The first playoff match of the 2024/25 Champions League between Feyenoord (Netherlands) and AC Milan (Italy) will take place on February 12 at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam. Feyenoord vs. AC Milan: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Feyenoord
In the last round of the group stage, the club suffered a heavy 1-6 defeat away to Lille. This loss was Feyenoord's largest in the Champions League in the 21st century. Furthermore, the team conceded at least three goals for the fourth time in the current edition of this European competition. Nevertheless, the Dutch side secured a place in the top 24 in advance and eventually progressed to the playoffs in 19th position. Notably, the club conceded 21 goals in the group stage, the worst record among all playoff participants.
Goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, defenders Gernot Trauner and Jordan Lotomba, midfielders Bart Nieuwkoop, Ramiz Zerrouki, Chris-Kevin N'Daje, and Calvin Stengs are out due to injuries. Midfielder Hwang In-beom's participation is also in doubt. Notably, Feyenoord fired head coach Brian Priske a few days before the match against AC Milan, appointing Pascal Bosschaart as his replacement.
- The team has scored in regular time in 8 of their last 9 home matches in the Champions League.
- At least four goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the club's last 6 home games in this European competition.
- The Dutch side has conceded at least two goals in regular time in 4 of their last 5 home matches in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for Feyenoord (4-3-3)
Timon Wellenreuther – Givairo Read, David Hancko, Thomas Beelen, Gijs Smal – Quinten Timber, Anthony Milambo, Jakub Moder – Anis Moussa, Ayase Ueda, Igor Paixão.
AC Milan
In their previous Champions League match, Sergio Conceição's side lost 1-2 away to Dinamo Zagreb. As a result, AC Milan's five-match winning streak in the Champions League was snapped, and they missed the chance to advance directly to the Round of 16, dropping to 13th place in the standings. Notably, the Italian team managed to keep a clean sheet only once in the group stage.
Defenders Emerson Royal and Alessandro Florenzi, as well as midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, are sidelined due to injuries. Midfielder Yunus Musah is suspended.
- The club has not won in regular time in 7 of their last 10 away matches in the Champions League (3 draws, 4 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the team's last 6 away games in this European competition.
- AC Milan has conceded exactly one or two goals in regular time in 7 of their last 9 away matches in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for AC Milan (4-3-3)
Mike Maignan – Theo Hernandez, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, Kyle Walker – Tijjani Reijnders, Christian Pulisic, Youssouf Fofana – Santiago Gimenez, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao.
Referee
Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez (Spain)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 27;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 17%.
Feyenoord vs. AC Milan: Match Prediction
On home turf, the Dutch side creates plenty of chances in the opponent's box. Thanks to this playing style, Feyenoord regularly finds the back of the net: in their last nine home matches in the Champions League, they failed to score in only one. In five of these games, the club breached the opponent's defense at least twice, and in the last two home matches in this European competition, they scored a total of seven goals.
AC Milan also favors attacking football and aims to create chances even away from home. In the group stage of the current Champions League campaign, the team scored seven goals on the road, including three against Real Madrid. At the same time, the Italian side does not excel in defense and concedes regularly: in their last six away matches in this European competition, they have not kept a clean sheet, conceding two goals even against opponents like Slovan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb.
I expect this to be a high-scoring encounter, so my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
