Nigeria: Milan Bank On Chukwueze Against Brugge Tonight

22 October 2024
This Day (Lagos)
By Femi Solaja with agency report

After losing their first two matches, AC Milan will try to revive an ailing UEFA Champions League campaign this evening as they welcome Club Brugge to San Siro.

The seven-time European champions are yet to pick up a point in this year's league phase, while their visitors got off the mark with a close-fought victory over Sturm Graz earlier this month.

With Nigerian winger, Samuel Chukwueze in dazzling form lately after being looked by the coach, thousands of AC Milan fans in the stadium will be looking forward to the Super Eagles star recreating his goal stint of last weekend in a Serie A match against Udinese.

Having succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in their first continental contest under Paulo Fonseca, losing to Premier League high-fliers Liverpool at San Siro, Milan went on to suffer another setback last time out.

The Rossoneri were beaten 1-0 by Bayer Leverkusen, as a second-half strike from compatriot, Victor Boniface, ensured all three points would go the German champions' way, leaving Fonseca's side empty-handed again.

Stretching back over several years, Milan have won only nine of their last 33 games at Europe's elite level, and another defeat this week would see the once-mighty side lose their first three matches of a Champions League campaign for just the second time to date.

At several different clubs, Fonseca has now won only one of his last nine in UEFA's top club competition, and he is sorely in need of another win this Tuesday evening to give a mixed start to his stay at San Siro.

On their return from the international break, Milan beat Udinese 1-0 at the weekend - recording just their fifth win in 19 games via Chukwueze's early goal - despite playing over an hour with 10 men after the dismissal of midfield dynamo Tijjani Reijnders.

As a result of that determined display, the Rossoneri remain undefeated through four home fixtures in Serie A this season, winning each of their last three without conceding a goal.

In the other matches tonight, defending champions, Real Madrid will host last season's losing finalist, Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu in a match that the home side will want to win after losing to Lille on match day two.

AS Monaco will welcome FK Crvena Zvezda while Arsenal will want to put aside their domestic defeat as they host Shakhtar Donetsk in London just as Aston Villa host Bologna.

Former Italian champion, Juventus will host VFB Stuttgart Girona will host Bratislava PSG are at home against PSV Eindhoven and Sturm Graz will welcome Sporting CP.

UCL (Today)

ACMilan v C'Brugge

Monaco v C'Zvezda

Arsenal v Shakhtar

Aston Villa v Bologna

Girona v Slo'Bratislava

Juventus v Stuttgart

PSG v PSV

R'Madrid v Dortmund

S'Graz v Sporting

NPFL (Results)

Ikorodu 4-2 Lobi Stars

Tornadoes 0-1 Rivers Utd

Shooting 1-0 Katsina Utd

Akwa Utd 0-0 Rangers

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