The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League season is here, and a new general pool play format means we'll get a high-profile matchup on Matchday 1 when AC Milan hosts Liverpool. These two clubs have combined to win the European Championship on 13 occasions, with Liverpool most recently winning the UCL in 2019, while AC Milan's last triumph was in 2007. AC Milan is eighth in the Italian Serie A table after a 4-0 win over Venezia, while Liverpool is fourth in the English Premier League after a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool overcame a very early scare at San Siro to get their 2024-25 Champions League campaign off to a winning start against Milan.
In Arne Slot’s first Champions League game since taking charge, Christian Pulisic put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, only for both Liverpool centre-backs, Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk, to score headers from set-pieces to turn the game on its head before the half-time whistle.
Midway through the second half, Dominik Szoboszlai then added a third to put the result beyond doubt, and extend Liverpool’s record-breaking 100% record at San Siro.
The Early Scare and a Crucial Comeback
Things started horribly for the Reds though as Kostas Tsimikas was caught out of position allowing Christian Pulisic to nip into the vacant space and slot home a superb finish with barely two minutes on the clock.
Liverpool responded brilliantly though. They controlled play and dictated the tempo against a deep defensive block. Mo Salah, who twice hit the crossbar, and Cody Gakpo looked hungry to score but the equaliser came courtesy of a defender.
Trent Alexander-Arnold flicked in a free kick and found Ibrahima Konate who nodded past an injured Mike Maignan to pull Liverpool level. A second set piece, this one a corner, put the visitors ahead with Virgil van Dijk heading home.
Dominik Szoboszlai's Goal Secures the Win
Late in the second half, Dominik Szobozslai volleyed home a cross from Cody Gakpo to secure the points and send the Reds marching on.
A Dominant Second-Half Performance
Liverpool’s response to going behind was calm composure. It’s worked a treat and now Milan need to come up with their own response. They’re more of a pacey and intense outfit with speed up top. Can they strike back?
Liverpool are keeping Milan in the middle third and not allowing them to push forward. When they do Konate and Van Dijk have command of the box and the counter attack comes quickly.
Liverpool have totally dominated. They’ve had 19 shots with 11 on target.
It’s a strong start and Arne Slot will be confident that it can continue and secure the Reds a spot in the knockouts.
A New Chapter for Liverpool in the Champions League
Liverpool are playing their first Champions League match after missing out and competing in the Europa League last season. Tonight’s match also marks Arne Slot’s first European game in charge of the Reds.
“It’s a big game, also for me, but a big game for us,” said Slot, “Because of the history these two teams have, the venue it is played in, it is one to look forward to.”
It used to be that Milan-Liverpool matches would crown Champions League seasons rather than kick them off, and it’s not the only thing about Tuesday’s meeting that has been upended. The two clubs have consistently been the names directly underneath Real Madrid in the competition’s list of honours since 1990, at which point the Spanish club had six European Cups, with Milan and Liverpool four apiece.
It’s now 15, seven, six. Despite that almost perpetual status as the next greatest clubs on the continent, AC Milan and Liverpool actually only met four times before Tuesday’s fixture at the San Siro. More fittingly, two of those have been Champions League finals, and it was after the last of those that the late Silvio Berlusconi triumphantly came out with the following:
