Champions League: previews and predictions for the games this week

Milan welcome Tottenham to San Siro having ended their frustrating seven-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over Torino on Friday night. Stefano Pioli’s side have put up a dire defence of their Serie A title and are now 18 points behind runaway leaders Napoli. Finishing in the top four is the aim, but it will be tight. The four teams below the league leaders – Inter, Atalanta, Roma and Milan – are only separated by three points, with one of them destined to miss out.

Milan do not have a good record against Spurs. The sides have met four times – in the Uefa Cup semi-finals in 1972 and the last-16 stage of the Champions League in 2011 – and Milan did not win any of their encounters. They have also struggled against Antonio Conte’s sides in the past, with the Spurs boss winning eight of his last nine games against Milan.

Milan are still without goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who has been out of action since September. Ciprian Tatarusanu will continue between the sticks, though Milan are hopeful that Maignan will be available for the return leg in London on 8 March. Full-backs Sergiño Dest and Alessandro Florenzi are unavailable, and Ismaël Bennacer and Fikayo Tomori are also doubts.

Tottenham prepared for their return to Champions League action with a dire 4-1 loss at Leicester on Saturday, and the defeat came at a cost. Rodrigo Bentancur sustained a knee injury at the King Power Stadium and is out for the rest of the season, while fellow central midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg are absent due to injury and suspension, respectively.

Eric Dier may move into midfield alongside Oliver Skipp, with Clément Lenglet starting in the heart of a three-man backline with Ben Davies and the returning Cristian Romero. Like