AC Milan will renew their European rivalry with Liverpool at San Siro tonight as they hope to get their Champions League campaign off to the best possible start.
Milan and Liverpool could hardly be in more contrasting form coming into this game, as the Rossoneri won 4-0 against Venezia on Saturday to end a three-game winless run to start the season, while the Premier League side’s 100% record fell against Nottingham Forest at home as they lost 1-0.
Nonetheless, on such big European nights it feels like league form only plays a small part in things. You can read our pre-match preview of the game, which includes the latest team news and some stats.
In order to get some more insight on tonight’s opponents, we spoke to Farrell Keeling from Empire of the Kop about the Reds’ summer and their season so far.
It has been a summer of big change for Liverpool – just how profoundly was Jurgen Klopp’s exit felt?
“It’s always going to be challenging waving goodbye to a manager comparable to the greats of Liverpool history. It’s telling, certainly, that Jurgen Klopp’s face has been seen flying on that iconic banner bearing the likenesses of Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Kenny Dalglish and Rafa Benitez.
“Gerard Houllier still doesn’t have a place on the banner in question despite having won a number of trophies in his time at Anfield, so that tells you everything about how well-regarded Jurgen is and just how keenly his exit will have hurt fans.
“When your manager tells you he’s absolutely knackered, of course, you have to respect he’s not just making the right decision for himself but he’s also looking after the best interests of the club. There’s no hard feelings with Jurgen Klopp – it’s the right call and he’s more than earned the right to make that decision.”
What was your reaction to the hiring of Arne Slot, and that of the fanbase in general?
“I think the reaction has generally been quite optimistic! We’re quite fortunate in the sense that Jurgen Klopp hasn’t left the club in an absolute shambles. The squad is world-class and the people running things behind the scenes know what they’re doing.
“The return of Michael Edwards, in particular, was comforting given his key role in building the first great Liverpool team under Klopp’s management. The promise of continuity rather than another revolution certainly has its appeal in that regard. To that end, Slot has made clear that he will be tweaking things rather than ripping it all out from the roots.”
How have things been under Slot thus far? Are you happy with what you have seen, especially in the hammering of Manchester United?
“There have been some positive early signs under the new man in the dugout. You can see key principles of play that were initially formed under Jurgen Klopp have been nurtured and maintained. The Manchester United example is a perfect one, as all three goals resulted from forced turnovers in the opposing half.
“There will be many no doubt keen to point to the disappointing 1-0 home defeat of Nottingham Forest as a sign of things to come – but I’d be more surprised if there weren’t any early hurdles to clear after a new manager’s arrival! We’ve yet to see Slot fully implement his tactical take. We haven’t really seen what a ‘Slot goal’ even looks like!”
Who have been the key performers so far, and who should Milan look out for?
“Mo Salah (Nottingham Forest performance aside) looks rejuvenated after a summer spent away from football. The Egyptian looks sharp and already has six goal contributions to his name in our opening four games.
“I’d also keep an eye out for Luis Diaz who appears to have likewise brought his scoring boots in 2024/25. If either of those are on their game tonight, Paulo Fonseca will be watching the tie behind his hands.”
What was your reaction to the Champions League draw and more specifically discovering you would face Milan again?
“It’s a bit of an unknown, isn’t it, with the new league format? I think the tie was relatively fair from a Liverpool point of view; drawing Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen at home will certainly help.
“It’s always a pleasure seeing Liverpool drawn against AC Milan. There’s obviously a lot of history between us and it feels like such a classic Champions League clash.”
Are there any injuries/other selection problems? What is the starting line-up likely to be?
“We’re sadly without Harvey Elliott for the next two months owing to a fractured foot he suffered during the international break. Curtis Jones is back after his early injury issues this term. Otherwise, I believe it’s pretty much a full house that’s made the trip over to Milan.
“I think there’s going to be a few changes given that Arne Slot has posted the same starting XI three times in a row now – not many mind. I think there’s a chance Darwin Nunez will be drafted in for Diogo Jota, whilst Jarell Quansah may swap in for Ibrahima Konate at the back.
“I’d love to see some minutes from Federico Chiesa in the second-half (particularly given his positive record against AC Milan during his time in Italy), but I wouldn’t be expecting him to be named in the starting XI.”
Predicted starting XI: Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Mo Salah