The first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League playoff between Feyenoord (Netherlands) and AC Milan (Italy) will take place on February 12 at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam. Feyenoord vs. AC Milan: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Feyenoord
In their last group stage match, the club suffered a heavy 1-6 defeat away to Lille. This loss marked Feyenoord's heaviest defeat in the Champions League in the 21st century. Moreover, the team conceded at least three goals for the fourth time in this season's competition. Nevertheless, the Dutch side secured a spot in the top 24 and advanced to the playoffs in 19th place. Notably, Feyenoord conceded 21 goals in the group stage, the worst defensive record among all playoff participants.
Defenders Gernot Trauner and Jordan Lotomba, midfielders Ramiz Zerrouki, Chris-Kevin Ndaye, and Calvin Stengs will miss the match due to injuries. It's worth noting that Feyenoord dismissed head coach Brian Priske a few days before the match against AC Milan, appointing Pascal Bosschart as his replacement.
- The team has scored in 8 of their last 9 home matches in the Champions League during regular time.
- At least four goals have been scored in 5 of the last 6 home matches in this competition.
- The Dutch side has conceded at least two goals in 4 of their last 5 home matches in the Champions League during regular time.
Predicted lineup for Feyenoord (4-2-3-1)
Justin Bijlow – Hugo Bueno, David Hancko, Thomas Beelen, Gijs Smal – Bart Nieuwkoop, Anthony Milambo – Igor Paixão, Hwang In-beom, Anis Mussa – Julian Carranza.
AC Milan
In their last Champions League match, Sergio Conceição's side lost 1-2 away to Dinamo Zagreb. As a result, AC Milan's five-match winning streak in the Champions League came to an end, missing the chance to qualify directly for the round of 16 and dropping to 13th place in the standings. Notably, the Italian team managed only one clean sheet in the group stage.
Defenders Emerson Royal and Alessandro Florenzi, as well as midfielders Warren Bondo and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, will be unavailable due to injuries. Midfielder Yunus Musah is suspended.
- The club has not won in regular time in 7 of their last 10 away matches in the Champions League (3 draws, 4 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of the last 6 away matches in this competition during regular time.
- AC Milan has conceded exactly one or two goals in 7 of their last 9 away matches in the Champions League during regular time.
Predicted lineup for AC Milan (4-3-3)
Mike Maignan – Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Kyle Walker – Tijjani Reijnders, Christian Pulisic, Youssouf Fofana – Santiago Gimenez, Tammy Abraham, Rafael Leao.
Referee
José María Sánchez Martínez (Spain)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 17%.
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan: Match Prediction
At home, the Dutch side creates numerous chances in front of the opposing goal. Thanks to this playing style, the team has consistently scored, failing to find the net in only one of their last nine home matches in the Champions League. Moreover, in five instances during this period, the club breached the opponents' defense at least twice, scoring seven goals in their last two home games in this competition.
AC Milan also favors attacking football and aims to create chances even away from home. In the group stage of this season's Champions League, the team scored seven goals on the road, including three against Real Madrid. However, the Italian side does not excel in defensive reliability and concedes regularly: in their last six away matches in this competition, the club has not kept a clean sheet, conceding two goals even against opponents like Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb.
I expect this to be a high-scoring encounter, so my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
