After their 4-0 loss at home to Barcelona, a strong reaction is expected from Carlo Ancelotti’s men, especially as that was the first time Real Madrid have dropped points at the Bernabeu this season.

Prior to that game, Los Blancos boasted a perfect seven wins from seven games in front of a home support, scoring at least two goals in every game.

AC Milan have been less than impressive in Europe this campaign, as they currently sit in 25th, just outside of the qualification spots. They started with a 3-1 loss at home to Liverpool, before a 1-0 defeat to Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen. AC Milan registered their first win of the competition against Club Brugge in the previous round. Real Madrid are a cut above here and are expected to take advantage.

When playing at home this season, Real Madrid are averaging 7.0 corners per game in all competitions – almost enough to get over this line on their own.

In fact, they have cleared eight or more corners in four of their nine games in total, including in both of their Champions League outings at the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos accrued 10 corners against Stuttgart, and 11 corners against Borussia Dortmund. However, Real Madrid have conceded at least three corners in every home game this term.

AC Milan possess a potent attacking force, with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao, which suggests chances should be available at both ends. AC Milan are averaging 5.67 corners per away game this season.

Behind Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham has drawn the most fouls for Real Madrid in all competitions this season, averaging 1.86 fouls drawn per 90.

The Englishman drew two fouls against Barcelona last time out, and has drawn at least one foul in nine out of eleven games this campaign in all competitions. He has also drawn two or more fouls in seven of those matches.

He seems to see an uptick in fouls drawn during more competitive games, with five fouls drawn against his former club Borussia Dortmund last time out in the Champions League.

Prior to that, he was fouled twice against Lille, and two times against Stuttgart as well, meaning this selection has landed in every Champions League game so far this season.

Vinicius Jr has committed the most fouls for Real Madrid this campaign, averaging 1.92 fouls per 90. He has made at least two fouls in each of his last three games, including three fouls and a booking against Barcelona.

Prior to that, the Brazilian committed two fouls against Dortmund in the Champions League.

He draws an ideal matchup in this game, likely against Emerson Royal on the flank. The former Spurs man is drawing an average of 2.01 fouls per 90 this season in all competitions.

In his nine starts this season, Royal has drawn at least two fouls in six of those games. He has a tendency to go down easily when feeling pressure, which bodes well against Vinicius Jr.

Eder Militao struggled massively against Barcelona last time out, as he constantly saw himself pulled out of position, struggling to deal with the dynamic setup from Hansi Flick. In that game, he committed four fouls in total, and was shown a yellow card.

The Brazilian has been a target for fouls all season, given the aggression with which he defends. With Rudiger acting as the sweeper, Militao is often more willing to contest duels.

He has made a foul in 10 out of 13 starts this season, and is now set for a physical contest with Alvaro Morata. Against Monza in Morata’s previous game, the Spaniard drew five fouls, and is averaging 2.0 fouls drawn per 90 this season.

Fede Valverde is the only Real Madrid player this season to have started every game in all competitions – exemplifying his importance under Carlo Ancelotti.

In that time, he has registered at least one shot in 13 out of 15 games, averaging 1.38 shots per 90.

One of his key strengths is his ball-striking ability, which he often looks to utilise by taking longshots. All 14 of his shots in La Liga have come from outside the box. There is also a chance we see Valverde take free-kicks, given that he has already taken two set-pieces in La Liga.

AC Milan conceded 16 shots against Leverkusen, and 23 shots against Liverpool. With that in mind, Real Madrid are expected to dominate in this fixture.

Tijjani Reijnders finds himself in excellent form for AC Milan, scoring three goals in his last two starts, that includes a brace against Club Brugge last time out in the Champions League. He is generally afforded a notable amount of attacking freedom in midfield, as Youssouf Fofana tends to sit deeper.

Because of that, Reijnders often finds himself breaking into the box looking to create overloads.

The Dutchman managed a shot on target against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, while registering three shots against Liverpool, although none troubled the goalkeeper.

Real Madrid have shown themselves to be an underwhelming defensive unit so far, having conceded seven shots on target most recently to Dortmund. Stuttgart also registered seven shots on target against Madrid in round one of the Champions League.

Vinicius Jr is expected to be fired up for this game, it will be his first appearance since losing out on the Ballon D’or to Rodri. Following his snub, he tweeted ‘I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready’. The Brazilian will be as motivated as ever to produce a positive performance on Wednesday night.

Vinicius Jr has landed this selection in each of the last four games, he has scored five goals and been awarded two bookings in that time.

In his last Champions League outing, the winger managed to secure a hat-trick in remarkable circumstances, as Los Blancos secured a memorable comeback against Dortmund. He was also carded in that match.

Given that Kylian Mbappe took the last penalty for Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr will likely be the designated spot-kick taker for this game.