new forward, Santiago Giménez, who has found the net in consecutive Serie A games since his move from Feyenoord, scoring in the 75th and 76th minutes. Meanwhile, the visitors might believe they have discovered a new star in Igor Paixão, who struck early by scoring within the first five minutes for the second time this season during the initial leg.
Intriguing statistic: The opening leg resulted in the second-lowest expected goals total of any match this season in the UCL, with a figure of 1.06.
