AC Milan vs Newcastle United Odds, Betting Prediction, Picks

Newcastle United Ready to Return to the Biggest Stage of All

Newcastle United are back in the big time. 

Despite a 1-0 victory over Brentford at the weekend, Eddie Howe’s team have made a mediocre start to the 2023/24 season. A return of two wins and three defeats has left Newcastle in the bottom half of the Premier League table, below the likes of Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Yet the mood around St James’ Park remains bright because the Magpies are about to appear in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

Few expected them to qualify for Europe’s foremost competition last term. A fourth-place finish represented an impressive overachievement in Howe’s first full campaign at the helm. The objective before the season was probably a top-eight finish.

Their lack of recent continental experience saw Newcastle enter the group stage draw in Pot Four. That meant a difficult draw was always possible, but being paired with Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan means Group F is the toughest in recent memory.

Still, Newcastle supporters will relish the trips to France, Germany and Italy. And Newcastle should not be written off: PSG, Dortmund and Milan will have been disappointed to draw them too.

The atmosphere at St James’ for all three home games will be electric. They are the type of nights that had been long forgotten during Mike Ashley’s miserable ownership, which finally ended when the club was controversially bought by Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Newcastle appeared in the Champions League in 1997/98 and 2002/03, but many of their fans will not remember those campaigns. The sense of excitement around the club is palpable. Newcastle will just hope they are not sent crashing back down to earth on Tuesday.

AC Milan Look to Bounce Back From Humiliating Weekend Loss

AC Milan had the worst possible preparation for their first Champions League game of the season. On Saturday night, they were thumped 5-1 by Inter in the Derby della Madonnina in an early blow to their Serie A title ambitions.

It is the fixture that matters most to Milan fans, who have barely recovered from losing to their local rivals in the semi-final of last season’s Champions League.

On the balance of play and chances created, the Rossoneri were a little unfortunate to lose by such a wide margin. 

Yet that is scant consolation after yet another defeat by their arch-adversaries. Milan will be itching to bounce back quickly but we will have to wait and see if there is any hangover effect from that loss.

Perhaps, though, the defeat was just an aberration - albeit in high-profile circumstances. Milan have won all three of their other games this term, including an impressive 2-1 triumph over Roma in the capital.

That is the message Stefano Piolo will be trying to drive home to his players. Milan won the Serie A title two years ago and reached the last four of the Champions League last term. 

They strengthened their squad over the summer and are among the contenders to win Italy’s top flight again this season. On their day they are a fantastic side.

They will benefit from home advantage on Tuesday, while it remains to be seen how Newcastle will handle an occasion of this magnitude. Milan will draw confidence from those two factors, while also respecting a team that was the third-best in the Premier League for long periods of last season.

This One Could Go Either Way But AC Milan Looks Like the Best Bet

This is the type of game in which any result looks possible. A draw would not be a huge surprise, nor would a victory for either team. The odds supplied by the best online sportsbooks reflect that. On balance, though, betting the moneyline in favor of Milan looks like the best choice. 

As mentioned above, they have the benefit of playing at home. They must also hope that Newcastle are overawed by a type of encounter they are simply not used to. This current team has not even competed in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League together.

That does not necessarily mean the Magpies will struggle in Group F. Many fancy them to finish in the top two, perhaps alongside PSG. But Milan are not pushovers. This is a club with a rich European history, having been crowned kings of the continent on seven occasions - a record bettered only by Real Madrid.

So with all that in mind, a home victory is the way to go here. Back Milan to get the better of Newcastle at San Siro on matchday one.