Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are both set to feature as AC Milan and Manchester United meet at San Siro in the second leg of a Europa League Round of 16 tie.
Following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, Milan has a slight advantage in the matchup thanks to an away goal, but bookmaker 10Bet still has United as the favorite to progress into the quarter-finals with the odds for the Red Devils to qualify at 1.66. Milan’s success can be backed with the odds at 2.25.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 17th, 7:30 P.M. (EST)
Zlatan who has 16 goals in 21 appearances for the season was among a number of key absentees a week ago when Milan traveled to Manchester, but they managed to sneak a 1-1 draw via an injury-time equalizer by Simon Kjaer.
Milan has a near-perfect record in Europe after drawing the first leg on the road progressing on 24 occasions from 28 matchups. They have four wins and one loss in the previous five home meetings with United.
Stefano Pioli will also welcome back defenders Theo Hernandez and Alessio Romagnoli here, with playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu back in the mix as well, so United will face a quality side that led the Italian Serie A for large parts this season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be without Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial, but Pogba should bring much-needed creativity to a team that has played out three goalless draws in the past six games and has managed only four goals during the stretch.
United finished this season’s Champions League campaign with back-to-back road defeats, but these are their only losses in the last 35 away outings across all competitions. Solskjaer’s preferred style of play seems to be very well suited for away days when the home team is expected to show initiative and be on the front foot.
The Red Devils haven’t had much success in Italy through the years winning only five of 18 visits, but they are riding a five-game unbeaten run against Italian sides on foreign soil and have won both of their last two trips there.
Milan have managed only one clean sheet in nine games so they seem to be there for the taking, but Zlatan always saves his best for the big occasions and he should be highly motivated against his former team. The Swedish superstar is closing in on 60 European goals with five of them coming for United when he helped the club lift the Europa League trophy in 2017.
