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• Fonseca targets statement Milan win over Real Madrid

  Milan have no need to fear Real Madrid and their coach Paulo Fonseca is targeting a statement win in the Champions League.

  Despite having won more Champions League/European Cup titles (seven) than any other club apart from Madrid (15), it has been 17 years since Milan last lifted the trophy in 2007.

  On the other hand, holders Madrid have won the Champions League six times since 2013-14.

  But Fonseca sees no reason to fear Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu, where Carlo Ancelotti's side were recently hammered 4-0 by Barcelona.

  "We're playing against a team that aspires to win the Champions League every year and for us it's a great opportunity to grow," Fonseca said.

  "We'll play without fear of anything, with courage, because we believe we can play a great game and do great things.

  "I always transmit to my team the desire to win and tomorrow will be no different. Real Madrid are a great team, but we will go out there thinking about winning. After that, anything can happen, but that's the mentality.

  "To win a match like this, we have to defend well, have possession of the ball and create dangerous situations. A match against Real Madrid is a chance to show the world our quality and the way we are growing."

  Madrid are 12th in the 36-team Champions League table with six points, while Milan are languishing in 25th spot – just outside the play-off places – with three points after three games.

  Fonseca explained Milan had carefully studied Barcelona's 4-0 win over Madrid in last month's Clasico.

  "I saw the derby, it's impossible not to watch it. They are teams I like to watch and I paid close attention to the game," Fonseca said.

  "We are different from Barcelona but it was important to see Real Madrid's intentions against them because Barca have a similar way of defending with us. We made the whole team watch the game.

  "It is the match between the two clubs that have won the Champions League the most. There are many games in the continent that are big, but this one is obviously something special, a match between two clubs that are attractive.

  "We hope to put on a good show for people who enjoy good football."

  Milan are winless in their last three Champions League games against Madrid (D2 L1) since they won 3-2 in October 2009 with goals from Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato.

  Madrid have won five of their seven home matches against Milan in the competition (D1 L1), beating them 2-0 in the most recent such match in October 2010.

• Silva grateful Fulham's dominance was rewarded with late win

  Marco Silva believes Fulham claimed a "deserved win" against Brentford, though admits they should have secured the three points much earlier in their 2-1 victory.

  It looked like Vitaly Janelt's 24th-minute strike against the run of play was going to wrap up all three points for Brentford, but Harry Wilson proved the Cottagers' hero off the bench, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch the three points.

  Fulham had dominated from the first whistle and had 26 shots, 12 of which were on target, though they struggled to find a way past their opponents' staunch defence until the 92nd minute.

  Wilson became just the sixth player to score an equalising and match-winning goal from the 90th minute onwards in the Premier League, while his second goal was Fulham's latest-ever Premier League winner at 96:46.

  Silva was delighted with how his team pushed until the final seconds to ensure they came away with a win.

  "It was definitely a deserved win. We started on the front foot and dominated all the game. In the first 20 minutes, we had two clear chances to score," Silva told BBC Sport.

  "After they scored, we didn't lose the confidence and the trust in ourselves, we kept pushing them back, and we created enough to not be losing at half-time.

  "I told the players this is football, it can happen, but we have to keep pushing, working hard and playing our way.

  "It was late, it should've been much before, but that's football."

  Brentford, meanwhile, have now dropped a league-high 14 points from winning positions in the Premier League as they suffered a fifth consecutive away defeat in the competition.

  In fact, they are the first side in the competition's history to score the first goal in four consecutive away games and lose all four.

  They had defended resolutely until their late lapse in concentration, and even had a chance to win it, only for Bernd Leno's impressive save to keep out Fabio Carvalho in the 95th minute.

  Thomas Frank, though, admitted he was not yet ready to take the positives from the performance after the disappointment of their late defeat.

  "It was tough. It is emotionally very tough right now," Frank told Sky Sports.

  "When you are leading in the 92nd minute, and you lose, it is tough. I don't think we hit our highest level. I think on the day Fulham were better.

  "There was a lot of good defending and effort, and I thought that would have given us the win. We could have won it with the chance for Fabio Carvalho and then we lost.

  "When we look at the game back, and we are more cool-headed, we will probably be very happy with the defensive standard. I thought there were unbelievable blocks, and recovery runs and all that we did well. On the ball, we didn't do enough."

• Returning fan favourite Alonso calls Liverpool 'one of Europe's best'

  Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso hailed his former club Liverpool as "one of Europe's best" as he prepares for his Anfield return.

  Alonso, who spent five successful years at Anfield and helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005, returns to his former stomping ground when Leverkusen take on the Reds on Tuesday.

  Arne Slot has won 12 of his first 14 matches in charge of Liverpool, including all three in the Champions League so far.

  Leverkusen have only won one of their 11 away major European matches in England (D3 L7), and have lost their last two visits to Anfield, and Alonso is under no illusion as to the scale of the task that awaits the reigning Bundesliga champions.

  "For us, it is a big challenge," he said.

  "Liverpool at the moment are one of the best, if not the best, in Europe, they are showing that in the Premier League and Champions League, a good squad, great coach. We're looking forward to it. Let's see what happens.

  "You can play 70 minutes great but in 20 minutes it [the game] is gone, so it is mentally and emotionally we need to be ready.

  "In all areas, they are really strong, so the process works really well. [Slot] has done a fantastic job in three months."

  Alonso played 210 times across all competitions for Liverpool between 2004 and 2009, scoring 18 goals and providing 20 assists. 

  After winning the Champions League with the Reds in 2005, he helped them reach the final in 2007, though they lost to Milan on that occasion.

  However, the Spaniard does not think he will have too much time for a trip down memory lane.

  "Unfortunately, there is no time for tourism – maybe a little run or walk," he said.

  "I know the city very well, I love it, but tomorrow I will focus on the game and only the game.

  "It feels great to be back here after a few years. It's always special. You notice the development of the club; the new stand looks amazing.

  "It is a big game against Liverpool, it cannot get much better than that."

  The omens are not great for Leverkusen, though.

  Liverpool have lost one of their last 21 European meetings with German opponents (W14 D6), albeit that one defeat came against Leverkusen in 2002.