Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for AC Milan vs. Newcastle at UEFA Champions League
Prediction, Odds & Betting Tips for AC Milan vs. Newcastle at UEFA Champions League
It will be very interesting to see Sandro Tonali’s comeback home, as his new team, Newcastle, meets AC Milan in the opening round of the UEFA Champions League. Tonali wasn’t too happy about leaving Rossoneri, though the two teams agreed on a transfer, and the player simply accepted how things developed at the time. About the game, both sides want a win, because in a group alongside PSG and Borussia Dortmund, every point matters.
AC Milan
Rossoneri had a very exhausting weekend, playing against their local rivals, Inter, but with the season early on, we don’t think that they feel any fatigue. Apart from that, Stefano Pioli now has a slightly deeper roster and can rotate if anything unpredictable occurs.
The only player whose absence isn’t possible to cover up right now is Christian Pulisic. We’ve already written about his impact on Milan’s game and the way he handles the business on the field. Though, we need to say that Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao function very well.
Leao is one of the best strikers in the world, and even though wealthier clubs wanted to sign the Portuguese striker, he chose to stay at San Siro, where he has the leading role and presents the face of the team.
Newcastle
Talking about wealth, Newcastle is maybe the most powerful club in the world in terms of money, but the Magpies aren’t showing that. For the moment, at least. Apart from Tonali’s and Barnes’ transfers, we haven’t seen them splashing the cash, and even these two transactions were in the normal range.
Newcastle played well during the preseason, and they opened the Premiership with a 5-1 win over Aston Villa but suffered three defeats in a row following that. The one against Brighton, 3-1, was the most painful because the Seagulls blew away the Magpies in all aspects of play.
The international break came at the best possible moment for Eddie Howe and his crew, allowing them some time to regroup and prepare for the upcoming challenges.
AC Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Thiaw, Kjaer, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Rade Krunic, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
Newcastle United: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Isak, Barnes
So far, there haven’t been any official matches between these two teams, and this will be the first ever.
Let’s be straight here: this event can go either way. Picking a full-time result is risky. Milan’s games include goals, usually on both ends, and the same is with the guests, which is why we take both teams to net as the final choice.
Our verdict: Both teams to score