AEK v Milan background
Having thwarted UEFA Europa League Group D leaders AC Milan with a goalless pull during a San Siro on matchday three, second-placed AEK Athens will wish to yield an even bigger dissapoint by replacing a Serie A giants during a tip of a standings with a win in a Greek capital.
Previous meetings
• These teams met in a 1994/95 and 2006/07 UEFA Champions League organisation stages, with Milan unwell to measure on possibly outing to Athens (0-0 and 0-1), yet a Rossoneri won both their home games (2-1 and 3-0).
• Indeed, AEK have not mislaid any of their final 6 matches during home to Italian opposition, sketch 5 of them.
• AEK’s record in 18 encounters with Serie A clubs is W2 D7 L9, with 5 of a 7 many new fixtures carrying finished with honours even.
• Milan’s record in 9 matches opposite Greek sides is W4 D4 L1, a solitary better being a 1-0 detriment during AEK in Nov 2006, motionless by a Júlio César goal.
Form guide
• AEK are dominant in their final 5 games in Europe (W2 D3) – all in this season’s UEFA Europa League.
• Milan had won all 6 of their European matches this deteriorate until AEK hold them 0-0 final time out.
• Winners of Greece’s end-of-season UEFA Champions League play-offs in 2016/17, AEK have had 5 prior UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League organisation theatre campaigns, many recently in 2011/12. They have usually done it into a turn of 32 once, in 2007/08.
• Sixth in Italy final term, Milan are behind in Europe after a four-year deficiency and creation their initial coming in a UEFA Europa League organisation stage. They reached a turn of 32 in a last-ever UEFA Cup debate of 2008/09.
Trivia and links
• The tour from Milan to Athens is around 1,500km.
• Milan’s André Silva has scored 4 goals in this competition – one fewer than heading marksman Emiliano Rigoni of Zenit.
• Milan goalkeeper Antonio Donnarumma played in Greece final deteriorate with Asteras Tripolis.
• Several AEK players have played for Italian clubs:
Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Bologna 2013–14, Verona 2014–15, Sampdoria 2015–16) Uroš Ćosić (Pescara 2012–15, Empoli 2015–17)
Panagiotis Kone (Brescia 2010–11, Bologna 2011–14, Udinese 2014–15, Fiorentina 2016)
Marko Livaja (Inter 2011–13, Cesena 2011–12, Atalanta 2013–14, Empoli 2015–16)
• Livaja and Milan’s Giacomo Bonaventura were team-mates during Atalanta.
• Kone and Milan’s Nikola Kalinić played together during Fiorentina.
• This is a usually vital UEFA foe a Rossoneri have not won. Only Ajax, Bayern München, Chelsea, Juventus and – as of final May – Manchester United have won a European Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League and European Cup Winners’ Cup.
• Suspended for subsequent compare if booked: André Simões and Livaja (AEK)
The coaches
• Manolo Jiménez returned for a second spell as AEK manager in Jan 2017, carrying guided a bar to 2010/11 Greek Cup excellence during his initial stint. The ex-Spain general left-back has also coached Sevilla, Real Zaragoza and al-Rayyan.
• In assign given Jun 2016, Vincenzo Montella has led Milan behind into Europe for a initial time given 2013/14. A Serie A leader as a striker with Roma in 2000/01, a former Italian general has given coached Fiorentina and Sampdoria.