AC MILAN v BORUSSIA DORTMUND: MATCH PREVIEW

Repeating the fantastic performance against Paris Saint-Germain is almost impossible because every game is a different story, but it’s certainly a good starting point. This evening, the Rossoneri will be hoping to reach similar levels in front of a deafening San Siro crowd. After picking up their first European win this campaign, AC Milan are aiming to take a step towards qualification in a group that remains very much open. Here is our Match Preview to present tonight’s crucial Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, who currently sit top of Group F.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
AC Milan got back to winning ways in Serie A against Fiorentina and, in doing so, gained precious points on their rivals ahead of them in the table. Compared to that league encounter, the return of Olivier Giroud is very much welcome, with the Frenchman ready to make his mark in attack. However, the Rossoneri will once again have to make do without several players, from Leão and Okafor through to Kjær and the suspended Musah. There aren’t a whole host of options available to Coach Pioli, who is likely to start Adli (the alternative would be Krunić) in midfield. It’ll be interesting to see where exactly Loftus-Cheek plays and how he performs, especially after his devastating display last time out in Europe.

“It's a very important game, a turning point in the group,” said Pioli on the eve of the game. “We’ll have to be attentive, and I want to see a team that puts in absolutely everything out on the pitch, combining strength with character. Our objective this season is to be competitive in the league and Europe.”

LATEST FROM BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Borussia Dortmund come into the game on the back of scoring four goals against Borussia Mönchengladbach and recording their first victory in over a month in the Bundesliga. After falling two behind, Die Schwarzgelben turned it around in the first half with goals from Sabitzer, Füllkrug and Bynoe-Gittens before adding a fourth through Malen in the closing stages. Domestically, they currently occupy fourth place and sit ten points adrift of first place. Süle (defender) and Nmecha (striker) are out, but Haller and Adeyemi are back fit. Meanwhile, Sabitzer isn’t in the best condition. Edin Terzić’s favoured formation is 4-2-3-1.

“It’s the Champions League,” said the Dortmund head coach. “We can’t afford to make mistakes. I know all about the beauty of San Siro and the emotional impact it has. We’ll need to be switched on from the get-go, fully aware that AC Milan want to excite their fans. Our objective isn’t necessarily to finish first, but we’ve got the opportunity to do so by winning. We’ll give everything.”

PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

• AC Milan will host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League for the first time since losing to the German side during the second group stage in 2002/03. The Rossoneri had won all their previous home encounters with die Schwarzgelben (4-1 in the 1957/58 European Cup, 3-1 in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup).
• AC Milan have lost just one of their last 16 European matches against German sides at San Siro (W11, D4), although this defeat was against Borussia Dortmund (1-0 in the 2002/03 Champions League).
• Borussia Dortmund have lost four of their last five away matches against Italian teams in UEFA competitions (D1).
• Stefano Pioli is aiming to win two consecutive Champions League matches for the second time as a coach after previously doing so in February (a three-game winning run). Tonight’s game will be his 23rd in the competition.

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund will be shown on Sky Sport, Canale 5 and Mediaset Infinity at 21:00 CET. Starting at 19:45 CET and lasting until shortly before kick-off, there will be all the build-up on Milan TV's Matchday. After the game, we will have interviews and Stefano Pioli's post-match conference.

LATEST FROM CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Matchday 5 in Group F awaits: alongside AC Milan v Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain v Newcastle will also kick off at 21:00 CET. This is the current table: Borussia Dortmund 7, Paris Saint-Germain 6, AC Milan 5, Newcastle 4.

REFEREE
The Romanian István Kovács will be the referee for the match at San Siro. The 39-year-old has already taken charge of Newcastle v Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal v Sevilla in the Champions League this season. He’s refereed two games involving AC Milan in the past, most recently the quarter-final first leg against Napoli in 2022/23. Marinescu and Artene will be the linesmen, Birsan will perform the role of fourth official and van Boekel, assisted by Popa, will oversee VAR.

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