Sabasports Match Preview
UEFA Champions League: AC Milan vs Club Brugge
Kickoff Time: 2024-10-23 00:45(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini
AC Milan secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Udinese at home last weekend, ending a two-match losing streak across all competitions. AC Milan employed a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Alvaro Morata leading the attack, supported by the offensive trio of Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic, and Noah Okafor. The pair of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Youssouf Fofana managed the midfield, while the defense line consisted of Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Emerson Aparecido, forming a solid defense. Although AC Milan experienced a poor form at the beginning of the season, Coach Paulo Fonseca made timely adjustments, allowing the Rossoneri to finally emerge from the gloom. Additionally, AC Milan’s home performance has been quite stable, with three wins, one draw, and one loss in the five home matches this season, having only lost to Liverpool during this period, showcasing a commendable performance.
Club Brugge achieved a 2-1 away victory against Westerlo last weekend, maintaining an unbeaten record of two wins and two draws in the last four matches, demonstrating impressive form. As a traditional powerhouse in the Belgian Pro League, Club Brugge’s recent seasons have not been particularly outstanding; however, they did win the league title last season, securing qualification for the Champions League group stage. After 11 rounds in the Belgian league, Club Brugge has recorded five wins, three draws, and three losses, which can be considered average overall. They also play in a 4-2-3-1 formation and excel at controlling possession through midfield organization. However, their attacking and defensive efficiency tends to drop when facing stronger opponents, and they lack a decisive key player in their squad. Despite Club Brugge’s decent performance in the Belgian league, they still need more cohesion and improvement in the Champions League.
There is no doubt that AC Milan’s overall strength is clearly superior to that of Club Brugge, and the Rossoneri’s pedigree in the Champions League is unmatched by Brugge. Coupled with AC Milan’s stable home performance, the team’s overall display is gradually getting back on track. Therefore, it would be reasonable to expect the strong AC Milan to secure all three points in this match.
AC Milan’s Last 5 Games: WLLWW
24-10-20 AC Milan 1-0 Udinese
24-10-07 Fiorentina 2-1 AC Milan
24-10-02 Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 AC Milan
24-09-28 AC Milan 3-0 Lecce
24-09-23 Inter 1-2 AC Milan
Club Brugge’s Last 5 Games: WDWDL
24-10-19 Westerlo 1-2 Club Brugge
24-10-07 Club Brugge 1-1 Union St.Gilloise
24-10-03 Sturm Graz 0-1 Club Brugge
24-09-28 Sporting Charleroi 1-1 Club Brugge
24-09-22 Club Brugge 2-4 Gent
Head To Head Record:
03-11-05 Club Brugge 0-1 AC Milan
03-10-23 AC Milan 0-1 Club Brugge
Prediction: AC Milan to win