UEFA Champions League Preview: Slovan vs Milan – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League action kicks off at Tehelné pole as rock-bottom Slovan Bratislava take on Italian giants Milan. Paulo Fonseca’s charges have no margin for error in this ‘David vs Goliath’ clash if they’re to reinforce their hopes of securing automatic knockout qualification.

Slovan couldn’t have imagined a more sorrowful start to their maiden appearance in the Champions League main draw. Nailed to the bottom of the 34-team table, Vladimiar Weiss’ men head into proceedings as one of only five sides yet to pick up a single point in Europe’s most prestigious competition this season.

The reigning Slovak First Football League holders got the better of Struga, Celje, APOEL, and Midtjylland in the qualifying stages to secure a berth in the newly formatted league phase. However, they’ve failed to rise to the occasion, with their four defeats in the autumn European fixtures coming via an aggregate score of 15-2.

On the other hand, Milan had endured a faltering start to the league phase, losing to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen in the opening two rounds. Fonseca has since steadied the ship. A routine 3-1 home triumph against 10-man Club Brugge got the Rossoneri off the mark on matchday three.

After netting a match-winning brace at Stadio San Siro, Tijjani Reijnders maintained his prolific continental form in the last round. He was on the scoresheet again as Milan pulled off an epic upset, toppling a star-studded Real Madrid 3-1 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to climb to 20th in the Champions League standings.

With eighth-placed Aston Villa only three points off, automatic qualification for the knockout stages remains well within Milan’s reach. But, given the fierce competition for the top places, they cannot afford to underestimate any opposition.

Match Preview

Slovan Bratislava

Zero points from four Champions League outings only tell half of the story. To better understand the extent of Slovan’s struggles, one must look at the high volume of goals leaked halfway through the league phase. Only Red Star Belgrade (16) have conceded more goals than Slovan’s 15.

Furthermore, they have capitulated precisely four times in both previous home matches at Europe’s top table. Dinamo Zagreb and Manchester City left Tehelné pole in ruins, while Girona and Celtic poured more misery on Slovan’s erratic European journey, putting seven goals past Weiss’ whipping boys.

However, bringing their performances on the domestic front into the equation, it’s not all doom and gloom for Slovan. The hosts have reigned supreme in their recent top-flight games, racking up an eye-catching nine-game unbeaten streak in league action (W7, D2). Transferring that form to the grandest continental scene has proved elusive.

Milan

Though a remarkable night in Madrid was supposed to be the catalyst to reignite Milan’s indifferent form at the beginning of Fonseca’s tenure, the Italians continue to stutter. Before a scoreless home draw against Juventus on Saturday, the Rossoneri shared the spoils with Serie A minnows Cagliari in a 3-3 stalemate on the stroke of the international break.

In doing so, Milan have potentially lost crucial ground on Napoli, falling a whopping ten points behind the league leaders. Despite boasting a game in hand, Fonseca’s lads are not in good shape in Serie A, highlighting the importance of atoning for their underwhelming domestic campaign in Europe’s elite club competition.

Buoyed by a four-game unbeaten run in all competitions, Milan head to Bratislava in pursuit of a third consecutive multi-goal margin triumph in the Champions League for the first time since April 2005. The upcoming trip to Slovan bodes well, with the Rossoneri winning three of their four historical meetings with Slovakian teams (L1).

Team News

Slovan will be without Ghanaian forward Zuberu Sharani. Meanwhile, former Milan midfielder Juraj Kucka and Austrian defender Kevin Wimmer have recovered from injuries. Tigran Barseghyan must be at the visitors’ focus after tallying 11 goals across 14 league appearances this term.

As for Milan, long-term absentees Alessandro Florenzi and Ismael Bennacer are not in contention for this trip. Luka Jovic is still struggling with a groin issue. With Alvaro Morata unavailable for suspension, Tammy Abraham will likely lead the line in Bratislava.

Slovan Bratislava vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Slovan Bratislava (3-4-2-1): Takac; Bajric, Kashia, Wimmer; Blackman, Ignatenko, Savvidis, Mak; Barseghyan, Tolic; Strelec.

Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Thiaw, Gabbia, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Abraham.

Slovan Bratislava vs Milan Prediction

This fixture is a textbook definition of a must-win for Milan. Despite their recent domestic slumps, Fonseca’s charges should stroll to three points and, in all likelihood, add a few goals to their Champions League tally.