AC MILAN v LIVERPOOL: OPPONENT REVIEW

A start to the season at opposite ends, differing results in the most recent league matches for both sides. AC Milan are edging closer to their European opener after beating Venezia 4-0, whilst Liverpool are coming off the back of a surprise 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest. Before this blip, however, Arne Slot's Reds had impressed many in the Premier League, securing three wins scoring seven goals and conceding none, including an important 3-0 win away at Old Trafford. The Diavolo's start has been a bit rockier, but we managed to kickstart our campaign on the weekend at San Siro. For both teams, the big Champions League Clash is an important test. 

In the summer, Jurgen Klopp's reign as Liverpool boss came to an end after nine years in the dugout for the Reds, finishing 3rd in the league on 82 points. Arne Slot is the new head coach, and the ex-Feyenoord man is just one of the few new arrivals, given that in the transfer window Liverpool only brought in Federico Chiesa, and didn't make any significant sales. The challenges are numerous, however, on the eve of the clash, there's also a lot of curiosity surrounding the game. The previous matches against Tottenham and Newcastle have improved the record of the Rossoneri against English sides in the competition, but the last time out against Liverpool - dating back to the Group Stage of the 2021/2022 season - saw the Reds win on both occasions.

DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY, CYNICISM IN OTHER PHASES: TWO SIDES TO THE REDS
This Liverpool side creates a lot and doesn't concede much, but it doesn't always score as many as it should. Last year is proof of this, when the Reds created a lot more than what they actually scored: in the Premier League last season they accumulated 89.4 xG (Expected Goals), but "only" scored 82. These are numbers which have some value when compared to the likes of Manchester City's 81.9 xG and Arsenal's 77.4 xG, who scored 96 and 91 goals respectively. The Reds actually place first in the league table of key chances missed, and also in this early phase of the new season, the seven goals compared to an xG of 8.0 goals, are a warning. Sometimes unstoppable, sometimes wasteful. This is the cynicism of Liverpool, but it was victorious in the only big match it has played so far, with a 3-0 win fought in numbers, less than on the scoreboard - away at Manchester United.

The wide areas have always been a strong point for Liverpool, however at the moment no one has managed to nail down a starting place at the centre of attack, and in matches such as the most recent 1-0 loss to an organised Forest side - this can prove very costly. The goals have actually come from Salah (3), Luis Diaz (3) and Diogo Jota (1), only missing contributions from Gakpo and Núñez. At the back, three clean sheets in four matches speak for themselves, and having conceded just ten shots, we can clearly see the solidity of Arne Slot’s team. To overcome the compact back-four of the Reds, a piece of magic from Hudson-Odoi was needed, which finished off a well-organised counterattack, but the Dutch coach knows how to make their defence impenetrable. During his time in charge of Feyenoord - in the last group stage - he did suffer three defeats away, however, the Rotterdam team was second best when it came to the difference between shots for and against away from home (+19: 48 shots taken and 29 shots against) only behind City for the number of shots conceded. 

DANGERS FROM THE WINGS, SALAH INCREASINGLY A KEY PLAYER 
The dangers out-wide start from the defence and are present all the way into the attack. At right-back, there's Alexander-Arnold, everywhere man, he is the assist king and his record in the competition reads ten key passes in 52 matches, the 25 year-old is already the second-best English defender of all time in this little group headed by Ashley Cole (12 in 108). It's worth mentioning Robertson and his crosses from the opposite side, from stationary positions but also in phases of play - some of the main weapons therefore come from the wide defensive areas. The two wingers in front of them and at Slot's disposal are top-class players.

One man more so than others, however, catches more headlines as he is increasingly a key player for Liverpool. Mo Salah, a player with knowledge of Serie A, has got off to a great start this season. With three goals and three assists in the first four matches of the Premier League, the Egyptian has grown year after year and is now irreplaceable, also for his work in building phases of play. The Egyptian scored in both the home game at Anfield - after also having a penalty saved by Maignan - and in the return fixture at San Siro, and in the Champions League, he has scored 41 goals in total for Liverpool, a tournament record for any player of an English club. 

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