AC MILAN v ROMA: MATCH PREVIEW

The first leg can already say a lot, but AC Milan and Roma are ready to give it their all in 180 exciting minutes that, between San Siro and Olimpico, will decide which of the two teams will enter the Europa League semi-finals. After many battles in the league, this time the stage to achieve this season's dreams and goals will be a European one. The crowd will sound the call; the importance of this quarter-final does not need much introduction and the tension grows hour by hour. Let's get closer to kick-off, scheduled for 21:00 CEST, by delving into all the topics of the tie in our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
It is undoubtedly a positive period, but now comes the best and the most difficult. The Rossoneri go into the match on the back of seven straight wins in all competitions, as well as two out of two against the Giallorossi in the league - 2-1 at the Olimpico and 3-1 at San Siro. From Mourinho to De Rossi, however, Roma have changed a lot, and so Coach Pioli will have to prepare accordingly. With Tomori absent due to suspension, Thiaw and Kjær are fighting for the shirt alongside Gabbia, while Loftus-Cheek returns and should regain a place in the attacking midfield behind Giroud. There will be no risks made, with only the best eleven going out there to try to gain a first-leg advantage ahead of the return fixture. 

"We won't be able to end the tie, but it would be crucial to come out on top after the first leg," - commented Stefano Pioli in the press conference. "It will be difficult, the important thing is to keep playing regardless of the ebbs and flows of the game, and believe in our strength. I expect the best version of Roma." "When you play a competition like this it's not enough for you to reach the latter stages; you want to win it. One of the most important matches of the season awaits us." added Ismaël Bennacer.

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LATEST FROM ROMA
The Giallorossi have changed gears following the arrival of Daniele De Rossi as head coach: eleven league fixtures, eight wins and only one defeat. The numbers don't tell the whole story, though, because the new man in charge has been able to go beyond the results, with the victory in the derby against Lazio uniting the team and fans even further. Their run in Europe has also been positive, with Feyenoord beaten on penalties and Brighton put to the sword 4-0 at the Olimpico, before a 1-0 loss in England. In addition to spirit, Roma have also got back several key players. Smalling and Abraham, in particular, have got minutes into their legs and become interesting options even once the match is underway, while N'Dicka (suspended) and the injured Azmoun will miss out.

De Rossi spoke in the press conference: "Of the remaining sides, AC Milan is one of the strongest. Aside from the advantages of being well acquainted with them, we would have wished to avoid them because they are so strong. They have their weaknesses but also many strengths, their negative run seems to be over but we are ready to get them in trouble". 

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PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

• AC Milan are unbeaten in nine matches against Roma (W6 D3), all in Serie A, and have not had a longer unbeaten run against the Giallorossi since 1970-1979 (20 matches in a row).
• Since their first match in this Europa League campaign, in February, AC Milan have made the most shots on target (28) and scored the highest number of goals (twelve). Only Benfica (9.0) have an Expected Goals value higher than the Rossoneri's over this period (8.7). 
• Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been involved in eleven goals in his 15 Europa League appearances (eight goals, three assists), while Stephan El Shaarawy has provided five assists in nine appearances this season.
• Rafael Leão has been involved in four goals (two goals, two assists) in his last five competitive games against Roma, having already scored this season against the Giallorossi in the Rossoneri's 2-1 away win in Serie A on 1 September 2023.

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WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v ROMA
In Italy, the match will be broadcast on DAZN, Sky and Rai. To watch AC Milan v Roma in a different country, you can check the "Where to watch AC Milan on TV" section under "Abroad." On the Rossoneri channels, the appointment is with Milan TV's Matchday: the live coverage will start at 19:45 CET until just before kick-off, followed by interviews and Mister Pioli's press conference. Don't miss the coverage on acmilan.com, AC Milan Official App, and official social media.

LATEST FROM EUROPA LEAGUE
There are also four other Europa League quarter-final ties going on at the same on Thursday 11 April at 21:00 CEST: Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham, Benfica v Marseille and Liverpool v Atalanta.

REFEREE
Frenchman Clément Turpin will be in charge of the game at San Siro. He has been involved in four previous Rossoneri fixtures, two draws and two defeats, and three with the Giallorossi. The other officials are Nicolas Danos (FRA) and Erwan Finjean (FRA) as his assistants, Ruddy Buquet (FRA) as fourth official, with Jérôme Brisard (FRA) on VAR assisted by Willy Delajod (FRA).

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