It’s time for the Champions League in a new format, and six matches are on the schedule tonight. Aston Villa makes a comeback in Europe’s most prestigious cup for the first time since 1982, while Real Madrid – who have modestly won the top cup 15 times – are also in action. On the menu is also a clash between the 2005 and 2007 final teams, and we navigate our way to a betting tip from San Siro.
Tough Start for Fonseca
Paulo Fonseca was appointed as Milan’s new manager this summer, but it took four league rounds before his first win was secured. Draws against Torino and Lazio, as well as a 1-2 loss to Parma, put pressure on the 51-year-old before last weekend’s home game against newly promoted Venezia. With solid contributions from the former Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham, who both scored a goal, it ended in a comfortable 4-0 victory. All the goals came before the half-hour mark, allowing Fonseca to make his five substitutions – providing a smooth lead-in to the Champions League opener.
However, Milan will be missing a handful of first-team players, as Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi, Marco Sportiello, and Malick Thiaw are all sidelined due to injury problems.
Liverpool Seeking Revenge
Arne Slot had a perfect start to his career as Liverpool manager, with initial victories over Ipswich and Brentford followed by an impressive 3-0 win away at arch-rival Manchester United. Liverpool were also heavy favorites before Saturday’s home game against Nottingham Forest, but that’s when the upset occurred. The attack struggled against a very solid Forest defense, and an early shot off the post by Luis Diaz was the closest they came to scoring. When Callum Hudson-Odoi curled the ball elegantly into Alisson Becker’s bottom left corner, the game was effectively over with 15 minutes remaining.
Slot now makes his European debut with his new club, and it won’t be easy. However, Liverpool has a flawless record at San Siro. Three out of three games at this stadium have been won, with two victories against Inter and one against Milan. The Reds arrive with a fully fit squad, except for an injured Harvey Elliott.
Betting Tip:
Milan vs Liverpool
San Siro, Tuesday, 9:00 PM
Milan is not what they once were, but there’s no strong reason to trust Liverpool after Saturday’s performance. Odds oaround 1.90 aren’t particularly tempting. Milan has only won one of their first four Serie A matches but has managed nine goals in total. Liverpool themselves scored seven goals before the setback against Forest, so both teams scoring could be an exciting bet for tonight. However, the odds are modest, so we lean towards a better-paid corner bet. There have been over 10 corners in three of Milan’s first four games, while there have been over 9 in three of Liverpool’s.
We’re going for over 9.5 corners on Tuesday night.
