AC Milan vs Borussia Dortmund: Preview and Predictions

AC Milan vs Borussia Dortmund
International Champions Cup
Date: Tuesday, 18th July 2017
Kick-off at 12:20 UK/ 13:23 CET
Venue: Guangzhou, China.

The much anticipated International Champions Cup 2017 kick off in China when AC Milan lock horns with Borussia Dortmund. It is an exciting occasion for fans as they get to see their teams in action against strong opponents for the first time.

AC Milan started an ambition project after missing out on Champions League for the fourth consecutive season. Since finishing third at the end of 2013/14 season, Milan were without European football in the past three campaigns. However, they achieved the best finish during the period last season, a sixth placed finish propelling them to the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

Li Yonghong, the Chairman of the Rossoneri is not backing down here. We are witnessing a big overhaul this summer with at least 10 players already joined to train under Vincenzo Montella. Andre Silva, Fabio Borini, Andrea Conti, Hakan Calhanoglu, Mateo Musacchio, Franck Kessie and Ricardo Rodriguez have all arrived in Milan this summer. Further rumors suggest that Leonardo Bonucci is above to make his switch from Juventus. If you are a Milan fan, there is every reason to be optimistic this season.

At the same time, Borussia Dortmund are also in a transition period as they look to recapture lost glory under a new manager in Peter Bosz. The 53-year old Dutch boss is coming with a good reputation after taking Ajax to Europa League finals last season. However, the first big task for Bosz is to convince his key players to remain at the Signal Iduna Park. The likes of Aubameyang and Reus are once again linked with many European giants.

Milan kicked off their pre-season with a 4-0 win against Lugano last week. Meanwhile, Dortmund lost to RW Essen before registering a win against Urawa Red Diamonds. The 3-2 win against the Japanese side saw Mario Gotze make his return for the first time since January 2017.

AC Milan vs Borussia Dortmund: Head-to-head

The lone meeting between the two sides happened during the 2002/03 Champions League season. They share a win each, both coming by the same 1-0 margin in favour of the away side.

AC Milan vs Borussia Dortmund: Prediction

To be fair, both teams are in a mini-transition period and therefore it may take them some time to settle down as a unit. AC Milan made far too many signings, while Dortmund have a new manager at the helm. This is why one must expect the teams to be disorganized, which might produce a flurry of goals.