Champions League | Knockout Round Playoffs | 2nd Leg

Feb 18, 2025 at 5.45pm UK

Stadio San Siro

AC Milan vs Feyenoord

(agg: 0-1)

Match preview

Often hailed as one of the continent's finest goalkeepers - and rightly so - AC Milan's Mike Maignan was instead to blame for the crucial moment in the first leg, when Igor Paixao's third-minute strike somehow eluded his grasp and found the back of the net.

That lone long-range effort from the electrifying Paixao - now rumoured to be on the radar of a number of Premier League giants - proved to be the defining moment in a rainy Rotterdam, and history is not in AC Milan's favour as they look to put things right in the return leg.

Indeed, the Rossoneri have only progressed from one of their last six Champions League knockout ties by losing the first leg - a magnificent comeback against Manchester United in the 2006-07 semi-finals - but home is still where the Conceicao club's heart is.

Former Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, who left Rotterdam for the red and black in the January transfer window, did not feature against his former team last week, but the Mexico international scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 Serie A win over Hellas Verona on Saturday.

As the 'home' team at their shared San Siro headquarters, Milan have now gone 12 games without defeat in all competitions since a 2-0 loss to Napoli in October, but they remain outside the European spots in Serie A and may have to go all the way in the 2024-25 UCL to punch their ticket to continental football again next season.

With PSV Eindhoven and Ajax locked in a two-horse race for the Eredivisie title, Feyenoord also made the bold decision to sack former head coach Brian Priske just two days before their clash with the seven-time European champions.

Priske was asked to clear out his office shortly after masterminding a 3-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam, with the board citing a "lack of progress" under the Dane, but his temporary replacement Pascal Bosschaart could hardly have endeared himself to the fans in a more spectacular way last week.

The former Feyenoord man is now attempting to guide the Rotterdam giants to the last 16 of Europe's premier club competition for the first time since the 1974-75 season - five years before he was born - but familiar frailties surfaced again at the weekend.

After the euphoria of beating Milan, Feyenoord came crashing back down to earth with a goalless draw at NAC Breda, their fifth consecutive away game without a win in all competitions and their second in a row without scoring.

Tuesday's visitors have at least promised to entertain on the road in the Champions League - their four away games in the competition this season have yielded a staggering 22 goals, an average of over five per game - but they have not kept a clean sheet away from home in the competition since September 2002.

Recent Performance

AC Milan Champions League form:WWWWLL

AC Milan form (all competitions):LDWWLW

Feyenoord Champions League form:LDWWLW

Feyenoord form (all competitions):LLLWWD

Team News

One of the few positives that Conceicao and Milan can take from the first leg was the fact that no players picked up fresh injuries or suspensions, and the hosts also have USA international Yunus Musah back after serving a ban in Rotterdam.

However, Alessandro Florenzi (ACL), Emerson Royal (calf) and Pierre Kalulu (muscle) remain sidelined, while the short turnaround from the weekend also makes it difficult to envisage Ruben Loftus-Cheek's return from his own muscle problem.

Both were dropped to the bench for the win over Verona at the weekend, but Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao, who set up Gimenez's goal as a substitute and has more dribbles than any other player in this season's Champions League (33), should be recalled this week.

In contrast, Feyenoord's hard-fought success in the first leg came at a significant cost, with Ayase Ueda and captain Quinten Timber missing the weekend's draw at NEC with hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

Whether either man can shake off their concerns in time for Tuesday's game remains to be seen, but they are two of several concerns for an injury-hit Feyenoord, who are also without Calvin Stengs (hamstring), Chris-Kevin Nadje (foot), Hwang In-beom (unspecified), Bart Nieuwkoop (unspecified), Ramiz Zerrouki (leg), Jordan Lotomba (leg), Justin Bijlow (knee) and Gernot Trauner (unspecified).

In addition, highly-rated left-back Quilindschy Hartman, who returned from a serious knee injury earlier this month, is ineligible, meaning Bosschaart could be without a full-strength side for what will be a daunting return fixture.

Possible starting lineup

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Walker, Gabbia, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Pulisic, Felix, Leao; Gimenez

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Read, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Moder, Milambo; Hadj Moussa, Ivanusec, Paixao; Carranza