7 FACTS AHEAD OF AC MILAN V SPARTA PRAHA

As we wait for the players to take to the pitch, let’s warm up for AC Milan v Sparta Praha with some of the most interesting stats relating to the match. Here are seven facts that you need to know ahead of this evening’s 18:55 CET kick-off in Group H of the Europa League:

1- AC Milan and Sparta Praha are set to meet for the seventh time, with the Rossoneri yet to taste defeat (W4, D2) in all of the previous encounters between the sides.

2- AC Milan have only lost one out of ten matches against sides from the Czech Republic (including Czechoslovakia): the Rossoneri have won six and drawn three, with their only defeat coming against Slovan Liberec in August 2002.

3- Sparta Praha have lost all three of their previous away matches against AC Milan, the most recent of which was a Champions League fixture in 2003/04. After beating Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the group stage of the 2016/17 Europa League, Sparta Praha have since gone on to lose their last five away fixtures in European competitions, with this total including European qualifying matches.

4- Sparta Praha have won just one of their last ten matches in Europe (D2, L7) after previously winning four in a row.

5- AC Milan could win their first two group matches for the third consecutive time in the Europa League, with the Rossoneri having achieved this feat in 2017/18 and 2018/19. In their opening game this season, AC Milan ran out 3-1 winners against Celtic.

6- AC Milan have scored in each of their last eleven games in international club football: they haven’t found the net for twelve successive fixtures since December 2007 (going on to reach 15 that month).

7- Should he score, Zlatan Ibrahimović would become the oldest AC Milan player to find the net in either the Europa League or Champions League. The Swede would surpass Filippo Inzaghi, who scored against Real Madrid in 2010 at the age of 37 years and 86 days.

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