Matchday news #B04Milan: First meeting with Rossoneri

#B04Milan – match facts

This will be the first competitive meeting between Leverkusen and Milan. The Werkself’s record from 12 previous Champions League encounters with Italian opposition has produced two wins, while the Rossoneri have lost only one of their last eight against German clubs. That defeat came in their most recent such fixture, losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund last November.

While Milan are competing in the Champions League for the 21st time, this is Leverkusen’s 14th season in Europe’s top club competition. The Werkself kicked off the campaign with a handsome 4-0 win away at Feyenoord; the Rossoneri were beaten 3-1 at home to Liverpool, who Bayer 04 are still to face this season. Leverkusen are also unbeaten in their last nine European home games.

Focus on the Rossoneri

Milan arrive at the BayArena with confidence on the back of three straight Serie A wins, following a tough start to the season under coach Paulo Fonseca with two draws and a defeat from their first three fixtures. Included in that winning run is a 2-1 victory over city rivals Inter Milan – the Rossoneri’s first derby triumph for several years. One of the goalscorers that day was the in-form Christian Pulisic, who boasts five goals from seven appearances so far this season. But as well as the USA captain, Milan also have the likes of Alvaro Morata, Rafael Leao and Tijjani Reijnders in their attack, which is currently the best in Serie A with 14 goals after six rounds of games. Find out more about our opponents in our in-depth analysis.

#B04Milan – pre-match quotes

Following on from Xabi Alonso and Jonathan Tah’s press conference on Monday afternoon (read more about that here), the visitors also spoke to the media. Coach Fonseca said: “To beat a team like Leverkusen, we need to be perfect in defence. It’s a good test to see how good our defence is right now. But we won’t just defend. We’ll look to get forward and try to play a big role. We don’t want to be that typical Italian team.”

Leao added at the press conference: “[Samuel] Chukwueze spoke this week about [Victor] Boniface. They’re international teammates. So, I know about Boniface. He’s a very dangerous striker. The wide men, [Alejandro] Grimaldo and [Jeremie] Frimpong, have also commanded our attention. We need to prepare for a good team and approach the game with respect. But we also can’t shy away.”

Travel info

Due to rail maintenance work around Cologne, there are currently delays on public transport. Fans are requested to check their travel plans and make their way to the BayArena early.

Schärer in charge

UEFA have appointed Sandro Schärer in charge of Tuesday night’s game. It’s the first time the 36-year-old Swiss referee has overseen a Werkself fixture. His assistants are Stéphane De Almeida and Jonas Erni, with Fedayi San as VAR.

Live coverage

As ever, there’s our live text and radio commentary via bayer04.de and the Bayer 04 app (in German) for those wishing to follow the game.