In their recent outing, Paris Saint-Germain faced a daunting defeat against Newcastle United, conceding four goals in a Champions League group game for the first time in over two decades.
Their vulnerabilities were exposed repeatedly at a vibrant St James' Park. PSG went two goals down just before halftime, and any hopes of a comeback were dashed in the 50th minute. Although Lucas Hernandez managed to reduce the deficit shortly after, Fabian Schar's late strike sealed PSG's disappointing 4-1 loss.
Criticism after the match was directed at several underperforming stars, and there were questions about the tactics employed by coach Luis Enrique, who is still adjusting to his new role.
PSG has had the second-highest average possession in this season's Champions League, with a 73% share against Newcastle, the third-highest in their history. However, as seen with Enrique's Spain teams, possession hasn't always translated into positive results.
The Ligue 1 club began their campaign with a home victory against Borussia Dortmund. However, they are keen to avoid consecutive losses in the same group stage for the first time since 2004 when they failed to progress to the knockout rounds.
In response to their defeat in England, PSG has recorded two successive league wins on either side of the international break, most recently defeating Strasbourg 3-0, with Kylian Mbappe opening the scoring from the penalty spot. They are now within two points of league leaders Monaco.
Paris Saint-Germain has a strong track record at Parc des Princes in the Champions League, having lost only one of 34 group games since becoming regular participants in the tournament 11 years ago. They have won 27 of those matches.
To continue this success, PSG will need to overcome their previous struggles against Milan in European club competitions. They lost both legs of the clubs' 1995 semi-final and drew twice in 2000-01.
AC Milan not only has a historical edge over their Wednesday hosts but also boasts a strong track record in Champions League matches against French teams, with just three losses in 16 such contests. This notably includes their 1993 final against PSG's fierce rivals, Marseille. This season, Milan is seeking a good result, having had back-to-back 0-0 draws to begin their Group F campaign.
What's concerning for Milan is their recent goal-scoring drought in the Champions League, which extends to four matches. This is the longest period without a goal in their European competition history. Despite having a high number of shots, only Manchester City and Real Madrid have more, Milan is yet to find the back of the net. However, their defense has remained solid, as they haven't conceded a goal in their last four group-stage matches, indicating that they will be a tough challenge for their opponents in Paris.
Their difficulty in converting chances was evident in their recent match against Borussia Dortmund, where they ended in a goalless draw. This theme continued in their Sunday encounter with likely Serie A title contenders, Juventus, who managed a 1-0 win at San Siro, even though Milan played with ten men in the first half. Milan's third-choice goalkeeper, Antonio Mirante, filled in due to absences but only conceded a deflected shot from former Milan midfielder Manuel Locatelli, who had scored the winner in the same fixture seven years ago.
Despite this defeat, Milan has had a strong Serie A campaign, with only one other loss (a 5-1 defeat to Inter) in nine matches this season. They have won all their other games and are closely trailing their city rivals in the league standings. Milan's performance against teams of similar stature, including their upcoming match against Napoli, will be a key factor in assessing the capabilities of Stefano Pioli's revamped Rossoneri.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
In their upcoming clash with Milan, Paris Saint-Germain will welcome back Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Layvin Kurzawa, and Randal Kolo Muani, who all return from suspension. Their absence wasn't strongly felt in the team's recent 3-0 victory.However, PSG will be without Presnel Kimpembe due to an Achilles injury, and Nuno Mendes is sidelined with a hamstring issue. There is also some uncertainty surrounding Marco Asensio's participation due to a foot problem.
At the heart of PSG's defense, Milan Skriniar, formerly of Inter, has a solid track record, having won 11 and lost only four of his previous encounters with Milan. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will face his former club for the first time since leaving.
Kylian Mbappe leads PSG's attacking quartet, and he has been highly influential in the Champions League group stage since the start of the 2017-18 season, being involved in more goals than any other player (26 goals and 20 assists). On average, he has a goal involvement every 65 minutes.
Milan, on the other hand, is missing several key players, including Marco Sportiello, Samu Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and the long-term absentee Ismael Bennacer. However, first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan returns after serving a Serie A suspension.
Frenchman Theo Hernandez, who is the brother of PSG's Lucas Hernandez, is expected to be back in the starting lineup. Rade Krunic could start in the midfield after a cameo appearance from the bench against Juventus. The preferred attacking trio of Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud, and Christian Pulisic, despite their goalless outing on Sunday, are likely to be retained in the forward positions for Milan.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Skriniar, L. Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Ugarte, Vitinha; Dembele, Ramos, Mbappe
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Tomori, T. Hernandez; Musah, Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao
EXPERT PREDICTION
PSG 2-2 AC Milan
