The Daily Star Ireland
Slovan Bratislava is currently facing a challenging time in the Champions League. The six-time reigning Slovakian champions have lost all four of their matches, leaving them at the bottom of their group. Their defense has been a significant weak point, having conceded 15 goals, the second most in the competition.
Recent losses include a 2-0 defeat to Girona and a 4-1 home loss to Dinamo Zagreb. However, domestically, Slovan Bratislava is performing much better, sitting at the top of the Slovak league table. They will play against second-place Kosice on Friday to maintain or extend their 3-point lead.
AC Milan, on the other hand, had a rough start to their European campaign, suffering losses to Liverpool (1-3) and Bayer Leverkusen (1-0). However, they bounced back with a 3-1 win over Club Bruges and a surprising 1-3 victory at Real Madrid before the international break.
With 6 points, they are 20th in the group, virtually securing a spot in the Champions League knockout stages. In Serie A, AC Milan is in 7th place, and they hosted Juventus on Saturday in a crucial match to close the gap to the European qualification spots.
Slovan Bratislava will be missing key players for this match. Striker Adler, who has been dealing with an ongoing injury, remains sidelined, as does experienced midfielder Kucka. The availability of central defender Wimmer, who missed the previous matches before the international break, is uncertain.
Slovan’s top domestic scorers, Barseghyan and Strelec, have struggled to make an impact in the Champions League, though Strelec did score one of their only two goals in the competition so far, in the recent match against Dinamo Zagreb. Ukrainian midfielder Ignatenko has been a regular starter in the Champions League group stage.
AC Milan will also be missing some players, including striker Jovic, who wasn’t registered for the competition. Long-term injuries to Florenzi and Bennacer continue to keep them out. However, defender Gabbia could make a return after missing the last few matches. Striker Morata, who scored in the match against Real Madrid, will also be absent due to suspension after receiving a third yellow card in the group stage. Pulisic, with 7 goals this season including 2 in the Champions League, is Milan’s top scorer, while Leão has yet to score in the competition.
Prediction
AC Milan, having been in solid form recently with a seven-match unbeaten run away from home, including five wins in their last six, are well-positioned to continue their strong European campaign. Slovan Bratislava, on the other hand, has struggled in the competition, earning just two points from their first five matches. Given Milan’s superior form and experience, they are likely to come out on top in this match.
Prediction: Slovan Bratislava 1 – 2 AC Milan.
