AC Milan will look to bring an end to the impressive away run that Viktoria Plzeň have produced so far in this season’s UEFA Champions League when they welcome the tournament newcomers to San Siro on matchday two.
Viktoria Plzeň won three successive away games en route to the group stage but face their biggest test yet at San Siro, where Massimiliano Allegri’s hosts will be keen to reassert their home supremacy.
The Italian champions opened with a 2-2 draw at holders FC Barcelona, Pato and Thiago Silva scoring at either end of the match, while Plzeň drew 1-1 at home to FC BATE Borisov.
AC Milan must improve on their home form in their past two UEFA Champions League campaigns if they are to be credible challengers for the title.
In 2009/10 the Rossoneri recorded two draws and two losses while last term they managed a win and a draw before falling to successive defeats against AFC Ajax in the group stage and Tottenham Hotspur FC in the last 16. If they were to lose to Plzeň it would be the first time the seven-time winners had suffered three successive home defeats in UEFA competition.
This is Viktoria Plzeň‘s first visit to Italy but Pavel Vrba’s men have recorded excellent results on the road in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, where they won at FC Pyunik (4-0), Rosenborg BK (1-0) and FC København (3-1). This sequence is all the more impressive given their inexperience on the continental stage; Plzeň had only played two European away games before this season, losing both and conceding nine goals.
AC Milan have won all four previous home games against Czech opposition, most recently a 4-1 success against AC Sparta Praha in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League round of 16. Gennaro Gattuso was among the goalscorers that evening.