Dortmund – AC Milan : Preview & Prediction
Despite a reasonably decent start to the 2023/24 season (G5, E2, P1), Borussia Dortmund have yet to really click, a view expressed by coach Edin Terzić’s insistence that there is still “room for improvement” after his side beat Hoffenheim 3-1 on Friday. This is especially true on their return to the UEFA Champions League (UCL), where Dortmund fell to a 2-0 defeat to French champions PSG on matchday one.
The roar of the famous Yellow Wall has helped them, as Dortmund are unbeaten at Signal Iduna Park since August 2022 (G17, E5). This good run is coupled with a solid recent home record in the UCL, which has seen the “Black and Yellow” side lose just one of their last 15 group stage matches in front of their home crowd (G9, E5), but in their history they have been plagued by problems against Italian opponents (G12, E6, P19).
AC Milan, who beat Lazio 2-0 on Saturday, will be looking to build on that to stay level on points at the top of Serie A with arch-rivals Inter. Stefano Pioli was concerned after Ruben Loftus-Cheek limped off the pitch during that win, but was happy to see the Rossoneri deliver without him. Milan will also be looking to improve on their UCL opening day result, as despite firing 25 shots, they were unable to overcome Newcastle (0-0).
The seven-time UCL/European Cup champions have not felt at home in this particular competition of late, having won just seven of their last 26 UCL matches (E8, P11). Despite this, Milan reached the semifinals last season, and will look to build on their good record against German sides (G17, E11, P9) in their first engagement against a team from the country since the 2008/09 season.
Players to watch: Marco Reus is Dortmund’s all-time leading scorer in the UCL and arrives in fine form, having scored in three consecutive Bundesliga matches. He shared a locker room at Dortmund with Christian Pulisic for four years, and now the American is thriving at Milan, contributing directly to four goals in seven Serie A clashes (three goals, one assist).
Key stat: Dortmund’s last six UCL home wins have all come with clean sheets.
Dortmund – AC Milan : Betting Tips
Dortmund – Win Odds: 2.25
