AC Milan vs Crvena Zvezda facts

Crvena Zvezda return to San Siro for the second time in this season's UEFA Champions League to take on AC Milan.

The Serbian champions were beaten 4-0 at Inter Milan on Matchday 2, part of a run of four successive defeats to open the league phase, before getting off the mark in style last time out with a 5-1 win at home to Stuttgart.

Milan were beaten in their first two Champions League matches of the season but have won the last three, triumphing 3-2 at Slovan Bratislava on Matchday 5.

Previous meetings

Matches 6
Milan wins 2
Crvena Zvezda wins 0
Draws 4
Milan goals 8
Crvena Zvezda goals 6

1988/89 European Cup second round
Milan 1-1 Crvena Zvezda
Crvena Zvezda 1-1 AC Milan (aet, 2-4 pens)
Milan triumphed on penalties – and went on to win the club's third European Cup – after two draws, the second of which, in Belgrade, came a day after the initial second leg had been abandoned because of fog with the home side leading 1-0. Dragan Stojković's 47th-minute opener at San Siro was cancelled out a minute later by Milan's Pietro Paolo Virdis; Stojković himself levelled in Belgrade four minutes after Marco van Basten had given the visitors the lead.

2006/07 Champions League third qualifying round
Milan 1-0 Crvena Zvezda
Crvena Zvezda 1-2 Milan
At the start of what was to be another European Cup-winning campaign for the Rossoneri, Filippo Inzaghi opened the scoring in both legs; while his strike at San Siro proved the only one of the first game, Clarence Seedorf added a second in Belgrade, Dušan Djokić getting a late Crvena Zvezda consolation.

2020/21 UEFA Europa League round of 32
Crvena Zvezda 2-2 Milan
Milan 1-1 Crvena Zvezda
Milan twice led in the first leg at the Stadion Rajko Mitić, Radovan Pankov's own goal giving them a first-half advantage. Guélor Kanga levelled from the spot early in the second period but Theo Hernández's spot kick swiftly restored the visitors' advantage before Milan Pavkov's added-time equaliser.

Another penalty, from Franck Kessié, gave Milan the early initiative at San Siro and, though El Fardou Ben Nabouhane equalised midway through the first period, Crvena Zvezda were unable to find a second and exited on away goals.

Form guide

AC Milan

Record vs Serbian clubs: W2 D4 L0 F8 A6
Home record vs Serbian clubs: W1 D2 L0

Milan's six games against Crvena Zvezda are their only ones against a Serbian club.

The Rossoneri are making their fourth successive appearance in the Champions League and a 21st overall, three behind Juventus's Italian record of 24.

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

In 2022/23 Milan reached the knockout rounds for the first time since 2013/14 but were unable to repeat the feat last season, finishing third behind Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in Group F. They went on to reach the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, where they lost an all-Italian tie to Roma (0-1 h. 1-2 a).

Milan have won only 11 of their last 35 Champions League games (D9 L15). Beaten 1-3 at home by Liverpool on Matchday 1 before defeating Club Brugge by the same score on Matchday 3, they have eight victories in their last 23 home fixtures, Matchday 1 to final (D7 L8).

Milan were second in Serie A in 2023/24, 19 points behind champions Inter. It was 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.

Crvena Zvezda

Record vs Italian clubs: W2 D10 L12 F18 A34
Away record vs Italian clubs: W1 D4 L7

The 4-0 loss at Inter on Matchday 2 extended Crvena Zvezda's winless run against Italian sides to nine games (D4 L5), since a 3-1 victory at home to Roma in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup group stage.

That is Crvena Zvezda's only win in their last 12 matches against Serie A sides (D5 L6) and one of only two overall.

A 2-0 success at Chievo Verona in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup first round second leg remains Crvena Zvezda's only victory away to an Italian club.

It was in Italy, however, that they won the 1990/91 European Cup, beating Marseille on penalties after a goalless draw in Bari.

The Belgrade side are in the Champions League proper for the fourth time – all since 2018/19.

Crvena Zvezda finished fourth in Group G in 2023/24, behind Manchester City, Leipzig and Young Boys.

The Serbian club started their 2024/25 European campaign in the play-offs, turning round a 2-1 first-leg loss at Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt with a 2-0 home win to progress.

Crvena Zvezda have lost their last ten away European games, conceding nine goals in this season's league phase at Inter (0-4) and Monaco (1-5). A 2-0 victory at Armenian side Pyunik in the 2022/23 Champions League third qualifying round is the only one of their last 12 away they have not lost.

Crvena Zvezda claimed their seventh successive league title – and 35th overall – in 2023/24, also winning the Serbian Cup for the fourth season in a row.

Links and trivia

Rade Krunić played 101 games for Milan between 2019 and 2024. He was also an Empoli player between 2015 and 2019.

Has also played in Italy:
Nemanja Radonjić (Roma youth 2014, Empoli youth 2014/15, Torino 2022–24)

Has played in Serbia:
Strahinja Pavlović (Partizan 2015–20)

Luka Ilić's brother Ivan plays in Serie A for Torino.

Have played together:
Ismaël Bennacer & Rade Krunić (Empoli 2017–19)

International team-mates:
Samuel Chukwueze & Peter Olayinka (Nigeria)

Latest news

Milan

Milan conceded a late goal to go down 2-1 at Atalanta on Friday, ending a seven-match unbeaten run (W5 D2) and three successive victories.

Tijjani Reijnders scored twice in a 3-0 win against Empoli on 30 November.

Álvaro Morata was also on target, his first Serie A goal since 27 September.

Milan have kept a clean sheet in five of their first seven home Serie A games for the first time since 2002/03.

On 3 December Milan defeated Sassuolo 6-1 to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, where they will play Roma or Sampdoria.

Reijnders scored again and has now found the net seven times in all competitions this season, equalling his personal best for a single campaign.

Christian Pulišić limped off shortly before half-time on Friday with a calf injury.

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

On 28 November, defender Matteo Gabbia renewed his contract with Milan until 2029.

Crvena Zvezda

Crvena Zvezda have won 16 of their 17 league games this season, scoring 55 goals and conceding nine. They were 6-0 winners at home to Tekstilac Odžaci on Saturday, Luka Ilić scoring four.

The Belgrade club have recorded five successive victories in all competitions, and have won eight of the last nine (L1).

The Serbian champions have scored four or more goals in eight of their 17 league matches.

Cherif Ndiaye, who was also on target on Saturday, is Crvena Zvezda's top scorer in the league this season with ten goals, one more than Ilić.

Peter Olayinka suffered an Achilles injury on Matchday 3 and has not played since.

Omri Glazer, whose last appearance came for Israel on 14 November, has been sidelined by an adductor injury.