FC Köln vs AC Milan. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats and more
FC Köln will host AC Milan at the RheinEnergieStadion in the eleventh edition of the Telekom Cup. The match will take place on July 16, beginning at 22:30 IST.
Now, Parimatchnews will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.
FC Köln News & Current Form:
In general, Köln did well in the last German championship. They finished seventh in the standings and even earned a ticket to the Conference League.
Over the course of the season, the Goats notched 14 victories, also drew and conceded 10 times, scored 52 goals, and conceded just three fewer.
The team finished the 21\22 Bundesliga campaign with two defeats in a row, but before that they managed to claim four consecutive victories. In all the aforementioned matches, Köln conceded at least one goal.
Before their upcoming game against the Italians, FC Köln had a 1-1 draw against Grasshoppers Switzerland in a friendly. Prior to that, they had won two games in a row, although the opponents were very modest.
Ellyes Skhiri, who plays in midfield, appears to be the star of the club and generally Steffen Baumgart puts a lot of importance on defence and midfield.
AC Milan News & Current Form:
Last season the streets of the Red-Black part of Milan finally enjoyed a celebration, a decade-long drought without a trophy was ended. The fate of the Scudetto hung in the balance until the last round, and in the end Milan beat their principle rival Inter by only two points.
Not an ordinary championship will allow the once great club to rise and fight for new heights, you can enjoy once again Zlatan Ibrahimovic‘s speech after the victory:
The Rossoneri have managed 26 wins in 38 games played, eight games ended in a draw while losing four times. The goal difference is very decent: 69 goals scored and 31 conceded. Rafael Leão, the Serie A MVP, was instrumental to Stefano Pioli, netting when it was needed the most.
The Milan club had a superb finish in Serie A, winning their last six games, four of those encounters without conceding a goal. The Italians have started their pre-season with a victory over Lemine Almenno (3-0).
FC Köln pre-season form guide: D-W-W
AC Milan pre-season form guide: W
FC Köln vs AC Milan Head-To-Head Record:
These teams have never met each other. And this game will be their debut in the history of their rivalry.
FC Köln vs AC Milan Predicted XI:
FC Köln possible starting lineup: Schwäbe, Schmitz, Hübers, Chabot, Hector, Skhiri, Huseinbasic, Ljubicic, Kainz, Uth, Modeste.
AC Milan possible starting lineup: Tatarusanu, Stanga, Michelis, Gabbia, Hernandez, Bakayoko, Pobega, Adli, Rebic, Maldini, Origi.
Statistical preview of the match FC Köln vs AC Milan:
- AC Milan has won 18 of the last 19 matches.
- The unbeaten streak of Italians counts 5 matches.
- In 4 of the last 5 matches Milan scored at least 2 goals.
- Koln failed to win 7 of their last 11 home matches.
What has been said before the match:
Stefano Pioli:
“Our strength last season was believing in our players, our qualities and our values. We created such a synergy and spirit that we were able to triumph. These are characteristics that need to be maintained and improved. We need to question ourselves day after day. I’m convinced that none of my players have reached their full potential.”
“We’ll need to raise the bar. We’ve motivated our opponents and we’ll need to improve even more to build on what we’ve done. We need be aware of the reason why we achieved this success. I’ll be working with a mature and motivated group; we’ve remained in contact and I know that I’m managing serious players and people. The pressure and expectations will rise; 5-6 teams could compete for the Scudetto but we want to carry on being successful.”
“I want to concentrate more on the process, which will involve displaying tenacity and courage and playing to win every single game. It’s better to focus on our work and preparations; we’ll play 21 matches in three months before a very long break. Our preparations began today, and we need to be in the best possible shape when the league kicks off.”
FC Köln vs AC Milan Prediction:
Both teams are just starting to prepare for the new season and are still far from their optimal form. Most likely, in this game we expect minimal speed and few goals scored.
Parimatch News staff prediction: