Benitez: Juventus meet Aston Villa in ‘tricky’ moment, Milan ‘inconsistent’ | OneFootball

Former Napoli and Inter coach Rafa Benitez insists Milan have not fixed all their problems, while Juventus will meet Aston Villa in a ‘tricky moment’ for Unai Emery.

The Champions League Round 5 begins today with Milan visiting Slovan Bratislava. The Rossoneri are expected to drop Rafael Leao, but they must win in Slovakia, having collected just six points in the competition this term.

“The 0-0 draw against Juventus confirmed the problems that seemed fixed after the extraordinary victory in Madrid,” Benitez told Gazzetta.

Benitez: Juventus meet Aston Villa in ‘tricky’ moment, Milan ‘inconsistent’

AC Milan’s head coach Paulo Fonseca gestures during the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Real Madrid and AC Milan, in Madrid, Spain, 05 November 2024. EPA-EFE/Kiko Huesca

“Milan are inconsistent; they have highs and lows that are not good for the environment, but the Champions League could do them well.”

Inter also play on Tuesday, hosting RB Leipzig at San Siro, while Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta will visit Young Boys.

“Leipzig can be tricky despite three defeats in the last four games. German teams are always tough, and Inzaghi knows this well,” noted Benitez.

“The strikers are super fit, as they proved in Verona, and even substitutes have given convincing answers. There are key games ahead, and Inter can’t stop. Inzaghi is aware of this and will keep a high focus.”

Juventus and Bologna play on Wednesday. The Old Lady visits Aston Villa while the Rossoblu are looking for their first win and first goal in the competition at home against Lille.

“Mixed stats suggest Juventus can be confident,” argued Benitez.

“They are still unbeaten in Serie A and reliable in defence, even without Bremer, but this time around, Vlahovic is the factor. Aston Villa are surely in a tricky moment. They struggle to win and confirm what they did at the beginning of the season.”

The Bianconeri are expected to travel to England later today with just 14 outfield players. Their best scorer, Dusan Vlahovic, is injured and won’t join the rest of the team at Villa Park.