After a melancholy 3-0 win at Leeds on Sunday, Liverpool start Champions League play Wednesday evening against AC Milan. The legendary Italian club is off to a good start this season, having taken three wins from three matches in Serie A.
Both sides hope to start the Champions League off on the right foot in what should be a very difficult group stage. (For the Liverpool starting xi prediction go here)
Injury News
The big injury news for Liverpool is the loss of teenage midfielder Harvey Elliott (more on that here). Elliott suffered a dislocated ankle after a challenge from Pascal Struijk in the second half of the Leeds win this past weekend.
An MRI is set for this week, but it is expected to be a season-ending injury. Roberto Firmino is rehabbing from a hamstring injury and is making good progress, but he’s unlikely to feature Wednesday.
Takumi Minamino got a knock while on international duty, and he may not be ready in time for this one.
European Titans Meet
From a historical perspective, Liverpool and AC Milan is one of the marquee match-ups of the opening round of UCL fixtures. Milan have won seven Champions League titles, second most all-time behind Real Madrid, while Liverpool are only one behind with six.
Despite the very rich history, the two sides have only met just twice in their history, but both were of course in European finals.
In 2005, Liverpool overcame a three-goal deficit in the second half to lift the trophy in Istanbul. Two years later, Milan got their revenge in Athens, topping Liverpool 2-1.
Betting Odds
Liverpool FC are -190 favorites at home on Wednesday night, with Milan coming in at +500. The odds are +350 on a draw; which might just be the best bet.