1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs 0 Milan
AC Milan take on Bayer Leverkusen in blockbuster UCL clash.
Bayer Leverkusen welcomes AC Milan to the BayArena for a UEFA Champions League showdown, promising an intriguing clash of form and history as the German side boasts a strong home record while the Italians seek to reclaim their European prowess.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Leverkusen make a return to the UEFA Champions League buoyed by their recent performance against Bayern Munich. They became the only team this season to break the German giants’ perfect record in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.
With their sole focus now on the UCL, the German side ran out victors in a dominant 4-0 win against Feyenoord in their opening fixture. This marked their largest-ever away victory in the competition.
Interestingly, this will be the first-ever European encounter between Leverkusen and Milan. However, Leverkusen's track record against Italian teams is not encouraging.
In their previous 12 encounters with Serie A teams in the Champions League, they have secured just two victories [2W, 4D, 6L]. Their most recent game against an Italian opponent ended in a 3-0 loss to Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin on May 22.
However, Leverkusen’s impressive home form in European competitions offers hope. They are unbeaten in their last nine games on home soil [6W, 3D, 0L].
Xabi Alonso, who has no injury worries, is expected to continue with his preferred 3—4—2—1 formation, deploying Victor Boniface in attack.
Milan
Contrastingly, Milan’s start to the Champions League was far from ideal, as they were outplayed by Liverpool in a 1-3 defeat at the San Siro. Since their loss to Slot's men, the Rossoneri have bounced back with consecutive victories over Lecce and Inter in the league.
Milan will hope to carry that form into this fixture and can draw inspiration from their fine history in Germany. Their last defeat on German soil came in April 2002, when they lost 4-0 to Borussia Dortmund.
Since then, Milan has only lost once in their last eight Champions League games against Bundesliga sides [3W, 4D, 1L], with that solitary defeat coming last season in a 1-3 loss to Dortmund in November 2023.
Milan’s away form in the Champions League is, however, less encouraging. They have won their first away match in only one of their last seven campaigns [1W, 5D, 1L], with their most recent success coming back in 2012-13 when they beat Zenit St. Petersburg [3-2].
For this fixture, Fonseca is expected to set up a 4-4-2 formation, with Álvaro Morata and Tammy Abraham in attack. Davide Calabria and Ismaël Bennacer are sidelined with injuries.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.