RB SALZBURG V AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

What better way for AC Milan to make their Champions League debut than to be fresh from a victory against Inter in the Derby della Madonnina? Pioli's squad fly to Austria on the back of this high to face RB Salzburg on the first day of the top European competition in Group E. The reigning Austrian champions have crossed paths with the Diavolo twice so far in Europe, and twice they have been defeated: both in the group stage of the 1994/95 Champions League, with an overall aggregate of 4-0 to a Rossoneri side led by Fabio Capello.

THE DANGERS OF FACING SALZBURG AWAY

This is Salzburg's fifth appearance in the tournament, including all of the last four seasons. The Austrian side only made it through the group stage for the first time last season before being overwhelmed in the away leg in the round of 16 by a 'monster' performance from Bayern Munich: 1-1 at home and 7-1 away. The match, last March, against the Bavarians was a knockout blow with the most goals conceded so far by the Austrian team in a match in major European competitions: seven goals with nine shots on target conceded. The saving grace for Matthias Jaissle's team is their home form in the competition: they went unbeaten at home in the Champions League last season, winning all three group stage contests.

WATCH OUT FOR OKAFOR AND FERNANDO, BUT STAR SUČIĆ ALSO SHINES

After their strong first place position in the Austrian Bundesliga - 18 points out of 21 available in the first seven games of the season - and their success (2-0) in the last round against Tirol, Salzburg's midfield should see the Croatian starlet, Luka Sučić, who was kept at precautionary rest in their last outing, regain his place. The keys to the attack will be entrusted to the fearsome Okafor and Fernando partnership, who have so far contributed to 12 of the 18 total goals scored by Matthias Jaissle's boys: no one has had a hand in more goals than the Brazilian (four goals and three assists) in this season's Austrian league.

And it is the Brazilian striker who will deserve special 'surveillance' from Pioli's boys: a loose cannon in the area, with his 46 passes (a record among Austrian Bundesliga centre-forwards) and 15 shots on target (another record among his teammates in the competition). RB Salzburg are a compact group that can count on the injection of confidence provided by their form: a continuing run of five consecutive victories in the top flight. In short, a manageable opponent on paper for AC Milan, but not to be underestimated, in order to avoid an upset.

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