Milan face Club Brugge in UCL after hard-fought Udinese win.

2024-10-16

As AC Milan fight to revive their UEFA Champions League hopes in a must-win showdown against a confident Club Brugge at San Siro, the stage is set for a thrilling duel between the beleaguered Rossoneri and the resilient Belgian side.

Milan

The Rossoneri find themselves in desperate need of a victory after suffering defeats in their first two matches, which has put their European ambitions in jeopardy. As seven-time UCL champions, AC Milan is yet to secure a point this season and faces the tough task of breaking their slump against a confident Brugge side.

Under the guidance of coach Paulo Fonseca, Milan has struggled in the early stages of this year's competition. Their journey began with a 3-1 home loss to Liverpool, followed by a 1-0 setback against Bayer Leverkusen, where Victor Boniface scored the decisive goal. Tuesday's match is crucial as another defeat could harm their chances of advancing automatically to the knockout stage, although the playoff round might provide a lifeline.

Milan’s European performances have been below par in recent years, with only nine wins in their last 33 matches at the continent’s most prestigious competition. Despite this, a recent 1-0 victory in Serie A over Udinese, achieved while playing with 10 men after Tijjani Reijnders received a red card, has given the team a valuable confidence boost ahead of this pivotal encounter.

A 4-2-3-1 formation is expected, with Álvaro Morata leading the attack against Brugge. However, Tammy Abraham remains doubtful for this fixture after being forced off the field just five minutes after coming on against Udinese.

Club Brugge

Club Brugge are in high spirits. After an opening 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, the Belgian side bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Sturm Graz, courtesy of a fine first-half strike from Christos Tzolis.

They will travel to Milan with confidence, especially considering their impressive away form. The Blue-Black have not conceded a goal in their last four Champions League games on the road.

Brugge also boasts a positive history at San Siro. In their two previous visits to Milan, the Belgian side managed to secure favorable results: a goalless draw in 1990 and a memorable 1-0 victory in 2003.

Brugge will be hoping to replicate similar form on Tuesday against a Milan team that is struggling to find its footing. While the Rossoneri desperately need a win to salvage their Champions League campaign, Brugge could capitalize on Milan’s shaky form as they hope to continue their strong run in Europe.

A 4-1-4-1 formation with Ferran Jutglà in attack is anticipated for Tuesday’s fixture. Club Brugge might be missing Andreas Skov Olsen, who has a calf injury, while Gustaf Nilsson remains doubtful. Dutch full-back Bjorn Meijer has recently returned to training after knee surgery, but he is unlikely to feature.