The powerful Rossoneri face the old Roma of Mourinho!
Milan have won two legs against Roma in the league this season and are unbeaten in their last nine meetings. However, Roma have made a lot of experience in European competition in recent years and have a lot of experience in the knockout rounds.
Milan, who are on a hot streak, are aiming for the Europa League title
Milan were relegated to the Europa League in the Champions League group stage, but they showed their overall strength by beating Rennes and Slavia Prague all the way. Milan beat Lecce in the league last weekend to make it seven wins in a row to further cement their place as runners-up in the league.
It is worth mentioning that four players in the Milan squad have scored in double figures so far, including Olivier Giroud (15), Christian Pulisic (13), Rafael Leao (12) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (10). Pioli had a powerful attacking firepower that was enough to launch a charge on both fronts at the same time.
Milan have been strong at home, winning 11 and losing two of their last 15 Serie A matches. At the San Siro, they are now unbeaten in 10 games and are bound to give Roma a disadvantage.
Can Mourinho's old ministry relive its old glory?
While Milan were disappointingly eliminated in the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, Roma's two European finals in recent years have been equally impressive. In 2022, they won their inaugural Europa League title, after losing to Sevilla in the Europa League final last year.
Under the interim leadership of legendary captain De Rossi, Roma's recent form has picked up, losing just two of their last 15 matches. Last weekend, they defeated their arch-rivals Lazio and showed their strong fighting spirit.
Roma currently sit fifth in the Serie A table and are fighting for Champions League qualification next season. However, they can also qualify for the Champions League directly by winning the Europa League.
It should be noted that while Roma unexpectedly beat Brighton in the knockout stages, they have won just two of their last 14 away matches in Europe and are winless in their last eight knockout stage matches.
In addition, Roma do not have the upper hand in their head-to-head record with Milan. They have won just one of their last 13 meetings, with the most recent meeting at the San Siro ending in a 3-1 defeat.
Who killed the deer?
This match will be a tough battle for both sides. Considering the second leg will be played at Roma's home stadium, Milan will surely make the most of the home advantage and try to take the lead ahead of the away trip. We're expecting Milan to beat Roma 2-1.