AC Milan travel to Croatia in order to take on Rijeka in the Europa League week, with the Italian giants having already made it through to the knockout phase of the competition as a result of an unbeaten run in Group D. The home side still harbour narrow hopes of joining them, however they must record a convincing win at the Stadion HNK Rijeka.
Europa League – Stadion HNK, Rijeka – Thursday 7th December – 18:00 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Ladbrokes |
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HNK Rijeka
AC MilanMatch Preview
AC Milan will be looking to make it six matches unbeaten in Europe this season when they take on Rijeka in Croatia next week, with the Italian side preparing for the clash under the guidance of interim boss Gennaro Gattuso, following the sacking on Vincenzo Montella. However, with the home side still in with a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the competition, it could well be a tight affair in Rijeka. For those still unsure of who to back ahead of kick-off, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Rijeka Team News & Form
Rijeka were frustrated by AEK Athens last week having been 2-0 up at one stage, with the Croatian’s eventually having to settle for a draw in the Greek capital. As a result, Rijeka still have just one win to their name in Group D, which came against Austria Wien back in October. The Croatian side have conceded 12 goals in their five Group D matches so far, scoring just nine in the process. Manager Matjaž Kek will be looking to the likes of Matic Crnic and Florentin Matei to lead his side to victory, while Brazilian striker Heber could well lead the line against the Italian giants.
AC Milan Team News & Form
Having sacked manager Montella after a hugely disappointing start to the season in Italy, AC Milan will be looking to make a good start under interim boss Gattuso when they travel to Croatia. Having already qualified as group winners, the visitors may well choose to rest some of their bigger names, with the likes of Andre Silva, Fabio Borini and Cristian Zapata all looking for starts. Milan have scored 13 goals in Group D to date, conceding just four in the process. Both Silva and Crotone scored doubles as Milan defeated Austria Wien 5-1 last time around.
Head to Head
The 3-2 win for AC Milan at the San Siro over Rijeka back in September was the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, meaning that few conclusions can be made surrounding their head-to-head record.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Given their performances so far in Europe this season, it comes as little surprise that it is AC Milan who are the firm favourites for victory with the bookmakers. The visitors can be backed at odds of 13/10 with Skybet, while those looking to bet on a surprise home win for Rijeka can get odds of 12/5 with Ladbrokes.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on over 2.5 goals being scored during the 90 minutes in Croatia, which is available at odds of 19/20 with Ladbrokes.