Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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19.10. (Wed) 20:45 Milan - BATE

Milan celebrating (Getty Images)
Getty Images

PROBABLE LINEUPS


AC MILAN

Abbiati
Abate, Nesta, Bonera, Antonini
Nocerino, Van Bommel, Aquilani
Boateng
Ibrahimovic, Robinho
BATE BORISOV

Gutor
Baga, Simic, Radkov, Bordachev
Volodko, Bressan, Kontosevoi, Olekhnovich
Rudik,
Kezman
AC Milan have been provided with a timely boost as Alexandre Pato is available for selection once more after successfully recovering from a thigh problem. However, Clarence Seedorf will miss out due a knee injury he contracted in training during the week, while Thiago Silva also looks set to follow suit after picking up a knock against Palermo.

Meanwhile, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mario Yepes and Massimo Ambrosini are all fit to participate, while Gennaro Gattuso remains suspended and Mathieu Flamini is expected to miss the group stages of the competition as a result of a serious injury.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri has been trialling Kevin-Prince Boateng as the trequartista in the side ahead of the match, and it is a distinct possibility that the 44-year-old may choose to experiment, with Robinho partnering Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack.

For their Belarusian counterparts, defender Yegor Filipenko is their only recent absentee after picking up a back injury on international duty for Belarus, joining Aleksandr Yurevich, Vitali Rodionov, Evgeni Kuntsevich and Alexsandr Pavlov on BATE's treatment table for the forseeable future. As a result, Artyom Radkov is expected to come into the fold.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • AC Milan are one strike away from reaching 200 goals in the Champions League.
  • They have also kept clean sheets in three of their last four fixtures in all competitions.
  • Surprisingly, Milan have won two only two of their last 10 matches at San Siro in Europe.
  • However, Allegri's side ar the team with the best tackle success rate in the current Champions League campaign, succeeding in 87 per cent of their challenges.
  • BATE Borisov went a club-record nine matches unbeaten in European competition before their 5-0 defeat to Barcelona.
  • However, the Belarusian side have never won a Champions League game to date, drawing four times and losing four.
  • Viktor Goncharenko's side have already conceded six goals in Group H; the highest amount out of any other side in the group stage.
  • These two sides previously met in the 2001-02 Uefa Cup first round, where Milan emerged victorious in a 6-0 aggregate win, triumphing 2-0 and 4-0 respectively.

Prediction
The Italian champions are finally starting to come into their own this season after a stuttering start, with an influx of important players returning to the side, while also showing signs of returning to their best under Massimiliano Allegri. They should be far too much for a severely-weakened BATE outfit, hit by a significant injury crisis.
Editor's Prediction
AC Milan 3-0 BATE