Verdict: AC Milan win
Best Odds: 8/15
Bookmaker: Luckster
Seeking a Champions League comeback on Tuesday night, AC Milan will welcome Feyenoord to the San Siro for their second-leg showdown.
AC Milan
Starting with the hosts, putting in a toothless display over in Holland last week as they got their Champions League play-off adventure underway with a 1-0 loss on foreign soil, AC Milan have plenty of pressure on their shoulders here. However, despite chasing a slender deficit on Tuesday night, Sergio Conceicao’s men claimed an immediate response over the weekend. Clinching a gritty 1-0 victory at home against Verona, the former Porto boss has largely impressed since arriving at the San Siro over the festive period. Crowned Super Cup champions on January 6th following an iconic 3-2 win against arch-rivals Inter Milan over in the Middle East, Conceicao’s side have also continued to shine on home soil. Extending on their Coppa Italia charge on February 5th as they stormed their way to a 3-1 win against Roma, AC Milan have not suffered a single defeat at the San Siro since the end of October.
AC Milan Team News
All still dealing with respective injury issues, AC Milan will once again be without the trio of Alessandro Florenzi, Emerson Royal and former Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek. However, after serving a domestic suspension over the weekend, England international Fikayo Tomori will return to Conceicao’s squad.
Finding the net in two of his first three appearances after arriving from Feynoord during the January transfer window, Santiago Gimenez will lead the line against his former employers here. Arriving from Chelsea on a loan switch last month, Joao Felix should feature from the start.
Feyenoord
As for the visitors, dragging themselves to an eye-catching 1-0 victory last week, Feyenoord will be desperate to collect a heavyweight Champions League scalp here. However, eventually forced to settle for a 0-0 stalemate against NAC Breda over the weekend, the Dutch giants have continued to show some extended inconsistencies this season. Watching their KNVB Beker adventure come to an end on February 5th as they fell to a routine 2-0 loss at the hands of domestic rivals PSV, the midweek guests have recorded consecutive victories across any competition on just a single occasion since the middle of December. Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny last month as they signed off their group stage campaign with a 6-1 drumming against French outfit Lille, Feyenoord have shown some glaring issues on the road. In fact, the Rotterdam-based outfit have failed to win any of their last five consecutive showdowns away from De Kuip.
Feyenoord Team News
Dealing with what has quickly become a stacked injury list, Feyenoord will once again be without the likes of Calvin Stengs, Ramiz Zerrouki, Gernot Trauner, Jordan Lotomba and number one goalkeeper Justin Bijlow on Tuesday night. However, making a speedy recovery, Dutch international Quilindschy Hartman will travel to the San Siro.
Bagging that first-leg winner against AC Milan last week and finding the net in two of his previous three appearances, Brazilian attack Igor Paixao will play a leading role in the final third. Former Brighton star Jakub Moder will start in the middle of the park.
AC Milan vs Feyenoord Key Factors to Consider
- When AC Milan and Feyenoord met for their first-leg meeting last week, Tuesday’s guests collected a 1-0 victory at De Kuip.
- However, Feyenoord have failed to win any of their previous five appearances on the road.
- Likewise, Feyenoord have conceded 11 goals in those five consecutive away fixtures.
- AC Milan have not suffered a single defeat at the San Siro across any competition since the end of October.
- Arriving from Feyenoord on a permanent basis last month, Santiago Gimenez has recorded two goals in his first three appearances for the Italian giants.
Conclusion
Suffering a 1-0 loss when they travelled to De Kuip last week, AC Milan have plenty of pressure on their shoulders here. However, excited to make a return to home soil on Tuesday night, the Italian heavyweights have gained a fearsome reputation for their success at the San Siro. Extending on their Coppa Italia adventure earlier in the month as they stormed their way to a 3-1 victory against domestic rivals Roma, Conceicao’s men have not suffered a single defeat in front of their own supporters since the end of October.
Verdict: AC Milan win
Best Odds: 8/15
Bookmaker: Luckster
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