AC Milan vs Arsenal Predictions and Match Preview, 08 Mar 2018

The Match Is Over. Score: 0-2

AC Milan v Arsenal Predictions for Thursday's Europa League 1st Leg at Giuseppe Meazza. They were outright favourites and second favourites at the very start of the group stage in September, and now their group’s two most respected clubs do battle in the last-16.

Match status: 2017-18 Europa League Round of 16
Kick-off: Thursday 08 Mar 2018, 06:00pm GMT
Venue: Giuseppe Meazza (Milan, Italy)

AC Milan v Arsenal Team News

The last time an AC Milan side hosted Arsenal was six years ago, when the Rossoneri thumped the Gunners 4-0 to progress to the Champions League quarter finals.

Any win to nil will hand Milan the initiative, but playing at home first has its own pitfalls. On the last three occasions that Milan have hosted the first leg of a post-group stage European knockout tie, the Italians have ended up eliminated.

Arsenal’s record against Italian opposition is impressive. They have won exactly twice the number of games they have lost against Italian clubs, returning a record of: W16, D9, L8. Meanwhile, Milan have an overall win rate of just 34.2% against English clubs.

AC Milan legend Ruud Gullit has warned Arsenal to prepare for a tough clash, saying: “Arsenal is going to face a good team, not a team of stars, not one you identify with certain people, but they have become stronger as a team”.

Players to watch: Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny was on the scoresheet six years ago when Arsenal beat AC Milan 3-0 – albeit in vain. His duel win rate so far this season is 57.6%.

Milan’s number one custodian, Gianluigi Donnarumma, has kept five clean sheets in a row (in all comps.) – the first time in his career that he has achieved such a streak.

Teams' Potential Starting Line-ups:

AC Milan (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Rodriguez, Romagnoli, Bonucci, Calabria; Bonaventura, Biglia, Kessie; Calhanoglu, Cutrone, Suso.

Arsenal (4-3-3): Ospina; Kolasinac, Koscielny, Mustafi, Chambers; Wilshere, Xhaka, Ramsey; Ozil, Welbeck, Mkhitaryan;

Injured or Suspended Players:

AC Milan: Andrea Conti.

Arsenal: Santi Cazorla, Alexandre Lacazette, Hector Bellerin, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Head-to-Head Record: AC Milan v Arsenal

2011-12 Champions League Round of 16
Arsenal 3-0 AC Milan

2011-12 Champions League Round of 16
AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal

2007-08 Champions League Round of 16
AC Milan 0-2 Arsenal

2007-08 Champions League Round of 16
Arsenal 0-0 AC Milan