AC Milan vs Roma

Stadio San Siro forms the backdrop for the first leg of an all-Italian Europa League quarter-final tie between fierce rivals AC Milan and Roma.

After dropping out of the Champions League, Milan have gone from strength to strength in Europe’s second-tier competition, ousting Rennes and Slavia Prague in the opening two knockout rounds. Home legs have been crucial on both occasions, with Stefano Pioli’s free-firing squad bagging 3+ goals each time. ‘I Rossoneri’ will be eager to deliver another emphatic performance against a Roma side they’ve defeated in both Serie A meetings this season. Those wins have extended their outstanding unbeaten H2H run to nine games (W6, D3). Another success is well on the cards, as Milan thumped lowly Lecce 3-0 at home over the weekend to take their eye-catching winning streak across all competitions to seven matches. Moreover, they’ve won their last three home games by a combined score of 8-2.

On the other hand, Roma’s road to the quarter-finals hasn’t been straightforward as they squeaked past Feyenoord on penalties before a 4-1 aggregate win against Brighton in the previous round. However, there’s no shortage of confidence around Daniele De Rossi’s camp, especially after beating arch-rivals Lazio 1-0 at the weekend. Despite their storied domestic history, ‘I Giallorossi’ lament a negative continental record against fellow Italian opponents (W1, D1, L2), though this is their first European clash against Milan. Worryingly for the visitors, a single win from their last nine away games on the continental front (D4, L4) significantly derails their chances of posting their first victory at San Siro since 2017. They’ve since lost four of their six away matches against Milan (D2), conceding multiple goals on each occasion.