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Liverpool welcome AC Milan to Anfield for the very first time as they clash in the first round of the UEFA Champions League at 5:00am AEST.
These teams are two of the all time legends of the competition but have had very different recent periods of success. Liverpool won the competition again just recently in 2019 whilst this is the first time in the Champions League for Milan since 2014. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog starting from 4:50am (AEST).
Group B is going to produce some attractive clashes as the four teams go head to head and what better way to start than Liverpool welcoming AC Milan to Anfield. They’ve been involved in some of the most memorable games in Champions League history and yet these two have met only twice before and never at Anfield.
Liverpool are in a good run of form at the moment and have conceded just the one goal in the Premier League so far this season. With the central defender injury crisis of last season over, the Reds are looking back to their ways of 2019 when they took the Premier title.
The partnership of Fabinho and Thiago in midfield showed some good potential against Leeds last weekend. The pair complement each other well and Jurgen Klopp will be eager to see how they perform on the top stage.
18-year-old Harvey Elliot will be missing for a while after dislocating his ankle in that match against Leeds so Jordan Henderson will likely take his place and start. Roberto Firmino is also under an injury cloud and so Diogo Jota will likely get the nod to play up front.
This will be Milan’s first Champions League match for seven years and with new signings such as Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud, the Italians will see this trip to Anfield as a great chance to start the competition with an important away win.
Club legend Kaka believes Milan will pick up all three points and believes the fact that this group of Liverpool players have already tasted success whilst many of the Milan squad haven’t yet, will be a key factor. “The enthusiasm of those who have dreamed of playing this tournament for a long time can make the difference” said Kaka this week as he previewed the match.
Unfortunately for Milan, their 40 year strike Zlatan Ibrahimovic won’t be available as he picked up an Achilles injury. Coach Stefano Pioli faces some other selection challenges with midfielder Sandro Tonali missing their last training session and Olivier Giroud still not back to full match fitness, although the former Chelsea man will likely feature for part of the game.
Prediction
Liverpool to win 2-1.
Game information
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Kick-off: 5:00am (AEST)
Live stream: Stan Sport
Betting: Liverpool $1.37, AC Milan $6.80 – odds via PlayUp
Teams
Liverpool
Alisson, Loris Karius, Caoimhin Kelleher, Adrián, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konaté, Billy Koumetio, Joël Matip, Nathaniel Phillips, Virgil van Dijk, Neco Williams, Thiago Alcântara, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Naby Keïta, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Harvey Elliot, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Takumi Minamino, Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Roman Yaremchuk
AC Milan
Mike Maignan, Alessandro Plizzari, Ciprian Tătăruşanu, Davide Calabria, Andrea Conti, Alessandro Florenzi, Pierre Kalulu, Theo Hernández, Fodé Ballo-Touré, Matteo Gabbia, Simon Kjær, Alessio Romagnoli, Fikayo Tomori, Tiemoué Bakayoko, Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessié, Sandro Tonali, Rade Krunić, Daniel Maldini, Ante Rebić, Brahim Diaz, Samu Castillejo, Alexis Saelemaekers, Rafael Leão, Junior Messias, Olivier Giroud, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pietro Pellegri
Oliver Matthews
Expert
AROUND THE GROUNDS In the other games there were some boring match ups in some and goals galore in others... Inter Milan 0 - 1 Real Madrid Atletico Madrid 0 - 0 Porto Club Brugge 1 - 1 PSG Liverpool 3 -2 AC Milan Man City 6 - 3 RB Leipzig Sporting 1 - 5 Ajax Sheriff Tiraspol 2 - 0 Shakhtar Donetsk Besiktas 1 - 2 Borussia Dortmund
Oliver Matthews
Expert
FULL TIME!! Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Liverpool have fought hard to win their opening game of the Champions League and have beaten a young Milan side 3 - 2. All the action happened at the start or end of the halves. Liverpool took an early lead soon after kick off and were all over Milan for most of the first half but couldn't get the second. Just before half time Milan suddenly came to life and scored not once but twice in quick succession and shocked the home side. In the second half the question was whether Milan could push on and get a crucial third and they almost did in the first moments but the attempt was adjudged off side. But from then on they went back into their shell and created very, very little in the second half. Liverpool meanwhile fought hard and Salah got the equaliser in the 48th minute. Liverpool kept pressing and skipper Henderson scored a lovely winner in 69th minute. Milan never really threatened again and Liverpool were able to wrap up the game and the three points. Milan should feel both proud and disappointed. They are a young side and losing 3-2 at Anfield to Liverpool is not something to be ashamed of. However they were one goal up and had the momentum in the very beginning of that second half and it will frustrate them that they didn't create much at all in the final 40 minutes of the game. Liverpool will feel that they managed to earn a good result and whilst they won't like how they conceded the two goals, they will know that it served them well to find a way to fight back from 1-2 down to win 3-1. Klopp rested some key players too and so this wasn't the first choice starting line up. So another good game between these two teams and a great European night at Anfield!
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Milner earns the free kick for his side as he eats up time by the corner flag. A chance here to get the ball into the box and create one final chance maybe? Nope - Liverpool try and be clever and the ref now says that it's a Milan free kick and the Italians try to make something happen. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 94:00
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Milner picks up a yellow card in injury time and Milan will have a chance to whip in the ball from the right side into the Liverpool area. But the ball finds a Liverpool head and they clear. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 92:30
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Sadio Mané should have shot there - he had the ball on the edge of the area and some space but he wanted one more touch and that gave the defence time to re organise. Chance wasted there. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 91:10
Oliver Matthews
Expert
We're into the final minute of normal time but there will be some decent injury time. Milan have the ball in the final third of the pitch in a rare push forward but the ball is lost quickly and Liverpool have it back. 5 minutes of injury time. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 90:10
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Kessie has given away a silly free kick and Liverpool will have a chance for one more goal. They whip it in from the left side but it's headed out by the Milan defence and Liverpool have to build again. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 88:10
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Oooo close - not a strong hit from Simon Kjær but his flick did force Alisson into a save and the Milan players were poised waiting for a mistake from the keeper to pounce on. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 87:10
Oliver Matthews
Expert
A lot of hit and hope from Milan at the moment. It's a shame that they aren't trusting their passing game like they did at the end of the first half. That being said, they have earned a corner with 4 minutes left. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 86:30
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Salah is off for Liverpool as is Henderson - the two goal scorers get a rest. Can the rest of the team see of the game for them? Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 83:50
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Milan still having to resort to long balls to try and create anything but they are easily coped with by Liverpool. Daniel Maldini is going to get some game time - he's the son of the legendary Paolo Maldini and is a very creative and dangerous midfielder. Can he be the difference that Milan need now? Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 82:50
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Break in play at Anfield as Davide Calabria goes down and needs some treatment. Milan have really created nothing in this second half but after that first half you know that they can still make things happen in the blink of an eye. Liverpool won't feel safe with just one goal lead. They've really stepped up their dominance of possession in the second half and have had 64% of the ball. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 81:00
Oliver Matthews
Expert
AROUND THE GROUNDS Man City 5 - 3 RB Leipzig Somehow Leipzig are still in their game and Nkunku has got his third but immediately Man City strike back and get a fifth! Sporting Lisbon 1 - 5 Ajax The Dutch are having a great night and you wouldn't put it past them to get 7 or 8 come full time It's still 0-0 in Inter v Real and Atletico v Porto and PSG are still stuck at 1-1 against Club Bruges.
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Liverpool are working hard trying to find another goal to really take the game away from AC Milan. We've seen already that Milan can strike from out of nowhere but they are looking very flat in this second half. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 73:40
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Liverpool make a couple of changes as Jota and Keita are replaced by Jones and Thiago. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 71:00
Oliver Matthews
Expert
GOAL!!!!! Henderson has just hit an absolute beauty!!! The ball bounced out from the corner and he's hit the bouncing ball from the edge of the area into the bottom left hand corner of the Milan net. Liverpool: 3 AC Milan: 2 Time: 69:00
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Liverpool happy in possession and moving the ball around as they try and find an opportunity. Sadio Mané has a go at goal but the ball is more likely to hit the corner flag than the back of the net and Milan will have a goal kick. Liverpool: 2 AC Milan: 2 Time: 66:10
Oliver Matthews
Expert
The pace has slowed and the crowd noise dropped as we hit the middle point of the second half at Anfield. Liverpool won't want to lay off Milan though - this is exactly what happened in the first half and the Italians made Liverpool pay. Liverpool: 2 AC Milan: 2 Time: 64:50
Oliver Matthews
Expert
Divock Origi is off injured for Liverpool - he would have been hoping to have a bigger impact tonight and impress Klopp but he's been pretty average. Liverpool: 2 AC Milan: 2 Time: 63:00
Oliver Matthews
Expert
AROUND THE GROUNDS Libson 1 - Ajax 4 Haller has a hattrick for Ajax as they stretch their lead to 1-4 over Sporting Lisbon