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Liverpool returned to action with a 3-1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday, with former Gunners striker Alexandre Lacazette bagging a brace during the French side’s victory.
Fabio Carvalho had opened the scoring for the Reds within the first minute after applying a simple finish to a neat move, before Mohamed Salah squandered a golden opportunity to double his side’s lead from the penalty spot after Roberto Firmino had been fouled.
A defensive mix-up between Andrew Robertson and Caoimhin Kelleher allowed Lacazette to pounce before the break, with Jurgen Klopp electing to make several changes for the second half as his side proceeded to fall to a defeat in normal time, before also missing out on a bonus point by losing a penalty shootout.
As such, Friday’s meeting with Milan will be a race to avoid finishing bottom of the Dubai Super Cup, although in truth the German will be more concerned about his side’s performance and energy levels than the result.
Indeed, the 55-year-old has repeatedly referenced a desire to see his team press higher and win more second balls ahead of their return to competitive action against Manchester City in the EFL Cup next week.
The two European heavyweights have tremendous history in recent times, of course, having shared one Champions League triumph each against each other in the 2005 and 2007 finals, before Klopp’s side won both meetings in the group stage last season.
One man who will be hoping for a start against his former club is Divock Origi, whose goals against Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur were crucial to helping Liverpool to their sixth European Cup title in the 2018-19 season.
The Italians have a couple of more weeks to prepare for their return to competitive action, with another friendly against PSV Eindhoven forthcoming before they face Salernitana in Serie A in the New Year
Klopp named a strong starting XI against Lyon, and his options have been further boosted by the return of Darwin Nunez to the first-team fold.
The Uruguay forward endured a difficult World Cup after crashing out at the group stage without scoring a goal himself, but his importance to the Reds has grown following the news that Luis Diaz is set to be sidelined until March after suffering a setback to a knee issue.
Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk are unlikely to be available having only recently been eliminated from the World Cup at the quarter-final stage, while Diogo Jota remains out with a calf injury.
Milan, meanwhile, could welcome Charles De Ketelaere back to the fold after he was eliminated at the group stage with Belgium in Qatar, having only featured for the Red Devils for 16 minutes across their three matches.
However, Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez both remain firmly involved with France, while Rafael Leao will be rested after being dumped out at the quarter-final stage with Portugal.
Simon Kjaer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alessandro Florenzi, Davide Calabria and Mike Maignan are all sidelined through injury.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Ramsay, Matip, Gomez, Robertson; Elliott, Thiago, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Nunez
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Tatarusanu; Kalulu, Gabbia, Tomori, Thiaw; Bennacer, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Diaz, Rebic; Origi
In the week that the Bulls lost their most famous ex-player, FA Cup legend Ronnie Radford – 50 years on from his iconic match-winning goal against Newcastle – it briefly looked like there might be some left-over magic in the air.
For seven minutes, the sixth-tier outfit led after Miles Storey’s goal against the team 81 places above them in the English football pyramid in League One.
But Pompey hit back, with Reeco Hackett quickly levelling before second-half goals from Colby Bishop and substitute Joe Pigott earned the twice FA Cup winners a safe passage to Monday’s second-round draw
Making their first trip to Edgar Street in 38 years, Pompey were given a good first-half workout by the fired-up hosts.
Although home keeper Dale Eve had to keep out Hackett’s left-foot curler bound for the top corner, Pompey had a first real scare when Bishop’s challenge on Hereford’s former million-pound marksman Tyrone Barnett in the visitors’ penalty box went unpunished.
And there was worse to follow for Pompey when Hereford took the lead on 26 minutes.
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Sean Raggett played a loose pass inside to Hackett, who was immediately closed down and robbed by Storey – and the former Pompey player raced away down the inside-left channel before keeping his cool to nutmeg on-loan West Bromwich Albion keeper Josh Griffiths.
Fittingly, just two days on from the announcement of the sad passing of Hereford’s legendary number 11, their modern-day number 11 emulated his predecessor.
There had already been a minute’s silence, which cascaded into applause from the whole ground, followed by chants of ‘there’s only one Ronnie Radford’ when the clock showed 11 minutes.
But this goal was destined not to prove so famous.
Ronan Curtis headed down Connor Ogilvie’s far-post cross for Hackett to bring down and fire home coolly from six yards.
On 63 minutes, Portsmouth took the lead when, from Clark Robertson’s in-swinging right-foot corner from the left, Bishop timed his run to get there first and head his 10th goal of the season.
And Pigott wrapped up victory 10 minutes from time when, again from a corner by skipper Robertson, Bishop won the initial header before Pigott reacted sharpest to sidefoot home
Hereford FC boss Josh Gowling told BBC Sport:
“I’m really disappointed because we should have got something out of it, but goals change games – and the quality of the delivery they have changes games.
“In the first half we were excellent. We were in the ascendancy and they looked nervous.
“We were on top and looked like we could go on and win, but we’ve made one mistake, it has cost us a goal and that’s the difference in levels.
“We’ve given them a leg up and a little lift and you could see their performance raise after that.”
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley told BBC Sport:
“I was so sad to hear the news about Ronnie Radford. He was such an iconic figure and he had that iconic moment. For a lot of people my age, his famous goal was their first memories of the FA Cup. But what a brilliant night to celebrate his life