Liverpool, thankfully, do not have long to dwell on their weekend to forget as their Champions League campaign gets underway in Milan on Tuesday evening.
AC Milan vs. Liverpool
Champions League (1) | San Siro
September 17, 2024 | 8pm (BST)
After counting down the days for Liverpool to return from the international break, we did not get the performance or result we had hoped for against Nottingham Forest.
A response, the first under Arne Slot, is needed as the Reds return to Champions League action. Here is everything you need to know.
1. No new injury concerns
Slot’s squad trained as normal at the AXA on Monday afternoon and, thankfully, there were no new injury concerns to leave him with plenty of choices.
Harvey Elliott was the only absentee with a fractured foot as 24 of his teammates got their preparations underway for the trip to Italy.
That training team dwindled by one as 23 players were named in the travelling squad.
Federico Chiesa will be on the bench, and Slot hinted his first minutes for the club are on the cards.
2. Time for rotation
Surely Slot makes changes for this one, right? He wasted the opportunity to do against Forest and with only 72 hours between games, a bit of rotation has to be on the cards.
You could make an argument for nearly all of the outfield players to be shuffled around, but four may be the magic number on this occasion.
Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez would all inject fresh legs into the XI and are more than capable of getting the job done. Some big picture thinking is needed from Slot.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Bradley, Quansah, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Diaz, Nunez
3. Let’s talk about form…
Liverpool started the season strongly with three wins on the spin without conceding, but they were brought back down to earth on Saturday in a 1-0 loss to Forest.
Slot lamented his side’s ball possession was “not of the standards” he’s come to expect in the Anfield defeat, meaning his side are poised for a reaction.
Milan, meanwhile, got their first win of the season on Saturday and needed only 29 minutes to wrap it up, scoring four goals without reply. They now have five points after two previous draws and a defeat.
Injuries to key players have hindered Paulo Fonseca’s side and the Reds will hope they can capitalise on Milan’s inconsistent start.
LFC (last four): L-W-W-W
Milan: W-D-L-D
4. This is Slot’s 3rd season in the Champions League
While this fixture will be Slot’s European debut as Liverpool head coach, he has twice led a team in this competition – though only once in the group stage.
In 2020/21, AZ Alkmaar were beaten in the qualifiers and last season his Feyenoord team finished third in their group and dropped into the Europa League play-off round.
Only Gerard Houllier – at Celta Vigo in November 1998 – has lost his first European game in charge of the Reds. Let’s keep it that way!
5. No Origi reunion
Divock Origi is on Milan’s books but he will take no part having been demoted to the reserve team, a transfer was expected this summer but no move eventuated.
The striker signed for the Italian side in 2022 but he has never settled and will have to settle for being a bystander as his former club come to town. A real shame!
As for other team news for the hosts, they are without Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Sportiello, while defenders Malick Thiaw and Davide Calabria are both in doubt.
Milan have their derby on the weekend so that could give Fonseca some selection headaches.
Possible Milan XI: Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Pulisic, Abraham, Leao
6. 4,000 Reds at the San Siro
For the first away game in the competition, Liverpool received an allocation of 4,395 tickets, which accounts for less than six percent of the stadium’s capacity.
The San Siro can house 75,923 spectators, but early indications are that the Reds’ travelling fans will certainly be heard throughout the evening as Milan are struggling to sell tickets.
Recent form and ridiculous ticket prices – which range from €349 (£294) to €59 (£49) – are to blame for around 20,000 tickets still being on sale.
For example, a ticket in the ‘Secondo Rosso’ section – equivalent to the Upper Main Stand – costs €139 (£117) a piece against Liverpool, but for their next Serie A match it is €59 (£49).
Ticket prices and strategies are spiralling out of control.
7. ‘Rotation not to blame for Forest defeat’
Speaking in Milan on the eve of the clash, Slot spoke on the issue on everyone’s lips. Rotation:
“For me, and everyone can have their own opinion, it is too simple to put this loss on rotation because I think too many players didn’t reach their normal level.
“That is not only the ones that started but also the ones that came in [off the bench.]
“For me, it had a lot to do with the playing style of the opponent, who made it really difficult for us. But, in the end, if you didn’t win, you try to look at as many arguments as you can find.
8. Did you know?
Darwin Nunez has netted nine times in his 18 games in Europe for the club, and a goal against Milan would see him reach 10 European goals in the fifth fewest number of games in club history.
Only Sadio Mane (13), Mo Salah (13), Robbie Fowler (16), and Roger Hunt (18) have reached double figures in fewer than 20 matches.
We have not seen much of Darwin this season, but it would be ideal if he announces himself here should he be given the chance.
9. It is a new ref for the Reds
There is no previous with the referee for this match as Espen Eskas (Norway) has never overseen a game involving Liverpool or AC Milan.
He refereed games in the Olympics this summer, and this will be only his fifth game in charge of a Champions League fixture from the group/league stage onward.
10. Follow the match with TIA!
If you are in the UK, let’s hope you have the endless number of subscriptions as Milan vs. Liverpool will be shown live on Amazon Prime Video from 6.30pm (BST), with kick off at 8pm.
If you’re wondering why it is not on TNT Sports, we explained the new TV deal here.
As always, if you prefer biased commentary than TIA’s matchday liveblog is the place to be. Henry Jackson will be keeping you informed and entertained from 7.15pm.
Into these, Reds!
