After losing their first two matches, AC Milan is looking to turn around their struggling Champions League campaign on Tuesday as they host Club Brugge at San Siro.
The seven-time European champions have yet to earn a point this season, while Brugge managed to secure their first win with a narrow victory over Sturm Graz earlier this month.
Milan's season got off to a rocky start with a 3-1 defeat to Premier League contenders Liverpool in their first match under Paulo Fonseca. They followed that up with another setback, losing 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen, where a second-half goal from Victor Boniface left them empty-handed once again.
Historically, Milan has struggled in the Champions League, winning just nine of their last 33 matches. Another loss this week would mark the second time in their history that they started a Champions League campaign with three straight defeats.
Fonseca has only managed one win in his last nine matches in UEFA’s top competition, and he desperately needs a victory on Tuesday, especially after a mixed start at San Siro.
Following the international break, Milan secured a 1-0 win against Udinese, their fifth victory in 19 matches, thanks to an early goal from Samu Chukwueze, despite playing more than an hour with 10 men after Tijjani Reijnders was sent off.
With that gritty performance, the Rossoneri remain undefeated in four home games in Serie A this season, winning their last three without conceding a goal.
On the other side, Club Brugge heads to Italy with their own impressive away record in the Champions League. After a 1-0 victory over Sturm Graz earlier this month, they haven't lost any of their last four away matches in the group or league, managing to keep clean sheets in each.
Brugge has fond memories of past visits to Milan, including a memorable 1-0 win at San Siro in the Champions League 21 years ago. After losing their opener to last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund, Nicky Hayen's team bounced back with their win in Austria, which has boosted their hopes for a playoff spot.
Most recently, they secured a 2-1 victory over Westerlo, moving up to fourth place in the Pro League, just four points behind leaders Genk. A crucial week lies ahead for the Belgian champions, as after facing Milan, they’ll return home for a significant clash against their rivals Anderlecht at Jan Breydel Stadium.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Paulo Fonseca made some changes for Saturday's tough win over Udinese, so we can expect further adjustments for the match against Brugge. Notably, French full-back Theo Hernandez will be back after serving a suspension in Serie A.
The only players confirmed to be out due to injury are Ismael Bennacer (ankle), Alessandro Florenzi (ACL), and Davide Calabria (calf). However, Matteo Gabbia, who recently received a call-up to the Italy squad, is hopeful about recovering from a muscular issue.
Up front, Álvaro Morata will compete with Tammy Abraham for a starting spot, although they have occasionally played together. Rafael Leão might also make a return, while Samu Chukwueze, Noah Okafor, and this season's standout Christian Pulisic are all in the mix for places in the attack.
On the Brugge side, they could be without Danish forward Andreas Skov Olsen due to a calf injury, and Gustaf Nilsson (Achilles tendon) and Casper Nielsen (fitness) are also doubts for Tuesday's game.
Dutch full-back Bjorn Meijer has recently returned to full training after being out for months due to knee surgery, but he isn’t expected to feature just yet. Instead, Belgium international Maxim De Cuyper, who scored a fantastic goal against Italy in the UEFA Nations League last week, is set to start on the left side of the defense, in front of veteran goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata
Club Brugge possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Seys, Spileers, Mechele, De Cuyper; Vetlesen, Onyedika; Skoras, Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla
EXPERT PREDICTION
AC Milan 2-1 Club Brugge
At home, AC Milan tends to be a much tougher opponent, even with their inconsistencies. They usually handle mid-tier teams like Club Brugge pretty well, but after 90 minutes, the match could end up being closely contested.
