Sports
Match Preview: Real Madrid vs. AC Milan – Predictions, Team Updates, and Expected Lineups
Real Madrid is looking to rebound from a heavy defeat in El Clasico as they continue their 2024-25 Champions League campaign against Italian giants AC Milan on Tuesday night. Currently, Los Blancos sit in 12th place in the Champions League standings with six points from three matches, while Milan is in 25th, having garnered only three points from their opening three games. Fortunately for Real Madrid, their La Liga match against Valencia, originally scheduled for Saturday, was postponed due to severe floods in Spain, giving them extra time to prepare.
Having not played since their 4-0 loss to Barcelona on October 26, Real Madrid could find themselves nine points adrift of the La Liga leaders by Sunday evening, a concerning prospect at this stage of the season. However, they must now shift their focus to the Champions League, where they aim to increase their points total to nine.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, the team has already claimed victories over Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund in this season's competition, but a loss to Lille last month means they remain in a tight spot with just six points from three games, sitting one point behind eighth-placed Sporting Lisbon.
Real Madrid has struggled to find their rhythm this season, having lost two of their last five matches across all competitions. They will be eager to secure wins against both Milan and Osasuna before the November international break.
Historically, Real Madrid and AC Milan have faced each other 15 times, with both clubs recording six wins each. This match marks their first encounter since the group stage of the 2010-11 Champions League. Notably, Milan has only triumphed once at the Santiago Bernabéu, during the 2009-10 Champions League group stage, and the most iconic clash between the two occurred in the 1958 European Cup final, where Real Madrid emerged victorious 3-2. In their last six meetings, all in the Champions League group stage, Milan has secured two wins, and they will be looking for an upset on Tuesday night.
Milan opened their Champions League campaign with two losses to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen but bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in their last match. With only three points from their three matches, they currently sit in 25th place. Paulo Fonseca’s squad enters this game after a 1-0 victory over Monza, having recovered from a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the end of last month. Milan has amassed 17 points from their first 10 matches in the 2024-25 Serie A season, placing them seventh in the table, two points behind fourth-placed Atalanta BC and eight points off league leaders Napoli.
For the Champions League clash, Real Madrid will be without Dani Carvajal, Thibaut Courtois, Rodrygo, and David Alaba. However, Antonio Rudiger is expected to recover from recent knee concerns and be fit for selection. Ancelotti will likely field his strongest available lineup, having not played since the loss to Barcelona, with no major surprises anticipated.
Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé are set to lead the attack, while Luka Modric may start in midfield over Aurelien Tchouameni to provide greater control in that area.
Milan, on the other hand, will miss Luka Jovic, Matteo Gabbia, Ismael Bennacer, and Alessandro Florenzi due to injuries, but Tammy Abraham has returned to the squad and will be available for selection. Rafael Leao, who has struggled for form, may start after being benched against Monza. Emerson Royal and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also expected to return to the lineup, with former Real Madrid striker Álvaro Morata likely to start at center-forward.
Real Madrid's possible starting lineup: Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Modric; Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappé
AC Milan's possible starting lineup: Maignan; Royal, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Loftus-Cheek, Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Morata, Leao
