The second matchday of the Champions League will bring together two giant clubs, AC Milan, against the defending LaLiga champions, Atletico Madrid. The match will be held at the San Siro on Wednesday morning (29/09/2021).

Victory will be the target of both teams after the first matchday both failed to reach 3 points. Ahead of their second meeting, here are 5 interesting facts that accompany this big match.

 

1. AC Milan’s key players have recovered from injury
Facing Atletico Madrid, AC Milan will come with the best squad. Several key players who have suffered injuries are confirmed to have recovered and are ready to play. They are Olivier Giroud, Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer and Alessandro Florenzi. Previously, they suffered injuries last week in the matches against Liverpool and Juventus.

However, AC Milan has not been able to lower Zlatan Ibrahimmovic who is not fully fit. The old bomber suffered an injury after defeating Lazio in Serie A. However, this is not a big problem because the current Rossoseri squad is considered quite capable with Giroud being able to become a pedestal in the attack line.

 

2. Provision is not convincing Atletico Madrid, while AC Milan is on fire!
This match will be a difficult match for Atletico Madrid. Not only will they play at the opponent’s cage, they will also come with less convincing results. From the last 4 matches in all competitions, Atleti have only won once, drew 2, and just lost last weekend to Alaves.

On the other hand, the hosts are on fire after being unbeaten in 6 Serie A matches with a breakdown of 5 wins and a draw. The Rossoneri are also more favored by playing in front of their fans who will fill the San Siro. This is the first home game in the Champions League since the last time it appeared 7 years ago.

 

3. Atlético Madrid is statistically superior to the meeting
In its history, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid have only met twice in the Champions League. Interestingly, it happened at AC Milan’s last participation in the UCL in the 2013/2014 season in the round of 16. AC Milan suffered two defeats on aggregate 5-1.

After that, AC Milan never again managed to qualify for the Champions League until this season finally materialized. Atletico Madrid have since tasted two Champions League finals despite losing both matches.

 

4. The performance of two Atletico Madrid stars is not convincing
In quality, Atletico Madrid is superior through a row of star players, such as Luis Suarez, Jan Oblak, and Kierran Tripper. However, their two attacking stars, Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix, still haven’t found their best game. Griezmann has played in 5 games in all competitions, but neither has scored nor assisted.

Likewise with Joao Felix, who has only played in two LaLiga matches. He missed Atleti’s last two matches due to the red card he received. However, this could be bad news for Milan. They will definitely try to come back and make a difference in this match.

 

5. It will be a tough week for both teams
It will be a tough week for both teams before the international break next week. Both must be smart in maintaining the club’s stamina and consistency. After this match, both of them must undergo a match no less difficult in the domestic league. AC Milan will travel to Atalanta, while Atletico Madrid will face Barcelona.

In this match, both teams are targeting victory to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout phase . Moreover, both failed to win on the first matchday .

 

With a tough Group B rivalry, filled with Liverpool and Porto, every point will be very important.