Dortmund vs AC Milan prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-03 19:00.
Despite a reasonably decent start to the 2023/24 season (W5, D2, L1), Borussia Dortmund are yet to really click into gear, an opinion expressed by boss Edin Terzić’s insistence that there remains “room for improvement” after his side beat Hoffenheim 3-1 on Friday. That rings especially true as they return to the UEFA Champions League (UCL), with Dortmund well beaten on matchday one away to French champions PSG (2-0).
The roar of the famous Yellow Wall has certainly been helpful for them, with Dortmund unbeaten at Signal Iduna Park since August 2022 (W17, D5). That fine form couples with a sound recent UCL home record that has seen the Black and Yellows lose just one of their last 15 group stage games in front of their home fans (W9, D5), but they have been plagued by long-standing struggles against Italian opposition (W12, D6, L19).
That’s something AC Milan will be keen to take advantage of after seeing off Lazio 2-0 on Saturday to stay level on points at the Serie A summit with arch-rivals Inter. Stefano Pioli was left concerned after Ruben Loftus-Cheek limped off the pitch during that victory, but was pleased to see the Rossoneri get the job done without him. Milan will also be looking for an improvement on their matchday one result in the UCL, as despite firing in 25 shots, they couldn’t find a way past Newcastle (0-0).
The seven-time UCL/European Cup winners haven’t felt at home in this particular competition of late, winning just seven of their last 26 UCL matches (D8, L11). Despite that, the Rossoneri did reach the semi-finals last term, and will look to lean on a strong record against German sides (W17, D11, L9) in their first match against a side from the country since 2008/09!
Players to watch: Dortmund stalwart Marco Reus is his club’s all-time top scorer in the UCL, and he’s hitting form at the right time after scoring in three successive Bundesliga matches. He shared a Dortmund dressing room with Christian Pulisic for four years, and the American is now thriving at Milan, directly contributing to four goals in seven Serie A matches (G3, A1).
Hot stat: Each of Dortmund’s last six UCL home wins were accompanied by a clean sheet.