AC Milan – Liverpool: Slot’s Adjustments Propel Liverpool To Comfortable Victory (1-3)

Liverpool began their Champions League campaign with a win, but it was far from straightforward. Arne Slot had to react after falling behind early, and his tactical adjustments helped shift the momentum in Liverpool’s favor. Ultimately, the victory was relatively comfortable, with two set-piece goals and a goal on the break proving enough on the night.

Tactical analysis and match report by Rahul Madhavan.

AC Milan and Liverpool are both revered as European giants in their own right, with several historic clashes that will forever be etched in Champions League history. However, both teams now find themselves entering a new era as they work to build on the achievements of their previous managers.

For Milan, Stefano Pioli’s tenure ended on a bitter note, as he watched their rivals, Internazionale, storm through the league to claim their 20th Scudetto. Paulo Fonseca, a manager with a proven track record at Shakhtar Donetsk and Lille, has since taken the helm. While expectations are high for the Portuguese coach, patience will be of essence, as Milan entered this match with only one win from their first four Serie A games.

Fonseca made a few changes to the lineup that secured a comfortable 4-0 victory over Venezia. Mike Maignan remained in goal, while Davide Calabria and Fikayo Tomori replaced Emerson Royal and Matteo Gabbia in defense, alongside Strahinja Pavlović and Theo Hernández. The midfield trio consisted of Youssouf Fofana, Tijjani Reijnders, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. In attack, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão retained their places, while Álvaro Morata started ahead of Tammy Abraham.

The Arne Slot era, meanwhile, got . . .