Feyenoord and AC Milan will meet in the first leg of their Champions League playoff at De Kuip on Wednesday, as the Dutch side makes its long-awaited return to the knockout stages. Feyenoord last faced Milan in the European Cup in 1970, a tie they won before going on to lift the trophy. Now, the winner of this clash will face either Arsenal or Inter Milan in the last 16.

Feyenoord finished 19th in the league phase, making the most of UEFA’s new format. Their campaign was marked by high-scoring encounters, including a stunning 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich and a thrilling 3-3 draw against Manchester City. However, defensive frailties saw them concede more goals than any other team in the top 24. Their form has also been inconsistent, with a string of disappointing domestic results before bouncing back with a 3-0 derby win against Sparta Rotterdam. Despite their struggles, history favors the Dutch club, as they have lost only once in 11 home meetings with Italian opposition.

Milan, meanwhile, finished two points and six places ahead of Feyenoord, narrowly missing out on a top-eight finish after a costly defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. New coach Sergio Conceicao has already led the Rossoneri to a Supercoppa Italiana triumph, but their away record in Champions League knockout ties is concerning, with no wins in their last 11 such matches. However, recent victories over Roma and Empoli have given them some momentum.

Feyenoord will be without Gernot Trauner, Justin Bijlow, Calvin Stengs, Chris-Kevin Nadje, and Ramiz Zerrouki, while Milan are missing Emerson Royal, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Alessandro Florenzi, and the suspended Yunus Musah.

Milan’s away struggles and Feyenoord’s defensive issues suggest that both teams will find the net in what should be a tightly contested first leg. I expect the visitors coming on top.

费耶诺德和AC米兰将于周三在德库伊普举行的欧冠季后赛首回合比赛中相遇，荷兰球队将迎来期待已久的淘汰赛阶段。费耶诺德上一次面对米兰是在1970年的欧洲杯上，他们赢得了一场平局，然后举起了奖杯。现在，这场比赛的胜者将在16强对阵阿森纳或国际米兰。

费耶诺德在联赛阶段排名第19位，充分利用了欧足联的新赛制。他们的赛季以高得分的比赛为标志，包括3-0击败拜仁慕尼黑和3-3战平曼城。然而，防守上的弱点使他们比其他24强球队丢了更多的球。他们的状态也不稳定，在3比0战胜鹿特丹斯巴达之前，他们在国内的表现令人失望。尽管处境艰难，但历史对这支荷兰俱乐部有利，他们在11次主场对阵意大利对手的比赛中只输了一场。

与此同时，米兰以2分和6个名次领先费耶诺德，在负于萨格勒布迪纳摩的惨痛失利后，与前八强擦肩而过。新教练孔塞西乔已经带领红黑军团赢得了意大利超级杯的胜利，但他们在欧冠淘汰赛的客场战绩令人担忧，在过去的11场欧冠淘汰赛中没有获胜。然而，最近对罗马和恩波利的胜利给了他们一些动力。

费耶诺德将失去特劳纳、比伊洛、斯滕斯、纳杰和泽鲁基，而米兰将失去罗亚尔、洛夫图斯-奇克、弗洛伦齐和停赛的尤努斯-穆萨。

米兰在客场的挣扎和费耶诺德的防守问题表明，两支球队都将在第一回合的激烈竞争中找到进球机会。我希望游客们能名列前茅。