Real Madrid vs AC Milan summary: goals, score, updates & highlights | Champions League
Real Madrid vs AC Milan: as it happened
That's all, folks!
Thanks for tuning into the coverage of a staggering result in the capital. For all the latest sport and election coverage, you know where to go.
Joe
Full-time report:
This defeat did not just feel like a defeat. This was one of those games that you never ever want, one of those games that takes your mind to places that you don't want to go.
The Clásico defeat was enough: OK, Real Madrid got thumped and Barcelona were good, but they were very good, and at least Madrid can at least somewhat live with the fact that their rivals are good as long it will be their turn soon. The two, three or perhaps four best players in the world (bar Rodri) are in our side, so it's OK, right?
But it might just not be. This defeat, this crushing show, not of lifelessness but of a failed evolution, felt different. Losing 1-3 hurts in a worrying way as Madrid were exploited by a team that on paper should be able to wound, but not kill.
Your mind, with results like this, when it's Real Madrid, and when you know the white walls can close in on you from all sides at any given moment, goes to question the worst.
And when it's happening time after time, game after game, move after move, it only gets louder.
Is Ancelotti the right man for the job? Is the team been built properly?
"Defending is a collective effort", said Lucas at full-time, and that could not be more pertinent when talking about this side.
Vini Jr and Mbappé defended from the front for a total of 12 minutes at the start of the game: once the first goal went in and the initiative became attack, the off-ball plan was forgotten, binned, destroyed.
And from then on, as the lines spread wider and wider, giving more room for Milan to play, things became comfortable for the away side. When the goals then started to flow, things became fun. Against Real Madrid. At the Bernabéu. In their competition.
Passes went astray, and if they were ideas of passes further forward than the halfway line, they simply didn't happen. Changes came as the clock ticked on but nothing was altered on the pitch as red and black stripes outnumbered white flashes of frustration in all areas. Wide spaces were squeezed and the counter was omnipresent with Reijnders sealing it for the away side as easy as you like.
For Madrid, it cannot be this way. What was a Clásico slip-up and a Champions League near-miss against Dortmund has become 9 goals conceded at home in 3 games. Heads may not roll, but we are in the place where your head never wants to be.
FULL-TIME!!!
Milan get a huge win against a truly terrible Madrid side.
Maignan catches Rodrygo's cross and the crowd think it's all over...
Back underway.
Tammy Abraham is down after taking Mbappé's shot in the face.
OVER THE BAR! That one might have hit the Bernabéu roof.
Vini finds space down the left and clips a cross to the far post that's met by Militão and sent into orbit from just a few yards out.
Milan changes:
OFF: Musah, Emerson
ON: Pavlovic, Calabria
A stunning save. Vini Jr's cross finds Brahim who is all alone and just 3 yards from goal. He directs his header to Maignan's left but the goalkeeper reaches out to pluck the ball off the line!
WHAT A SAVE FROM MAIGNAN!!!
6 added on.
Into the final minute of normal time.
WIDE. Fran García's cross finds Vinicius Jr but the header is at least 2 yards wide of the goal.
LUNIN SAVES NUMBER FOUR. Theo is played down the wing into acres of space. The cross comes in and is met by Loftus-Cheek, who cracks a shot at the feet of the goalkeeper.
Players go down inside the Milan box... but the referee blows against Real Madrid.
Corner to Madrid. Fran García wins it down the left side.
Back underway.
OFFISDE!
It seems that a Madrid player was offside when the cross came in.
The ball is crossed in from the right and cleared by a punch from Maignan. Rüdiger meets the ball and hits a difficult shot into the empty net.
Camavinga clips a nice ball from right to left towards Rodrygo inside the box. It bounces awkwardly and is cleared.
Madrid have Milan pinned into their own box but this is merely saving face and, if I'm honest, a goal now wouldn't even do that.
Rodrygo's weak shot is curled into the grasp of Maignan.
Leão off to huge Milan cheers
OFF: Rafa Leão
ON: Okafor
Hearts are in mouths as Abraham and Rafa Leão race away with only Lucas there to stop them. The pass from the latter is poor and Madrid recover, with Mbappé striking wide on the counter.
Back underway.
Ancelotti changes the plan again:
OFF: Bellingham, Mendy
ON: Fran García, Rodrygo
Rafa Leão gets the better of both Militão and Lucas on the left wing, literally shoving the former over as he burns past him. The cross is low into the box and is met by Reijnders who smashes the shot past Lunin.
It's staggeringly poor from Real Madrid on the ball, who are being constantly overloaded on the wings with their own wide forwards looking to go up against 2, 3 or even 4 defenders at once.
Twenty minutes to go...
Fonseca switches things up:
OFF: Morata, Pulisic
ON: Loftus-Cheek, Abraham
OFF THE POST
Morata flicks the corner behind him and it flies upwards before ricocheting off the corner of the post!
Lucas goes into the book for bringing down Rafa Leão as the winger breaks away.
Mbappé's cross from deep finds Militão but he can't get a proper contact on the ball and it flies out behind for a throw.
Milan are, as you might expect, happy to fire the ball into the stands on any occasion.
Another change:
OFF: Modric
ON: Ceballos
CHANCE. Modric plays a nice ball in behind but Morata, the player who misses all those chances, puts it wide.
Oh, it wasn't Morata, it was Mbappé. He missed again.
I really can't stress enough how poor Madrid look both on and off the ball. Their positioning looks like Mr Fantastic has been put in a washing machine: there are parts being stretched in every direction and they look increasingly dizzy as Milan, dare I say it, start to enjoy themselves.
As well as the disjointed nature of the side, simple passes are going astray as the tension rises and the crowd get nervous.
And the Frenchman is booked for his troubles.
Camavinga trips Morata on halfway and Milan get a breather.
Madrid are constantly being outnumbered by at least 4 Milan players when Mbappé and Vini Jr attack, with or without Bellingham for support. They're looking for magic when there simply can't be any with such a disjointed team.
CHANCE. Milan counter and luckily Rafa Leão's shot is blocked by Militão as the home side are caught out at the back.
It's looking incredibly stodgy from Madrid who cannot connect the defensive line with the attacekrs on the ball.
HUGE SAVE FROM LUNIN! What a sensational save from the goalkeeper! He's at full stretch and then some as Rafa Leão's header looks certain to ripple the top corner of the net!
Madrid's passing is definitely zippier, and they're manage to move the Milan block left and right as they drop deeper into their defensive third.
Be careful, I'd say, as that plan didn't work well for Dortmund.
Big cheers from the crowd as Bellingham, who has been superb today so far, chases down Thiaw and slides in to clear the ball out of play.
OVER THE BAR. Bellingham curves his run and Modric finds him with a clipped pass but the shot from the Englishman is sliced over the bar.
Camavinga's first involvement in the game is stealing the ball from the boots of Musah who charges forward towards Lunin.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!
Milan get us going!
Ancelotti's changes:
OFF: Valverde & Tchouaméni
ON: Camavinga & Brahim
Changes incoming for Madrid:
Camavinga and Brahim are set to come into the game.
Half-time thoughts:
It's been an even game at the Bernabéu but I can't get one niggling thought out of my head: with Mbappé and Vinicius Jr on the pitch, how can Real Madrid defend as a unit?
The home side pressed well at the start of the game but since then they've dropped further and further back, with the two forwards doing increasingly less work off the ball.
It's givenMilan the initiative to switch the play and drag players like Valverde, who should be helping Lucas Vázquez, out of position, creating space for their deadly attackers.
The first goal was just outright bad concentration from Madrid to allow Thiaw to thump the header past Lunin. Arguably so was the second one, in which Morata was awake as the defence fell asleep and let him tap home a rebound.
But apart from that, the chances have been there for the Italians, as, more importantly, has the control.
It's perfectly OK and even beneficial for Madrid to concede possession, space and dominance against City, Bayern and Liverpool, but against Milan?
With all the respect in the world they're not in the same league and Real Madrid need to be more forceful on and off the ball if they want to win.
HALF-TIME!
Madrid behind at the break.
Back underway.
Now Lucas is down after another off-ball accident. He looks OK to continue.
Luka Modric shapes to shoot from the left corner of the box and absolutely spoons his effort high and wide. Everyone's allowed one, Lukita.
4 added minutes.
Corner to Madrid after Mbappé cross is blocked by Emerson Royal. AC Milan defend it well.
SAVE! Mbappé can't get past his compatriot in goal after being released by Militão on halfway.
The shot from the right was taken at a tight angle but that's another good chance gone to waste.
Madrid are on the back foot as things stand, and Milan are finding a lot of joy down the wings. The away side are controlling the ball, the space and the scoreline.
Pulisic, on the right, crosses in towards Leão who spins and shoots from the penalty spot.
Madrid's defenders stand there, take a book out of their shorts and a few cups of tea, light up a cigar and watch the ball roll away from the goalkeeper.
Morata, who clearly wasn't invited, runs towards the ball just yards from goal and stabs it past Lunin to put Milan ahead.
Madrid are probing like curious aliens before Tchouaméni gets bored and thumps one towards Maignan that's easily saved.
It's all a bit clown car here at the moment. We've got whistles from the crowd as the referee blows for a foul during a Madrid attack that saw a risky Milan lose the ball close to their own goal. Then Vinicius goes down after Miagnan accidentally stands on his foot.
We're back underway after a brief pause in play. Thiaw is back on the pitch and looks OK.
However, it seems Thiaw is not in a good way.
Milan want a penalty as Lunin appears to clear out Thiaw, but the replay shows he made full contact with the ball that was floated into the box.
Half an hour gone at the Santiago Bernabéu and the game is still wide open...
A half chance for Milan as Theo's rocket from distance is deflected wide. Corner to the away side.
Fantastic work from Bellingham again to find space in behind the Milan defence - he's made the same run five or six times already so far. The midfielder gets down the right and fires across the box but neither Vini nor Mbappé are there to stick it past Maignan.
Madrid drop back into their defensive third and Pulisic almost escapes through the line with a slick move. However, Tchouaméni is there to steal the ball from the winger'sfeet on the edge of the box.
Valverde is now dropping right into the Madrid back line, right next to Lucas Vázquez, as Milan tap, tap, tap the ball from left to right on halfway.
Back underway and the Madrid fans are singing now!
It's a cheeky panenka from the Brazilian as Maignan is sent flying to his right.
Vinicius steps up...
Super play from Madrid: a one-two from Bellingham and Mendy down the left lands at Vini Jr's feet and it's Emerson who takes down the winger.
PENALTY TO MADRID
Vini Jr is taken down in the box!
Bellingham tries another sneaky run through what is a solid Milan back 5 in defence. Valverde spies him and sends in a cross from distance, but it's overhit and well defended.
Shouts for a penalty from the Madrid crowd as Bellingham goes down in the box when diving for a diagonal cross from the left.
Nothing given, Milan counter and Lunin saves a weak shot from distance.
Rewatching that corner, it's a nightmare from the Madrid defence. Thiaw didn't have to jump and the ball wasn't attacked by anyone in a white shirt. Yes, the delivery was superb and hard to defend, but it's also hard to be worse than that when it comes to clearing a cross.
It's the Milan fans I can hear roaring in the stands high above, not the shellshocked Madridista crowd.
It's Rafa Leão again causing chaos for the Madrid defence, shooting down the line at the speed of a Falcon Heavy rocket. Poor Lucas needs help on that side if Madrid want to keep the scoreline down to one goal.
DOUBLE SAVE. Maignan saves from Mbappé as the French forward breaks away and he also manages to stop the rebound attack as Vini tries his luck from close range.
Back underway...
The corner is swung in and the defender doesn't even need to jump as he meets the ball and guides it past Lunin!
THIAW HEADER
Rafa Leão goes up against both Militão and Lucas and wins a corner for his side.
Milan are taking a lot of risks in the buildup and, ahem, Madrid are pressing very well in a 4-4-2 shape.
Back underway...
We've got a small pause in play as Morata is down on the ground...
Maignan drops Luka Modric's free-kick but the shot was weak and right at the goalkeeper. No sweat.
CHANCE. Mbappé can't get on Valverde's low cross from the right as the ball gets caught under his feet from a few yards out. Another good chance for the Frenchman.
Lunin claimsTheo's low cross as he burns past Lucas Vázquez. The right-back could end up having it tough tonight against Leão and the left-back.
Five minutes have already gone here as Real Madrid start with a lot of intensity, most notably Mbappé who just tracked back to tackle Rafa Leão. Yes, he really did.
CHANCE. Lucas gets down the right thanks to a nice pass from Valverde. He plays backwards towards Mbappé who flashes a shot at goal that flies past the far post.
Madrid start with the ball as the atmosphere gets going; Milan counter and fly forward with Rafa Leão but the winger is offside.
AND WE'RE OFF!
Real Madrid get us going from right to left.
A moment of silence before kick-off...
Both sets of players, along with the coaching staff, officials and fans are observing a very emotional minute of silence in memory of those affected.
'We are with you, Valencia'
Both sides are wearing t-shirts in support of the affected region as the Champions League anthem is heavily booed by the Madridista crowd.
The players are in the tunnel!
And I've never seen a more rowdy group of player mascots than this lot. They need a Miss Trunchbull in there to sort them out. Or the referee could just book them.
Good manners from the little girl who just got the ball from the referee and said thank you. Top marks.
Will Pulisic deliver?
Since there are no other big events involving Americans happening right now, he's surely on the minds of just about everyone across all 50 states.
It's a strange atmosphere in the stadium
I won't lie, dear reader, we have not got the typical Champions League atmosphere inside the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu tonight.
Things still, understandably, feel very strange in Spain after the tragedy that has affected the Valencia region, and many think that games should not be going ahead as the people recover from the tragedy.
These events have made the feeling inside the stadium slightly colder than you might expect for a European Cup tie against the two most successful teams in history.
Anyway, as soon as kick-off comes, which is just minutes away, we should hear some noise.
Both teams make their way to the dressing rooms
We're just minutes away from kick-off in the Spanish capital as Madrid and Milan head down the tunnel for the final team talks before the game.
GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Morata faces former side
Álvaro Morata has come up against Real Madrid 12 times, where he played from 2010-14 and 2016-17.
In those games, he has lost 6, drawn 3 and win 3, scoring 6 times.
A reminder of the lineups:
REAL MADRID:
Lunin; Lucas - Militão - Rüdiger - Mendy; Tchouaméni, Modric, Valverde, Bellingham; Mbappé, Vini Jr
AC MILAN:
Maignan; Emerson, Thiaw, Tomori, Theo; Reijnders, Fofana, Musah; Pulisic, Morata, Rafa Leão
Ancelotti pre-game to Spanish TV:
"It's a special game and a special moment. The last game hurt us and we want to react well, but the opponent are very good, they are fast.
We had time to prepare and hopefully it goes well.
We trained and Modric did well, everyone did well. The change for Camavinga is a small detail but others are back: Brahim, Rodrygo, so we have good options.
Bellingham will play on the left today, he does his job well and has been close to scoring in lots of games.
We have to expect the best version of Milan today, they have great players in all areas of the pitch, we have to expect that and be motivated and focused."
Want some hope, Madridistas?
The Spanish side have a superb record over Italian clubs, winning 17 of their last 18. The most recent loss to a team from Serie A came back in 2018, in a home defeat to Juventus in the Champions League.
They lost 1-3 with a goal from Matuidi and a double from Mandzukic, but a 97th minute penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo saw them through.
Modric becomes the 12th player to reach 550 games with Real Madrid:
With today's game, he puts himself on a list of great names in Madrid's history...
741 Raúl
725 Casillas
710 Sanchís
671 Sergio Ramos
648 Benzema
645 Santillana
602 Fernando Hierro
600 Gento
577 Camacho
561 Míchel
561 Pirri
550 Modric
Here's what other action we've got tonight
There are plenty of games on offer tonight, with some top tier ties across the continent.
What a noise from the Milan fans!
The 7-time European champions have just taken to the pitch for their pre-game warmup routine and the fans high up in the stands have given them an ear-exploding welcome!
A reminder of the team news:
Only Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenziare out of action for AC Milan.
Meanwhile, Rodrygo is back into the squad and on the bench after missing out on El Clásico.
Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are the other absentees.
JESUS ALVAREZ ORIHUELA / DIARIO AS
Who to watch: Real Madrid
Call me Mr. Obvious, shout wildly that you can't believe I'm writing this and wave your clenched fist at your confused cat on the sofa, but keeping an eye on Kylian Mbappé tonight might not be the stupidest thing you've ever heard in your life.
While he has 6 goals in 10 in LaLiga, he has scored just once in the competition Real Madrid call their own, and the general play of the team has not been as free-flowing as one might have imagined when the news broke that they had signed one of the world's top attackers.
There is, of course, plenty of time for things to fall into place and at the end of the day, the game of football comes down to talent, but Mbappé's adaptation to the Madrid way of life is giving us a lot to talk about and his performance today will be under as much scrutiny as ever.
Madrid arrive at the stadium
Seriousfaces from Los Blancos as they look to recover from that crushing defeat to Barcelona in LaLiga...
The USMNT forward's form mixed with Madrid's sketchy results puts a lot of pressure on Los Blancos to keep him at bay in the Champions League.
In ten league games this season, Pulisic has managed to score 5 goals and get 3 assists, showing himself to be one of the most prolific attackers across the top leagues in the continent.
A special welcome for Los Blancos!
Former AC Milan and FC Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu to welcome the two teams before the game tonight!
Did you know?
The game marks Carlo Ancelotti's fifth time coming up against AC Milan since he was in charge (2001-2009), and the first in Europe.
The four previous times were as the Head Coach of Napoli (2018-2019), and he's only beaten them once: 3-2 in August 2018 in Serie A.
Milan manager pre-game quotes:
A game like this gives you great motivation. We know that we have to take on the best to win the Champions League, in this case the current champions: it's a chance for us to show our worth. We must be courageous, fearless on the pitch and committed to putting on a good show.
I watched the El Clásico, it was important to watch how Real played against Barcelona. Similarities? There are a few, we also weren't favourites before the Derby but every opponent is different and every match is a story in itself. To face Real we have prepared in a certain way on specific things.
Ancelotti is the best manager in the world, a reference point for me as a coach and as a person, everything he says is important and it'll be an honour to meet him.
Alessandro Garofalo / REUTERS
Good news!
AC Milan will be playing in their home shirt tonight, meaning we're in for a visual treat against Real Madrid's all white kit.
This makes me much happier than anyone in my family would deem necessary, but it's how it should be and you know it too: no fluorescent oranges or greens, just two traditional home strips for us to feast on. Yum.
ONE HOUR TO GO!
And on that note, here's how the boffins over at Sofascore Towers see the two lineups.
Pulisic and Maignan are the two top performers for the Italians while Vini Jr is the runaway leader of the ratings for Los Blancos.
One change for Ancelotti:
It's almost the same starting XI for Carlo Ancelotti that he used in the game against FC Barcelona, with Luka Modric coming in for Camavinga.
On that occasion, I'm sure you know, Madrid were thumped 0-4 in a game that saw them collapse in the second half after being caught offside a record number of times in the first.
Sticking with the nearly same team is a vote of confidence from the coach who will be looking for a strong performance from his side as they look to turn things around.
However, the switch from Camavinga to Modric is clearly Carlo looking for morecontrol in the middle of the park from the 40-year-old.
Forget the 'wobble'
Real Madrid, despite fans crying in the streets (this is not confirmed) at their poor form this season which coincides with the story on the final pages of the Doomsday Book, their home record in the Champions League is simply insane.
They've not lost in their last 15 home games and have also failed to keep a clean sheet in over half of them.
Does that mean we're guaranteed goals?
AC Milan arrive at the Bernabéu!
The Italians have arrived at the stadium to a round of boos from the home fans who have given them a warm welcome.
AC Milan show support for Valencia
The Italians have shown their support for the Valencian region in Spain that has suffered hugely due to catastrophic flooding.
Here's how things look ahead of kick-off
The roof is closed at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, in case you were hanging on my every word to find out. You can relax now.
![Paolo Maldini es uno de los pocos jugadores de esta lista que no pertenecen al Real Madrid. El ‘One Club Man’ del AC Milan ganó 5 Champions League, tres de ellas cuando todavía eran denominadas como “Copas de Europa”. El defensor italiano fue titular en todas ellas ante: Steaua Bucarest (1988-89, 4-0), Benfica (1989-90, 1-0), Barcelona (1993-94, 4-0), Juventus de Turín [2002-03, (2) 0-0 (3)] y Liverpool (2006-07, 2-1). Esta última, frente a los ingleses, sirvió para redimirse de la perdida dos años atrás en Estanbul.](https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/diarioas/Z64M2LBAMFCGNLNOFJVH5VZUXE.jpg)
DIARIO AS / DIARIO AS
AC Milan's European record
While everyone knows Real Madrid are runaway record holders when it comes to the Champions League, you might be surprised to find out that it's actually AC Milan who are the silver medallists in the all-time table.
The Italian giants have won the European Cup / Champions League on 7 occasions, putting them ahead of teams such as Liverpool, Bayern and Ajax in the history books.
They may take a while to get back to those great heights of success, but AC Milan's history is not to be sniffed at and if Real Madrid are the kings of turning things on when they hear the Champions League music, I wouldn't rule out the same happening for the Italians.
GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Pulisic is Milan's star so far
OK, I know I picked Reijnders as my one to watch for AC Milan, but I can't go any further without mentioning the USMNT winger Christian Pulisic as a huge threat for Real Madrid's defence today.
The forward has lit up Serie A this season with goals and assists and will give the defence the run around if given time and space on the pitch.
He has 2 goals so far in the Champions League this season as well as 5 in Serie A. Add that to his 3 domestic assists and you've got yourself one of Europe's most in-form forwards.
PULISIC STARTS FOR AC MILAN
The USMNT forward leads the line against Real Madrid:
GK: Maignan
DEF: Emerson - Thiaw - Tomori - Theo
MID: Fofana - Reijnders - Musah
ATT: Pulisic - Morata - Rafa Leão
STRINGER/ITALY / REUTERS
A special occasion for Carlo
Ancelotti is facing his former side today, where he won the Champions League as both a player and manager.
The Italian joined the club as a player in 1987 and played there until 1992 when he retired. With over 100 games for the club under his belt, he won 2 league titles and 2 European Cups as well as host of other domestic and continental trophies.
'Carletto' returned to Milan as a manager and took the team on an extraordinary run, winning Serie A, a Coppa Italia, 2 Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup between 2001 and 2009.
For all the information on how to watch the game on your TV screen or streaming device, dive into Andy's handy guide on where you can grab the action at the Bernabéu.
OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP
Real Madrid's recent wobbles
While they're not bottom of neither LaLiga or the Champions League, that doesn't mean Madridistas aren't quaking in their boots at the fact that the season is having an early wobble.
The football being played between the various lines of the Madrid side aren't clicking thus far in the season and while we've seen their star quality get them out of holes already, some results have been particularly eye-catching.
However, this is Real Madrid, and while they may look weak, wide-open and sometimes even just outright terrible, they'll probably win the Champions League anyway.
Claudio Villa / AC Milan via Getty Images
Who to watch: AC Milan
My pick for who to keep an eye on during this game is a left-field one: Tijjani Reijnders might not be the most famous face in the Italian side's squad, but he's a key part of how Fonseca likes to play.
The central midfielder controls the play from the middle of the pitch but the ace in his pocket is the way he arrives in the box as the second line of the Milan attack to finish off chances that fall around the edge of the box.
He's scored twice so far in Milan's three Champions League games and while Madrid away is definitely one of the toughest fixtures he'll play in all season, don't underestimate his ability to sneak in behind Madrid's midfielders as they track back to defend.
Yes, that headline is correct: you can own - for a hefty price tag - part of the Real Madrid dressingroom.
The Spanish club are set to auction off their old vestuario for an extraordinary fee, with the locker rooms of famous stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Sergio Ramos and Luis Figo all up for sale to the highest bidder.
The modern dressing room is a lot snazzier, with the shirts of the stars framed in front of each seat, and the space has been opened up for the manager to be able to deliver the perfect team talk to all the squad at once.
REAL MADRID XI REVEALED
There are no real surprises from Ancelotti tonight with his lineup, as he flicks all the switches onto full power for the game.
GK: Lunin
DEF: Lucas - Militão - Rüdiger - Mendy
MID: Valverde - Modric (c) - Tchouaméni - Bellingham
ATT: Mbappé - Vini Jr
Ancelotti pre-game quotes:
It’s been a week of great tragedy and sadness. That is the prevailing emotion at this time. As a club, we are very close to Valencia and all of the towns that have been affected. We stand with them and hopefully, the situation can be turned around soon. I hope you understand that talking about football at this time is very difficult - as is playing football
We are a part of this country and we are deeply affected by what has happened. Out of respect for everyone, I will try to keep this press conference as simple as possible, because I am in no mood to be talking about football. Also, for me, tomorrow’s game is a special one. I will try to keep this brief and talk as little as possible. Thank You.
Where are AC Milan in the league?
The Italians aren't doing so well in the table and are way down in the murky depths, swimming Champions League minnows such as... Bayern and Atlético Madrid?
Yes, the Italian giants are not the only historically successful team struggling in the early stages of the competition, with just 3 points from 3 games not reflecting the positive performances they have been putting out in Serie A.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Where are Real Madrid in the league?
The new-look Champions League is, in case you forgot, a table so long it would not look out of place in a Victorian era castle's dining room.
After 3 games played, Real Madrid sit in 12th place, at the very bottom of the top third of teams. It's a fair reflection after a poor 1-0 loss in Lille saw them drop all 3 points and their 3-1 win against Stuttgart wasn't all that convincing either.
Even against Dortmund they performed terribly in the first half, and the second half blitz was as much Real Madrid's doing as it was BVB's reluctance to attack and pose any sort of threat.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Madrid to hold a minute of silence
The Spanish club, just like every other team playing tonight in the UEFA competition, will hold a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the tragic storms that hit the Valencia region of Spain.
Horrific scenes have plagued our screens for around a week as torrential rainfall has utterly destroyed homes, businesses and just about everything in its path, leaving the number of fatalities above 200.
I'm dropping it in before Carlo releases it to the Real Madrid social media team and UEFA, but he probably did that yesterday.
It's the Real Madrid possible starting XI with all the injuries and suspensions accounted for. What I can tell you is that given recent results, Real Madrid will be looking to get off to a solid start in the game with their top players performing from minute one of the tough clash against their Italian opponents.
When does the game start?
Real Madrid and AC Milan’s Champions League clash kicks off today, Tuesday November 5, at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT.
Viewers in the US will be able to watch the game on Paramount+, ViX, TUDN USA and UniMás, but more on that later, so stick around here in the meantime.
FILIP SINGER / EFE
Who's the ref?
You've probably got Mr Slavko Vincic already ticked off your Referee Spotter's Guidebook for the season, as the experienced official appears to be able to oversee two games at once.
The Slovenian has been on FIFA's books since 2010 and has a wealth of experience in his whistle with close to 50 UEFA Champions Leaguegames on his record and almost 200 domestic matches.
He's not one for drawing out the red cards but he certainly commands respect from the players as a well-known face on the football pitch.
Team news: AC Milan
AC Milan have a near-full strength side to choose from with only Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi out of action.
Ex-Real Madrid marksman Álvaro Morata will be handed a one-match suspension if he picks up a yellow card in today's game.
Team news: Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti's side welcome back Rodrygo into the squad after the Brazilian missed out on El Clásico with a light injury.
Apart from that, Thibaut Courtois is the main name missing from the teamsheet with Andriy Lunin stepping in as a safe pair of hands.
David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are the other long term absentees.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the AS USA live feed for the tantalising Champions League game between Real Madrid and AC Milan.
It's Joe here today to guide you through the action as it unfolds in the Spanish capital.
Kick-off is set for 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.