Real Madrid vs AC Milan facts

The two most successful teams in European Cup history meet for the first time in 14 years on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League as Real Madrid face AC Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Holders Madrid have 15 titles to Milan's seven and are above their Italian opponents in the 2024/25 standings after home wins against Stuttgart (3-1) and, in a repeat of last season's final, Borussia Dortmund (5-2) – a match in which they trailed 0-2 at the break – although they did lose 1-0 at LOSC Lille on Matchday 2.

Milan got off the mark on Matchday 3 via a 3-1 success against Club Brugge having lost 1-3 at home to Liverpool and 1-0 at Bayer Leverkusen.

Previous meetings

Matches 15
Real Madrid wins 6
Milan wins 6
Draws 3
Real Madrid goals 24
Milan goals 25

All 15 of the sides' previous contests have also come in the European Cup.

1955/56 semi-finals
Real Madrid 4-2 Milan
Milan 2-1 Real Madrid
Both teams scored twice in the opening half-hour of the first leg, Héctor Rial and Joseíto for the home side and Gunnar Nordahl and Juan Alberto Schiaffino for Milan. Roque Olsen and Alfredo Di Stéfano sealed victory for Madrid, who progressed to the first final thanks to Joseíto's goal at San Siro.

1958 final
Real Madrid 3-2 Milan (aet)
Madrid completed a hat-trick of European Cups in Brussels despite twice falling behind, Paco Gento finally ending Milan's challenge.

1963/64 quarter-finals
Real Madrid 4-1 Milan
Milan 2-0 Madrid
Madrid again went through thanks to first-leg strikes from Amancio, Ferenc Puskás, Di Stéfano and Gento, although they had to hold on as Milan came back strongly.

1988/89 semi-finals
Real Madrid 1-1 Milan
Milan 5-0 Real Madrid
Current Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten – scorer of the first-leg equaliser – and Roberto Donadoni were all on target at San Siro as Milan produced one of the great European Cup performances.

1989/90 second round
Milan 2-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 1-0 Milan
Rijkaard and Van Basten both struck early at San Siro, Emilio Butragueño's second-leg reply not enough as Milan continued towards a second successive European Cup.

2002/03 second group stage
Milan 1-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid 3-1 Milan
Andriy Shevchenko gave Milan a home win and Raúl González's double helped Madrid to victory in Spain.

2009/10 group stage
Real Madrid 2-3 Milan
Milan 1-1 Real Madrid
Alexandre Pato scored Milan's 88th-minute winner in Madrid, his second goal of the game. The goals in Milan came from Karim Benzema and a Ronaldinho penalty equaliser.

2010/11 group stage
Real Madrid 2-0 Milan
Milan 2-2 Real Madrid
Early goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil earned the home side the points at the Santiago Bernabéu; a 94th-minute Pedro León equaliser gave Madrid a draw at San Siro that took them into the last 16 with two matches to spare.

Form guide

Real Madrid 

Record vs Italian teams: W46 D 11 L26 F138 A98
Home record vs Italian teams: W29 D3 L7

Madrid have already played Italian opponents this season, beating Atalanta 2-0 on 14 August to claim a record sixth UEFA Super Cup.

That made it 11 successive victories against Serie A sides, Madrid having won 3-2 away and 4-2 at home against Napoli in last season's group stage.

Madrid have won 17 of their last 18 games against Italian clubs, the exception a 3-1 home defeat by Juventus – who they had beaten 4-1 in the 2017 Champions League final in Cardiff – in the 2017/18 quarter-final second leg. Madrid nevertheless squeezed through having won 3-0 in Turin.

Madrid have been victorious in seven of their last eight home games against Italian clubs, scoring three or more goals in four of the last five.

Last season Ancelotti's side finished top of their section after winning all six Champions League group games for a record-equalling third time.

Leipzig were then overcome in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 1-1 h) before epic ties against holders Manchester City (3-3 h, 1-1 a, 4-3 pens) and Bayern München (2-2 a, 2-1 h) set up a 2-0 final defeat of Dortmund at Wembley.

Madrid are in the Champions League for the 29th time, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97 and have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 28 campaigns.

The Spanish side have won 19 of their last 25 home European games (D4 L2).

The Merengues claimed their second La Liga title in three years, and 36th overall, in 2023/24.

Milan

Record vs Spanish clubs: W19 D14 L26 F78 A88
Away record vs Spanish clubs: W5 D7 L16

The Rossoneri were paired with Madrid's local rivals Atlético in the 2021/22 group stage, losing 1-2 at home before a 1-0 away win.

That success in Madrid ended Milan's eight-game winless run against Spanish opponents (D2 L6) and was just their second victory in 19 (D7 L10). It was also Milan's first win in Spain since their 2009 success at Real Madrid.

Milan are making their fourth successive appearance in the Champions League and a 21st overall.

The Rossoneri were Champions League winners in 1994, 2003 and 2007 and runners-up in 1993, 1995 and 2005.

The seven-time European champions reached the knockout rounds for the first time since 2013/14 in 2022/23 but last season finished third behind Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in Group F, going on to the Europa League quarter-finals where they lost an all-Italian tie against Roma.

Milan have won only ten of their last 34 Champions League games (D9 L15). Last season's 2-1 Matchday 6 victory at Newcastle is one of four in 18 away games, group stage to final (D6 L8).

Milan were second in Serie A in 2023/24, the third time in four seasons they had finished in the top two.

Stefano Pioli was replaced in the summer after five years as Milan coach, Paulo Fonseca appointed as his successor.

Links and trivia

Ancelotti was a Milan player between 1987 and 1992 and coach from 2001 to 2009. He won the European Cup in 1989 and 1990 – adding the UEFA Super Cup in 1990 having lifted the European/South American Cup the previous year – in addition to two Serie A titles and, as coach, the Champions League in 2003 and 2007, also reaching the 2005 final. He guided Milan to the league title in 2003/04 and also won the Super Cup in 2003 and 2007, claiming the FIFA Club World Cup in the latter year.

Ancelotti has faced Milan 15 times as a coach (W5 D7 L3) – although never in the Champions League.

Have played in Spain:
Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid 2008–14,2016/17, Atlético de Madrid 2019–20, 2022–24)
Theo Hernández (Atlético de Madrid 2007–16, Alavés 2016/17, Real Madrid 2017/18, Real Sociedad 2018/19)
Luka Jović (2019–21, 2021/22)
Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal 2018–23)
Emerson Royal (Betis 2019–21, Barcelona 2021)
Alessandro Florenzi (Valencia 2020)
Yunus Musah (Valencia 2020–23)
Matteo Gabbia (Villarreal 2023 loan)

Have played in Italy:
Brahim Díaz (Milan 2020–23)
Antonio Rüdiger (Roma 2015–17)

Have played together:
Thibaut Courtois & Álvaro Morata, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Antonio Rüdiger & Álvaro Morata, Christian Pulišić, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham (Chelsea)
Antonio Rüdiger & Alessandro Florenzi (Roma 2015–17)
Kylian Mbappé & Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint-Germain 2020/21)
Aurélien Tchouaméni & Youssouf Fofana, Strahinja Pavlović (Monaco 2020–22)

International team-mates:
Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Dani Ceballos, Fran García & Álvaro Morata (Spain)
Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Ferland Mendy, Kylian Mbappé & Theo Hernández, Mike Maignan, Youssouf Fofana (France)
Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Éder Militão, Endrick & Emerson Royal (Brazil)
Antonio Rüdiger & Malick Thiaw (Germany)

Latest news

Real Madrid

Saturday's game at Valencia was postponed due to flooding.

Madrid's 42-match unbeaten Liga run was ended one short of Barcelona's record by a 0-4 loss at home to Barça on 26 October.

Brahim Díaz was a late substitute having been out with an adductor injury since 14 September.

Thibaut Courtois suffered an adductor injury in his left leg in Madrid's 2-1 win against Celta Vigo on 19 October and has not played since.

Rodrygo has been out since suffering a right thigh injury against Celta.

Dani Carvajal is expected to miss the rest of the season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Madrid's 2-0 win against Villarreal on 5 October.

David Alaba has been out since December with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Real Madrid won the Men's Club of the Year Trophy and Carlo Ancelotti the Johan Cruyff Trophy for coach of the year at the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on 29 October.

Milan

On Saturday a first-half Tijjani Reijnders goal gave Milan a 1-0 win at Monza.

Milan's game at Bologna, due to be played on 26 October, was postponed due to flooding and will now take place in February.

On 29 October the Rossoneri lost 0-2 at home to Serie A leaders Napoli, one of five defeats in 13 games this season.

The Napoli loss was the first time Milan had failed to score in Serie A this season and the second in all competitions.

Matteo Gabbia has been out since Matchday 3 with a thigh injury.

Tammy Abraham has not played since suffering a shoulder problem against Udinese on 19 October.

Ismaël Bennacer (out since September, calf) and Alessandro Florenzi (August, knee) have both been ruled out until 2025.