Liverpool. AC Milan. Two European giants face off with one another in the first round of Group B of the Champions League.
Liverpool are coming off an impressive win at Elland Road, where they defeated Leeds United 3-0, remaining undefeated in the Premier League.
The Rossoneri are also out to a hot start over in Serie A, taking all nine points from their first three games. Setting up a fantastic first game of the group stages.
Liverpool were dealt a tough group in the Champions League this year, drawing AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, and FC Porto. So, this first match for The Reds could prove to be a huge one if they were to walk out of Anfield tomorrow with three points.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will need to put out a strong lineup, like he did on Sunday, but the loss of 18-year-old Harvey Elliott is a blow to the Liverpool team.
Liverpool could employ a midfield trio of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, and Jordan Henderson to face the Italian giants with the usual top three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Diogo Jota.
The backline should look to be the same, but if Klopp wants to rotate a replacement of summer signing Ibrahima Konate or Joe Gomez could do the job if Virgil van Dijk or Joel Matip need a rest.
With such a tough group, Klopp won’t have the benefit of rotating against inferior opponents, making his decisions more critical during the group stages.
AC Milan manager, Stefano Pioli, had his squad competing for the Serie A title in last season’s campaign, until a late season collapse saw them finish on 79 points, 12 points behind title winners Inter Milan.
Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already been ruled out of tomorrow’s contest, so Milan will have to turn to Croatian forward Ante Rebic for the number nine role.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss Liverpool-Milan tomorrow night. He has problems with Achilles tendon and he’s not gonna be part of the UCL match at Anfield. 🚨🇸🇪 #ACMilan #Ibrahimovic #LFC #UCL
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 14, 2021
Milan will employ their strongest midfield pairing with Liverpool target, Franck Kessie, and Sandro Tonali attempting to slow down the Liverpool attack.
Milan let their prized goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma walk for free in the summer to PSG, so they brought in Lille’s French shot stopper in Mike Maignan for a relatively low price.
Wednesday’s match of two of Europe’s biggest clubs will be one to watch. With the European nights back at a full Anfield, the atmosphere will be superb with the Reds looking to get all three points.
Can Liverpool continue their hot start to the season or will AC Milan look to spoil the party and gain an important win at Anfield?