In the first half of the league stage, Slovan Bratislava have all but squandered their chances of advancing to the playoffs. Heading into their next match against AC Milan, the Slovak side find themselves at the bottom of the tournament table. It will be exceedingly difficult for them to impose their style against the Italian side, who have found the formula for success against underdogs.
In their previous four Champions League fixtures, Slovan conceded 15 goals, with only Crvena Zvezda having a weaker defence, conceding 16. In the last round, they suffered an unexpected heavy defeat against Dinamo Zagreb (1:4). Even the home crowd couldn’t make up for the difference in efficiency, as the Croatian side generated 1.61 xG compared to Slovan's 2.04. For the fifth round, the Slovak side will be missing their defensive leader Guram Kashia due to suspension from accumulated yellow cards.
Impressive victories against Club Brugge and away at Real Madrid (both 3:1) suggest that AC Milan are still in the race for a top-eight spot. In Spain, Rafael Leão stood out with two assists, and the Italian side were particularly dangerous on the counter, registering 2.45 xG and nine shots. Against Juventus on Saturday (0:0), the team extended their unbeaten run to four matches, conserving the strength of their key players. Both giants refrained from rushing their attacks.
Since the start of the Champions League, Slovan Bratislava have conceded at least one goal in 12 out of 14 matches. AC Milan are poised to secure crucial points in Bratislava, pulling ahead on sheer class.
