MX23RW : Tuesday, December 20 16:04:02| >> :120:9316:9316:
[monks data]
Dec 16, 2022 at 3.30pm UK at Al Maktoum Stadium
Liverpool
4 - 1
AC Milan
Salah (5'), Alcantara (41'), Nunez (82', 88')
FT(HT: 2-1)

Preview: Liverpool vs. AC Milan - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Friday's friendly clash between Liverpool and AC Milan, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Liverpool meet Italian champions AC Milan in a friendly match in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday.

The fixture will round off the Dubai Super Cup after Premier League leaders Arsenal won the tournament on Tuesday.


Match preview

Jurgen Klopp in charge of Liverpool on December 11, 2022© Reuters

Liverpool returned to action with a 3-1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday, with former Gunners striker Alexandre Lacazette bagging a brace during the French side's victory.

Fabio Carvalho had opened the scoring for the Reds within the first minute after applying a simple finish to a neat move, before Mohamed Salah squandered a golden opportunity to double his side's lead from the penalty spot after Roberto Firmino had been fouled.

A defensive mix-up between Andrew Robertson and Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Lacazette to pounce before the break, with Jurgen Klopp electing to make several changes for the second half as his side proceeded to fall to a defeat in normal time, before also missing out on a bonus point by losing a penalty shootout.

As such, Friday's meeting with Milan will be a race to avoid finishing bottom of the Dubai Super Cup, although in truth the German will be more concerned about his side's performance and energy levels than the result.

Indeed, the 55-year-old has repeatedly referenced a desire to see his team press higher and win more second balls ahead of their return to competitive action against Manchester City in the EFL Cup next week.

Ismael Bennacer warms up for AC Milan in August 2022© Reuters

Milan, meanwhile, were defeated 2-1 by Arsenal on Tuesday, with Fikayo Tomori's late goal ultimately not enough to mount a comeback after first-half strikes from Martin Odegaard and Reiss Nelson.

Like their forthcoming opponents, the Rossoneri also lost out in the proceeding penalty shootout, leaving both teams without a point to their name in the Dubai Super Cup ahead of their clash on Friday.

The two European heavyweights have tremendous history in recent times, of course, having shared one Champions League triumph each against each other in the 2005 and 2007 finals, before Klopp's side won both meetings in the group stage last season.

One man who will be hoping for a start against his former club is Divock Origi, whose goals against Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur were crucial to helping Liverpool to their sixth European Cup title in the 2018-19 season.

The Italians have a couple of more weeks to prepare for their return to competitive action, with another friendly against PSV Eindhoven forthcoming before they face Salernitana in Serie A in the New Year.

Liverpool friendly form:


Liverpool form (all competitions):


AC Milan friendly form:


AC Milan form (all competitions):



Team News

Darwin Nunez celebrates scoring for Liverpool on November 1, 2022© Reuters

Klopp named a strong starting XI against Lyon, and his options have been further boosted by the return of Darwin Nunez to the first-team fold.

The Uruguay forward endured a difficult World Cup after crashing out at the group stage without scoring a goal himself, but his importance to the Reds has grown following the news that Luis Diaz is set to be sidelined until March after suffering a setback to a knee issue.

Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk are unlikely to be available having only recently been eliminated from the World Cup at the quarter-final stage, while Diogo Jota remains out with a calf injury.

Milan, meanwhile, could welcome Charles De Ketelaere back to the fold after he was eliminated at the group stage with Belgium in Qatar, having only featured for the Red Devils for 16 minutes across their three matches.

However, Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez both remain firmly involved with France, while Rafael Leao will be rested after being dumped out at the quarter-final stage with Portugal.

Simon Kjaer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessandro Florenzi, Davide Calabria and Mike Maignan are all sidelined through injury.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Ramsay, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Elliott, Thiago, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Nunez

AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Tatarusanu; Kalulu, Gabbia, Tomori, Thiaw; Bennacer, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Rebic; Origi


SM words green background

We say: Liverpool 2-1 AC Milan

Liverpool's starting XI should be stronger than Milan's, who are missing three of their most talented players in the shape of Giroud, Hernandez and Leao.

As such, we expect Klopp's side to bounce back with a victory and avoid finishing bottom of the Dubai Super Cup ahead of their domestic clash against Man City next Thursday.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data

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Game History

How you voted: Liverpool vs AC Milan

Liverpool
71.4%
Draw
3.6%
AC Milan
25.0%
56
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Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota pictured on May 28, 2022
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11Crystal Palace145451518-319
12Aston Villa155371622-618
13Leicester CityLeicester155282525017
14Bournemouth154471832-1416
15Leeds UnitedLeeds144372226-415
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham154291217-514
17Everton153571117-614
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest153481130-1913
19Southampton153391327-1412
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves15249824-1610

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