Liverpool have plenty of respect for Italian side AC Milan but the Premier League club will not be intimidated when the two European giants face-off in their Champions League opener at San Siro, head coach Arne Slot said on Monday.
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While Liverpool’s transition from the Juergen Klopp era had appeared seamless when they began the season with three league wins without conceding a goal, they are now looking to put behind Saturday’s stunning 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Eyeing a seventh European crown, standing in Liverpool’s way are seven-times winners Milan. The Italian side have not been in their best form in Serie A and are languishing mid-table with five points from four matches. But Paulo Fonseca’s side remains a formidable side.
“I don’t think any manager is scared to play the other team but we have a lot of respect for AC Milan,” Slot told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s clash.
“They have quality, we’re not scared, but we respect all their players. They have shown that they are in good form, with a very good 4-0 win (against Venezia in Serie A on Saturday).
“Scared is not the word we would use. We respect a lot.”
Liverpool’s new signing Federico Chiesa will likely not start against Milan, Slot said while heaping praise on the 26-year-old Italy forward.
Chiesa is yet to play for the Merseyside club, having joined in the close-season transfer window from Italian giants Juventus.
“Why we brought him… I bring in quality players and I believe he is. Combines quality with work rate and the culture of this club, this team, he brings that with combinations of several positions,” the Dutchman said.
“He is with the team, and since I said it is the first time he is here, it would be a big surprise if he starts tomorrow… But he will make some minutes if we need him.
“He’s had some training time and too early to play 90 minutes, but hopefully some minutes in the upcoming fixtures.”
Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker is excited to play in the Champions League as the club returns to the competition after a season’s absence.
“Imagine something you really like to do and then you don’t do it for a year, how much you’d be looking forward to doing it again. That’s the way we feel,” Alisson, who helped Liverpool win the tournament in 2019, said.
“Playing in the Champions League is one of the reasons I came to Europe from Brazil. Not playing in it last season was really hard.
“But here we are again, qualifying from a really difficult league in the Premier League.”
Bayern Munich must do their best to replace injured defender Sacha Boey in their Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb, as they launch their campaign to reach the final in their home stadium, coach Vincent Kompany said on Monday.
The French right back underwent meniscus surgery in his left knee after being injured in training on Sunday and will be sidelined for several weeks, the club said.
“We have our thoughts of how to replace Sacha tomorrow and we have solutions,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany (left) told a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s game. “It is a shame for Sacha because he was in good form and I hope he is back as soon as possible.
Bayern, who are top of the Bundesliga with three league wins from three matches, are starting their campaign in the hope of reaching the final to be played in their Allianz Arena in Munich in May 2025.
Tuesday’s game is also the first Champions League match as a coach for former Belgium international Kompany, who took over Bayern this season.
“The dream is there for the final next year in Munich. Our fans can dream,” Kompany said. “The main thing is for me that we show it on the pitch tomorrow.
“We have a tough game tomorrow and it is important to play well and win tomorrow. We hope fans can dream for a long time. We need total focus from the first to the last minute,” he added.
