AC Milan return to the Europa League tonight when they take on Slavia Praha at the Fortuna Arena, hoping to build on their 4-2 run in the first leg to triumph in the quarter-finals.
Milan came into the match on the back of a 1-0 home win over Empoli, which was far from an old performance, but Pioli admitted the team had to give their best, perhaps because they had their sights set on the second leg given that the first leg was far from child’s play.
All the latest team news and some facts about Slavia can be discovered in our pre-match preview, while below you will find the key pre-match stats. . .
➤ Slavia Prague have already hosted Italian opponents in the UEFA Europa League this season, beating Roma 2-0 in the qualifying round; Unlike any other country, they have won more home games in European competitions than the Italians (eighth win, four wins, two draws, two defeats, drawn with Germany and Switzerland).
➤ Milan have won just two of their six away games at the European festival in Czechia (D3 L1 – adding Czechoslovakia), either of the victories came in Prague, beating Sparta Prague in the 1972-73 and 2020-21 Cup Winners’ Cup. . UEFA Europa League.
➤ Slavia Prague are winless in their last four home games in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 (D2 L2) and have controlled just one goal in those 4 games.
➤ While they had a lead of more than 2 goals in the first match of a UEFA Cup/Europa League home-and-away tie, Milan have been eliminated in one of the last 15 events, unlike Bordeaux in the fourth in 1995-96. -Final. -Final (2-0 in the first leg, 0-3 in the second leg).
➤ Milan striker Olivier Giroud has scored 15 goals in 22 UEFA Europa League matches, adding one against Slavia Prague in the last match. If he manages to score in this match, the 37-year-old would be the oldest player to score in any of the UEFA competitions. Europa League knockout matches.
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