2023-24 UEFA Champions League: Group Stage – AC Milan vs Newcastle

Newcastle United begin their first Champions League campaign in two decades with a Group F trip to AC Milan at San Siro. 

Victory would see either team go top for at least a few hours with PSG not playing Borussia Dortmund until late evening.

 

Team News

AC Milan have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 5-1 defeat against Inter Milan last weekend.

Pierre Kalulu (thigh) and Ismael Bennacer (knee) are ruled out.

Newcastle will be without Joelinton after he missed their 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford with a knee injury.

Sandro Tonali meanwhile could start against his former team, having been an unused substitute at the weekend, due to a muscle injury.

Emil Krafth (knee) and Joe Willock (hamstring/Achilles) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

AC Milan host Newcastle at San Siro in a 6:45pm CET (5:45pm UK Time) kick-off on Tuesday 19 September, live on TNT Sports in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• This is AC Milan’s first-ever competitive meeting against Newcastle.
• Newcastle are playing away to AC Milan for the first time but have drawn each of their two previous visits to the San Siro (D2) – albeit against Inter Milan.
• Eddie Howe’s Magpies have won just one of their last five away matches against Italian opposition in all UEFA competitions (W1, D2, L2).
• AC Milan have kept clean sheets in three of their last four European matches at home (W3, L1).
• Each of Newcastle’s last three goals in all UEFA competitions were scored by their former striker – Papiss Cisse.

 

Prediction

After suffering a demoralising 5-1 loss against Inter Milan at the weekend despite dominating possession, AC Milan must now reset and return to their clinical attacking displays of recent weeks because they simply were wasteful unlike Inter.

Newcastle meanwhile didn’t exactly click in the first half of their win over Brentford but they defensively weathered the Bees’ attacking threat, but lacked much end product in open play as they instead got lucky from a penalty.

Both teams therefore have a lot of work to do to improve going forward but if AC Milan’s defensive marking is as sloppy as it was against Inter Milan, I do fancy Newcastle to have the edge if they can find that winning touch in open play otherwise we might see a draw here.

Prediction: AC Milan 1-1 Newcastle United

Result: AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle United